Tuesday, 12 June
Annual competition reveals Bay of Plenty’s top supermarket checkers
Last night, around 100 checkout operators from New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square stores across the Bay of Plenty
region went till-to-till in Foodstuffs North Island’s 70th annual Checker of the Year competition, which has attracted a
record number of entries this year.
The Bay of Plenty region’s top three checkers were Elle Coker from New World Brookfield in first place, Indiana Price
from New World Gate Pa in second place, and Aimee Watene from New World Gate Pa in third.
The checkers competed on stage against one another while being judged by a team of six senior Foodstuffs staff. Checkers
were assessed on their speed, presentation, customer service and accuracy as they scanned 30 items as quickly as
possible, while also staying friendly and composed.
Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin said this competition celebrates the skills of those who are at the front-line of
the public’s experience of their local supermarkets.
“Our checkout operators are the face of our business, and this event is an opportunity to shine the spotlight on them
and show our sincere appreciation for the contribution they make every day to our success in meeting customer
expectations.
“The fact that this is the 70th anniversary of the competition, and that it is bigger than ever before with over 120
stores participating, reflects the value that our staff see in it. It gets quite competitive, but is also a chance to
have fun and build relationships,” said Mr Quin.
When it began in 1948, it was known as the ‘Listing and Adding’ competition, and was a maths-based challenge requiring
checkers to add the prices of items manually. Reflecting the changes over the years since then, the competition has
evolved to focus on a broader range of skills.
With a ‘blast from the past’ theme this year, competitors’ colleagues, family, and friends dressed up to reflect a
decade of their choice from the past 70 years, cheering the competing checkers on with banners, chants and store
mascots.
The winner received an HP Sprocket Printer, while the second place-getter won a Bluetooth Speaker and the third
place-getter won an Omen Headset. The other checkers in the top 10 each received a $50 Prezzy Card. There were also
prizes for the best dressed team and the best supporting team.
As the winner of the Bay of Plenty region heat, Elle Coker will go on to compete against the winners of the nine other
regional heats held over June-July. Each regional winner will be mystery shopped between August and November to
determine the overall North Island Checker of the Year winner and two runners-up, which will be announced in November.
ENDS