So,  having not been there in a few years, my wife and I packed up our daughter and took the long drive up Rt 16 to visit Yokota for some shopping.

I was dissappointed by the selection, but I guess that can be expected due to the interruption in the supply chain that still exists from 3/11.  What I was not expecting was for everything to be so expensive.

My biggest shock was when I went to the Home/Athletics store.  I was looking for a nice bike, and was happy to see that they had a decent Cannondale in stock.  I was a bit suprised by the $1530 price tag, but when I looked up up on Cannondales web site, I was angry to see the MSRP was only $1300 and change!

Now, MSRPs are generally set to where any store can mark down the price and appear like they are offering a deal to the customer.  WTF is AAFES doing selling something over $200 OVER the MSRP?  Do they think that their customers don't have internet access?

All said and done, I went home, sans bike.  I can proffer that Yokosuka seems to have much better prices and selection than Yokota currently.  If you are in Atsugi, Zama, or Yokosuka, save your gas.  It isn't worth the trip.

lol, you are one of the first to ever say Yokosuka has better prices and selection than Yokota. I think the Exchanges have a policy that they are always below MSRP, so you should be able to make an issue about the bike. This happened to me once with some shoes & they dropped the price on the spot.

I was surpised too. I always thought that due to AAFES buying power, they would be cheaper. Not so now. Polo (Ralph Lauren) was 5 bucks more. Jeans were more. Socks were more.

And, worst off, there beer selection SUCKED. I was hoping to find some IPA, but nope, just Bud and the normal pee-water they call beer.

They did have a good selection of clothes for my daughter, but even those weren't "cheap".

But the bike thing was a travesty. That is just wrong.

Uphere at the MIsawa AFFES they said the reason for the lack of products was because were they send in the order to, they were upgrading their computers and lost the order form. This was over 3 months ago! Come on people, do your freaking job and get done what needs to be done. If this was any other business out there they would have no customers but because we are stationed overseas we are kinda "pigeon holed". Another thing too that erks me, just because its TAX FREE doesnt mean its an awesome deal. Find a new slogan!

Tried buying an external hard drive at the NEX in Yokosuka this weekend. Online price through Amazon with free shipping: $79. NEX price: $130. A 60% hike in price. In fact no place online that I saw has that item for more than $100.

So yes, Amazon got my money, though I would have happily given my money to the NEX if their prices were reasonable so that I could have walked out with the thing rather than waiting for a shipment to arrive.

Also, don't forget Amazon.jp. You get delivery in 2-3 days, great prices, and delivery costs are often under $5.

Posted By amauldin on 08-08-2011 12:00 PM
Tried buying an external hard drive at the NEX in Yokosuka this weekend. Online price through Amazon with free shipping: $79. NEX price: $130. A 60% hike in price. In fact no place online that I saw has that item for more than $100.

That's why I never shop there.  About the only time I ever shop at the NEX is when I have to use my $10 gift card that I get from paying my rent.  Online shopping is the way to go.  I don't mind waiting a week to get my stuff if it means I'll save a lot of money. 

I agree with there always being cheaper options, but I am not talking about things that are "cheaper". You will always be able to find something online that will cost less than a brick-and-mortar; simply for the fact that they have lower overhead costs.

My complaint is with the concept of MSRP. When a maker puts a price on something, it is usually the max price point. All sellers can either charge that, or reduce from it. MSRP is usually based upon a cost plus percentage equation, usually 15-20%. Sometimes, like with high-ticket items like bikes, even more. For the PX to eclipse MSRP by a good 15%, you have to wonder what kind of mark-up other items are being given.

There is a difference between a captive audience and an imprisioned one.

I found this the other week. Had me laughing www.facebook.com/pages/AAFES-Sucks/214158847125