Email   Print   Share By Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious September 20, 2012 | Leisure

Soldiers from the 136th Manuever Enhancement Brigade check out the laptop selection at Clear Creek’s new PowerZone electronics department. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Customers at Clear Creek’s new PowerZone look around for small electronics to take on their flights and other electronics to enhance their entertainment experiences. Clear Creek Exchange PowerZone has everything from big screen TVs and home entertainment systems, to printers, gaming systems and movies. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Shoppers at the Clear Creek PX look at computer accessories, such as rewritable CDs and flash cards, at the store’s new PowerZone electronics department. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Previously housed at Fort Hood’s Warrior Way Exchange, the post’s PowerZone has officially moved to the Clear Creek PX and has been up-and-running since the end of July.

The new PowerZone, nearly 9,700 square feet in size, is the electronics department that holds everything from complete home entertainment systems and computers to digital photo frames and game systems.

“The PowerZone moved from Warrior Way to Clear Creek because we have more space for it over here,” said Cathy Orona, Clear Creek Exchange store manager. “Warrior Way is transitioning to being all outdoors, furniture and major appliances in their store.”

She added that the PowerZone is one department that seemed appropriate to be in the Clear Creek store because it fits in with the other departments housed at Clear Creek.

“The idea is to make Clear Creek a one-stop-shop for the customers,” she said.

The new PowerZone is located on the south side of the Clear Creek PX, where the linen department was previously.

With the groundbreaking on Fort Hood’s new PX beginning in December, Warrior Way and Clear Creek are organizing all of the departments to where they can be more easily categorized and accessed. Orona said the idea is that all of the departments at Clear Creek will be moved to the new PX when it is finished, so organization needs to start now, to make for a smoother transition when the time comes.

But for now, the departments at Clear Creek have been organized accordingly, and the addition of the PowerZone has made Clear Creek more convenient for shoppers.

“The idea was trying to prevent people from having to go back and forth between us and Warrior Way to get everything they need,” Orona said. She added that on more than one occasion, a customer would be shopping for clothes at Clear Creek and need to pick up a small electronic item, such as a phone charger, and would have to go all the way to Warrior Way to obtain that one small item.

“Moving electronics over to Clear Creek is convenient. And having outdoors and furniture at Warrior Way appropriately categorizes products that people are looking for,” she said.

Rick Evans, sales and merchandise manager at Clear Creek Exchange, said moving the PowerZone from Warrior Way to Clear Creek has been a great decision because Clear Creek has the higher foot traffic of the post’s two exchanges.

“We are closer to a more highly-travelled gate, Clear Creek, so having the PowerZone here, more easily accessible, really is more convenient for the one-stop-shopping that people search for,” Evans said.

Evans also said customers that frequent both exchanges have been happy with the changeover.

“The only complaint we’ve had so far was because one person had gone to Warrior Way looking for the PowerZone, only to find it missing – because it moved over here,” Evans said. “But once everyone finds out the PowerZone is over here, that problem won’t happen anymore.”

Orona and Evans both said the goal was to make shopping more convenient for customers, and their high hopes were met with success.

“It’s so much more appropriate for the PowerZone to be at Clear Creek,” Sgt. Phillip Garcia, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, said. “Now you can get everything you need in one place – it’s convenient.”

Although the PowerZone has been up and running since July, the grand opening is set for the weekend of Oct. 5 and 6.

The Clear Creek Exchange is home to many departments

including health and beauty, cleaning, pet, small appliance, houseware, clothing (women, men, children, infants), shoe, stationary, garden, toys, auto, hardware, linen, book/magazine, greeting cards and Power Zone. Warrior Way is home to the furniture, large appliances, sporting goods, guns, athletic clothing and shoe departments.

Contact Clear Creek Exchange at 532-7200 and Warrior Way at 532-8100.