Foodstuffs' annual 'Checker of the Year' competition kicked off in Tauranga last night, celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Hundreds packed into the city's Baycourt Community and Arts Centre as operators from 19 stores competed for the regional title.
Contestants were scored as they scanned 30 items; judged on speed, presentation, customer service and accuracy.
Although Foodstuffs' Morgan McCann says the event isn't just about being the quickest on the night.
"It's the whole customer experience and the atmosphere and the interaction between our teams at store level and the customers," he says.
Nerissa Thorburn won the regional competition last year and says each year the competition gets harder.
"Well I started entering checker of the year in the 1990s for Pak'nSave Whakatane," she says.
"I've worked there since 1994 and honestly it doesn't get any easier as the years go by."
Elle Coker won the regional title last night and says winning comes down to how you "pass" the groceries.
"You grab the groceries, and you pass them, but with the tip of your fingers - your twinkle fingers," she says.
She's the first of 10 who will be further tested to find the winner in November.
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