SAN DIEGO, CA – February 24th, 2020 – Nicole Cote, of Hannaford Supermarkets in Bar Harbor, won the National Grocers Association’s 2020 Best Bagger Championship and a grand prize of $10,000. Nicole defeated more than 20 other contestants from across the country.
She was judged on the national ‘best bagging’ criteria which included speed, proper bag building technique, distribution of weight between bags, style, attitude and appearance. The National Best Bagger Championship was held at the annual ‘NGA Show’ was sponsored by PepsiCo and emceed by Akbar Gbajabiamila, co-host of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. The Best Bagger Championship was first held in 1987 and designed to demonstrate the important customer service skill of bagging.
“We watched with excitement as Nicole masterfully bagged the groceries, remained calm and ensured proper weight distribution; doing it all with a smile,” said Christine Cummings, Executive Director of the Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association.
Nicole won the Maine Grocers & Food Producer Association’s Championship in late September of 2019, competing against seven, local Maine baggers, in which she won the trip to San Diego for her chance to compete.