• YOKOTA AB, Japan 

During the past few months, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has been upgrading the shopping experience here at this base, with the latest move welcoming the first Bath & Body Works store in mainland Japan and Tokyo. 

Bath & Body Works has provided home fragrance and personal care items such as fine fragrance mists, body lotion, three-wick candles and more since 1990.  

“Not only do Yokota Air Base Exchange shoppers have the opportunity to have ‘a taste of home,’ but they will also get to experience the same full range of products that are offered stateside,” said Yokota AB Exchange General Manager (GM) Andrew Defelice. 

With the support of the Pacific Region Facility Management Office assisting with the Bath & Body Works-branded fixtures and the vendor brokers, Military Sales & Service, the store-in-store project included building light fixtures and installing the electrical requirements to support illuminated signage. 

“The Bath & Body Works store being the first in the mainland is such a great accomplishment,” Defelice said. “We’re excited to offer service members and their families ‘a taste of home’ through this vendor.” 

The July 23 grand opening featured Bath & Body Works Pocket Bac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel for the first 75 customers and a Bath & Body Works gift bag in honor of the Exchange’s 130th anniversary celebration. 

REVAMPED AND RELOCATED 

Earlier this year, the AAFES BX here celebrated the grand opening of a revamped PowerZone as well as the relocation of Military Clothing (MC) to the Main Store. 

The renovated PowerZone now features a game center, allowing shoppers to experience an assortment of gaming content, as well as a new section for gaming laptops. There is a dedicated location for computers and a revamped TV wall. 

The MC store, which was previously a stand-alone facility within the Yokota AB Community Center, was relocated to the Main Store, making it the first co-located MC store in the Exchange’s Pacific Region. 

“These improvements are great quality-of-life enhancements for the Yokota military community,” Defelice said.  

“The improved technology in the PowerZone is a tremendous upgrade for shoppers, while the co-located Military Clothing store offers greater convenience for one-stop shopping,” he noted. 

Source: AAFES 

Edited by Larry Lapka