Arlington, VA, 2016-Sep-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Grocers Association (NGA) held its fifth annual Congressional Best Bagger Showdown yesterday (Sep 14, 2016) at the Library of Congress, located on Capitol Hill. NGA’s 2016 Best Bagger National Champion, Candice Lastimado of Metropolitan Markets, located in Seattle, WA, competed against Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04). Candice was able to fend off a good effort by Congressman Newhouse to keep her Best Bagger Champion title.
“Our NGA members and independent grocers throughout the country are committed to meeting consumer expectations and providing top customer service on a daily basis. Baggers are often the first and last impression on a customer and play a key role in the success of a store,” said Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO, NGA. “NGA would like to thank Congressman Newhouse for joining us in this spirited event. In appreciation for his great effort, we’re pleased to name him an NGA Honorary Best Bagger.”
In addition to being named an Honorary Best Bagger, Congressman Newhouse was presented with the Champion of Independent Grocers Award in recognition of his efforts to advance pro-growth policies and enact legislation that supports the independent supermarket industry.
Earlier that day, Brandon Scholz, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association presented on behalf of NGA the Champion of Independent Grocers Award to Congressman Ron Kind (WI-03).
Larkin commented, “Congressman Kind has been a leader on issues important to the independent supermarket industry, and spent time touring Ptacek’s IGA, located in Prescott, WI, to learn more about these issues. NGA applauds him for his support of policies that allow independent grocers to grow their businesses and better serve the communities.”
The Best Bagger Competition, sponsored by PepsiCo, is a nationwide promotion for supermarket employees, which is intended to highlight notable customer service skills in a friendly competition. Contestants are judged by speed of bagging, proper bag-building technique, weight distribution in the bag, as well as style, attitude and appearance. Finalists for the NGA Best Bagger Championship are chosen through bagging competitions held at the state level.
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Source: National Grocers Association