Yokota Exchange Wins Best of the Pacific for Mainland Japan

Stars and Stripes has named Yokota Exchange the best Exchange for Mainland Japan in the big base category for 2023-2024, marking the first time the store has earned the honor.

General Manager Andrew Defelice and Store Manager Evelyn Yamaguchi reached new heights and met enhanced expectations to become the preferred shopping place for service members, their families and the military community stationed in mainland Japan.

“We were pleasantly surprised winning the award,” Yamaguchi said. “Our Exchange team made tremendous efforts to let the customers know that they are the greatest customers in the world.”

In 2023, the team built relationships with community partners, installation commanders and military families by conducting “Meet the Managers” events and more than 20 immersion tours with Group and Squadron installation commanders to provide them insight to the daily operation of the Department of Defense’s largest retailer.

“Customer engagement and the one-stop shop atmosphere were more pronounced this year than in previous years.” Defelice said. “We’ve listened to shoppers’ feedback and improved our store, such as installing self-checkout kiosks, bringing in more name-brand products and expanding our BE FIT merchandise in the main store and Expresses.”

For the past 19 years, Stars and Stripes polled members of military communities throughout the Pacific theater on the best among a variety of subjects including best shopping facilities, best restaurants and best phone services on and off base.

“We are grateful that our customers have voted for us, believing we have improved their quality of life through their shopping experience,” Yamaguchi said. “We are looking forward to implementing more great things with our base partnerships to make sure that our valued customers know that this is their home away from home.”

Air Force Lt. Col. Marci Hoffman, Stars and Stripes Pacific commander, with Yokota AB Exchange General Manager Andrew Defelice (purple shirt), Store Manager Evelyn Yamaguchi (light blue shirt) and Yokota Exchange team members after Stars and Stripes awarded the store Mainland Japan’s “Best Exchange-Big Base.” At far right is Pacific Region Vice President Larry Salgado. (Courtesy Photo by Yokota Exchange)