to view the 30th Anniversary Magazine - National Grocers Association

BestBaggerHistory01 020404 MC Terry Bradshaw interviews, for the televisioncameras, the winner of NGA’s first bagging contest held in1987 at the NGA Annual Convention in Dallas, Texas. Therunner-up was Jan Thommason from Claremont Discountin Oklahoma (at right), and the winner was Jorge Baca,from Fiesta Mart in Texas on the left next to Bradshaw.03011994 Best Bagger winner Jeff Sterns02 2012 Best Bagger Stephanie Teteak and CongressmanReid Ribble (WI-8)03 An excited crowd cheers at the 2011 Championship.The NGA Best Bagger Championshipis a year-long, nationwideprogram in which the topgrocery baggers in the countrycompete for great prizes andthe title of America’s Best Bagger. Contestantsare judged on speed, bag-building technique,weight distribution between bags, style, attitudeand appearance. The championship culminatesat the annual NGA Show, where state championsvie for the national title.NGA’s Best Bagger Championship was createdto promote the grocery industry’s devotionto exceptional customer service through superiorbagging. Excellence in bagging representsan important element in providing outstandingcustomer service in an area in which independentretailers excel.In 1983, the American Paper Institutesponsored its first annual bag-packing contest,with the winner receiving the coveted CharlesStillwell award plus $1,883. The amount is inhonor of the year 1883, when Charles Stillwellinvented the paper-bag machine. With thecontest being central to the grocery industry,NGA took over as sponsor of the Best Baggercontest in 1987 and has run with the programever since.In 1987, the first National Grocers Association(NGA) Best Bagger Contest was heldin Dallas, Texas. The first bagging contestwas called the “Texas/Oklahoma Checkout-Shootout” with only two contestants and TerryBradshaw, former NFL Quarterback for thePittsburgh Steelers, as Master of Ceremonies.Since then NGA has been bringing the country’sfinest baggers together to determine “thebest of the best.”In 2006 and 2007, NGA and the CanadianFederation of Independent Grocers (C.F.I.G.)joined together to hold the International BestBagger Competition for the title of NorthAmerica’s Best Bagger.In 2009, NGA partnered with Pan-Ostonwho presented the grand prize winner’s storewith the “Best Bagger Golden Lane.”In 2010, the NGA Board of Directors votedto switch from paper and plastic to reusablebags. This was in response to the increase inconsumer popularity of reusable bags aroundthe country. That year NGA also increased thegrand prize to $10,000.22 | NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION WWW.NATIONALGROCERS.ORG