SAUK RAPIDS – We all know it’s important to enjoy what you do for a living, but Coborn’s grocery store employees took that to a new level on Tuesday night during the 23rd annual “Best Bagger Competition.”

Despite blustery evening winds, the nearly 50 competitors faced off outside in the parking lot of the Sauk Rapids Coborn’s store.

The goal of the contest, says Coborn’s COO Bob Thueringer,  is for employees to bag a table’s worth of groceries with speed and style, while paying attention to weight and item organization.

“We look forward to the best bagger contest,” Thueringer says, “because it’s a fun way to celebrate the important role baggers play in creating a pleasant shopping experience.”

The grand prize winner, and recipient of $100, was Katie Theisen, an employee from the Centennial Plaza Coborn’s in St. Cloud.

While this was Theisen’s first year as a bagging competitor, as a 13 year Coborn’s employee, she’s not new to the art of grocery bagging.

Theisen, a nursing student, says she appreciates the flexibility of her job, as well as her coworkers.

Even as a veteran clerk, Theisen says she definitely didn’t expect a win.

Theisen will now compete for the state title, and a shot at Nationals next February, during the Minnesota Grocers Association’s Best Bagger Contest at the Mall of America in August.

Since 1989, Coborn’s has sent five grocery baggers to the national competition.

Check out our video of highlights from the festive evening!

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