Kobey Harris, courtesy clerk for the Food City in Powell, TN won the Tennessee Best Bagger competition, which took place earlier this week during the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association Convention in Murfreesboro, TN. Harris will represent the state of Tennessee in the 2025 National Best Bagger Competition. 

“NGA hosts a premier event featuring only the most talented baggers throughout the country,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “It’s a tremendous honor to qualify as a participant.”    

Each year, National Grocer’s Association hosts their annual Best Bagger Competition during their annual convention. Baggers from across the nation compete for the coveted title of “America’s Best Bagger.” The 2025 convention will take place in February in Las Vegas, NV. Contestants are judged on speed, bag-building technique, weight distribution between bags, style, attitude, and appearance. 

Harris, age 19, joined the Food City team in 2021. He is currently a freshman at the University of Tennessee, where he is pursuing a degree in Marketing. Harris is also a member of the 4K - Barbershop Quartet "High Def Harmony". 

“Food City is extremely proud to be represented by such an outstanding, talented young individual. Kobey is an asset to our company and our region,” says Smith. 

 NGA’s mission is to “champion the independent grocery industry through advocacy, collaboration, education, services, and connections.”  According to NGA, “Bagging has been an important step for many supermarket employees who have pursued long and rewarding careers in the grocery industry. The National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship features retailers with infectious company pride and an enthusiastic commitment to customer service. The first Best Bagging contest was held in 1987 in Dallas, TX. The “Texas – Oklahoma Checkout Shootout” featured two contestants and former NFL Quarterback Terry Bradshaw as the emcee. Since then, NGA has branded and grown the event to feature more than 25 state bagging contestants”. For more information, visit their website at www.nationalgrocers.org. 

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 155 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.