AAFES debuts new brand identity, new look

Dallas The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) debuted its new brand and store concept at its facility at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City.

Going forward, AAFES’ retail facilities will simply be called the Exchange, with the new identity also reflected in catalogs, exclusive brand packaging as well as revisions to the website that will be coming online over the next few months.

Brand and design consultant Chute Gerdeman Retail, project management firm Jones Lang LaSalle and multimedia consultant Mozaic collaborated with the Exchange to create the dramatic new brand identity.

“The reason the Exchange rebranded was simple -- to communicate to their customers that they are here, ready with a new shopping experience, providing them with everything they need to outfit their unique military lifestyle,” said Brian Shafley, president of Chute Gerdeman Retail and design leader on the Exchange project.

The new store design combines lively colors and lifestyle imagery, bold shop design statements, shiny polished floors and a new way to navigate through the store. A new entryway, flanked with a Mall of Honor saluting the Tinker AFB community, signals the store’s transformation.

Inside the store, the customer service area has been relocated to the very front. Greeted with a large “Hello” on the wall, customers will find an all-new look for this area -- bright and friendly, reinforcing the Exchange brand and mission.

“We took the best parts about the Exchange -- like its people -- and put them right at the front of the store, ready to serve any customer need,” Shafley said. “And we have made shopping more convenient by making the store design cleaner, friendlier, and more inspiring to shop.”

The entry zone introduces the customers to the store’s three key worlds: Home, Life and Style, each presenting collections of merchandise for every aspect of their military lifestyles. The unique V-aisle layout is designed to invite customers toward key lifestyle destinations in the rear corners of the store.

The new tagline, “You Save, We Give Back,” emphasizes the organization’s competitively low prices and mission to provide annual dividends to the Army’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Air Force Services programs. The Exchange gives back to the military community with every transaction and is a gathering place for its shoppers and their families.

Plans in the works to expand the new look and graphics throughout AAFES’s extensive network, which includes more than 3,100 facilities worldwide.