Madison, WI — Competing against 17 other contestants from across the nation on February 2, Vicheka (Whi-CHECK-ah) Oum of Woodman’s Food Markets earned her spot on the national stage after winning Wisconsin’s state contest at the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) Innovation Expo in fall.
Oum went on to compete at the National Grocers Association (NGA) Best Bagger Championship, held during NGA’s annual convention, The NGA Show, where she delivered a strong preliminary performance. Georgia ultimately claimed the national title. The contest was livestreamed on the National Grocers Association Facebook page and can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1RW1UxuiLn/.
Contestants are judged by speed of bagging, proper bag- building technique, weight distribution in the bag, as well as style, attitude and appearance.
Sponsored by PepsiCo, the NGA Best Bagger is the culmination of a yearlong nationwide contest. Winners from each participating state advance to compete at the annual national championship. WGA member stores may host local contests, with winners advancing to the WGA Innovation Expo on August 18, 2026 at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells for a chance to quality for the national contest.
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN GROCERS ASSOCIATION (WGA)
The Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) is a non-profit trade association established in 1900 to represent independent grocers and grocery chains, warehouses and brokers, vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers before all levels of government. The WGA provides educational and networking opportunities, leadership training, public affairs, and compliance information for its membership.
WGA and its membership have significant economic impact in the state of Wisconsin. The WGA represents nearly 350 independent grocers with multiple locations across the state, more than 200 retail grocery chain stores, warehouses and distributors, convenience stores, food brokers and suppliers. Wisconsin grocers employ over 30,000 people with over $1 billion in payroll and generate more than $12 billion in annual sales in Wisconsin resulting in approximately $800 million in state sales tax revenue (data provided by The Food Institute).
ABOUT THE NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION (NGA)
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent community grocer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for more than 1 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
