The Defense Commissary Agency, the federal agency that runs the low-priced supermarkets on military bases, is taking a page from private industry’s playbook.

In a pilot program, the agency will soon change the commissary at Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach into a club store format. Roughly one-third of its sales area will be devoted to club pack product assortments.

The federal agency calls the store concept Commissary Plus and will try the format for a year. After a few days of closure, the Imperial Beach store will open in the new format Oct. 24.

Freddie Espiritu is store director in Imperial Beach.

The government sells commissary items at cost, with a 5 percent surcharge.

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