Wholesale retailer Sam's Club announced this week that it will waive membership requirements for servicemembers, veterans and their families during the government shutdown, according to Military Times. A Sam's Club spokesperson told the news source that it will allow them to shop at the large retailer as if they were members and receive discounts on their purchases.
To obtain the military benefits, servicemembers must present proof of present or past military service at a Sam's Club member desk or checkout counter.
The announcement came after dozens of commissaries at U.S. military installations were forced to close Oct. 2, leaving military families already living on tight budgets with less affordable shopping options. Military families save about 30 percent on groceries and other household goods at commissaries, and the products are tax-free, according to the Defense Commissary Agency. The Associated Press reported that nearly 12 million military personnel, veterans and their family members are eligible to shop at commissaries worldwide.
"Military personnel, retirees and their families heavily depend on commissaries for low-cost groceries and everyday needs," the retailer said in a statement.
The new directive applies to every Sam's Club in the U.S. and will last until the shutdown is resolved, the news source reported.