Now’s the time of year that grocery stores all over the country are digging deep to find its state’s best grocery bagger to represent it at the U.S. Best Bagger National Championship, held in February each year. State champs rise from huge chains and family-owned stores in every corner of the United States.
The proper bagging of groceries is an important part of the operation of a successful retail grocery business, and front-end employees have a major effect on how well a retailer serves the customer. This national competition is the culmination of contests all across the country.
The 2010 Best Bagger National Championship was markedly different: the event switched from paper and plastic to reusable grocery bags. This change was due to the popularity of reusable bags around the country.
Contestants are judged on speed, reusable bag-building technique, and weight distribution between reusable grocery bags. Judges also add (or subtract) points for appearance and attitude. Even though it’s a contest, the best bagger is still expected to smile and chat up “customers”.
Contestants in the Best Bagger Contest have to pack 19 items into reusable grocery bags in only a matter of seconds. The lineup includes items like a box of cereal, chips, crackers, canned goods, a bottle of soda, a loaf of bread and easy-to-miss items, like a packet of seasoning mix and a packet of gum. The grand prize is $10,000 and the coveted “Golden Grocery Bag” trophy. We hope that trophy is renamed the Golden Reusable Grocery Bag trophy for next year’s contest!
