Champion New Jersey bagger going for grocery glory

Fastest bagger in the East, heads west to compete for $10,000 Eric Kay, of Mansfield, beat out 21 contestants in the best bagger competition held at the ShopRite of Mansfield. He will now go on to compete nationally in Las Vegas for the top prize of $10,000. (Video by Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

Eric Kay knows how to bag 'em — groceries, that is.

The 18-year-old from Warren County made bagging history this month at the Mansfield ShopRite, where he claimed the top spot in the 25th annual Best Bagger competition.

Kay, who lives in Mansfield, and has worked at the store since 2011, packed 29 items in three canvas bags in 29.91 seconds — beating out 21 other competitors. He's the first bagger from the Mansfield store to ever win the competition.

In addition to winning a new iPad, Kay will travel to Las Vegas for the national grocery bagging competition, where a $10,000 grand prize is at stake. He may also qualify for some TV time since winners of the Las Vegas competition often are invited to appear on "Late Show With David Letterman." The late-night talk show host worked in a supermarket as a teenager.

Each of the 22 contestants in the Oct. 8 competition — representing ShopRite stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland — was given an identical order of groceries to place into three reusable bags. The judging allocated 10 points each for speed and proper bag-building technique, five for weight distribution and an additional five points for style, attitude and appearance. Saggy bags snagged no points.

Eric Kay, a cashier at ShopRite in Mansfield, beat out 21 other competitors earlier this month to take the top spot in the 25th annual Best Bagger competition.

Kay's strategy (and yes, there is one beyond keeping detergent separate from produce and meats) is one he developed through a combination of common sense and on-the-job training: "Boxed products go on the outside, glasses and cans stay on the inside, delicate items top it all off," says Kay, who works at the store about 26 hours a week.

It was through a rivalry with the perennially top-placing ShopRite of Greenwich in Phillipsburg that Kay first learned about the contest.

He says he spent about eight hours preparing for the competition — familiarizing himself with the weights of the items — which included canned soup and juice, bread, a jar of pickles, light bulbs, cookies and paper towels.

But Kay's savvy wasn't always in the bag. Last year, he placed third in the storewide competition. His confidence did not waver, however, and Kay says he came away with the know-how to perform better. "I was really determined to take it all home," he says of this year's contest.

Jim LaVacca, a manager at the Mansfield store, was not surprised by Kay's success, which he attributes to the teen's strong work ethic and adaptability.

"Eric is very flexible," LaVacca says. "If he gets an out-of-the-ordinary request, he'll be accommodating."

Kay doesn't always plan to walk the supermarket aisles. A senior at Warren County Technical School, Kay says he wants to enlist in the Army upon graduation.

For now, he designates any free time — which can be as much as 45 minutes — during each of his five or so weekly shifts at the grocery store to practice for the national event.

Come February, he will travel to Vegas where he'll compete at the Mirage Hotel as part of the National Grocers Convention. He will carry with him a vote of confidence from his family, co-workers and, of course, the many customers he serves.

"Typically, no one alters my bags. Customers actually tell me how good a job I've done," he says. "I'm just going to do my best when I go to Vegas."

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