• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Bagging Groceries A Good After-School Job

Posted on: Friday, 9 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By Bob Holliday, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.

Dec. 9--BLOOMINGTON -- Bagging groceries at Schnucks Supermarket in Bloomington is the perfect after-school job for 17-year-old Eric Lott of Bloomington.

Almost every time he works at the East Empire Street store, he sees somebody he knows. The familiar faces are sometimes his parents, who shop there.

Do people prefer paper or plastic?

Plastic is more popular. I think it's got something to do with the simplicity because plastic bags are less bulky. But you can't fill them as full and some prefer paper, either because of tradition or because they want to recycle it.

How long have you been bagging groceries, and what do you like about it?

I've been doing it for about three months. My parents wanted me to get a job and since we shop at Schnucks, I thought it was a good place to start. I like the atmosphere and people are very friendly, both the employees and customers.

Is there a technique for correctly bagging groceries? How many bags do you get on occasion?

You always put the eggs on top and all the meats together. The bread is either by itself or on top. I try to put the heavy stuff, like the canned goods and milk, on the bottom. It can range anywhere from one bag to 25 to 30 bags for a larger family.

Do you sometimes help customers by bagging differently or carrying bags out of the store?

I try to assess by age. If the customer is elderly, I try to make the bag light and easier to carry. We will put the bags in the back seat or trunk or wherever the customer wants it.

How often do you work, where do you go to high school and what are your long-range plans?

I normally work three days a week and four to five hours on a normal shift. I'm a senior at Central Catholic High School and I plan to major in art and maybe graphic design at a college in Georgia. I love everything about art. It allows me to express myself.

Got an idea for Take 5? Send an e-mail to newsroom@pantagraph.com.

-----

To see more of The Pantagraph, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pantagraph.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.

More News in this Category