Tops Produce Managers Prep for Homegrown Campaign

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Produce managers from Tops Friendly Markets’ 131 stores in New York and Pennsylvania toured local farms Wednesday to learn first-hand about the locally grown produce the retailer carries and prepare for the launch of its homegrown campaign.

Produce managers from each Tops store toured Eden Valley Growers, one of the Buffalo areas largest growers’ consortiums, along with Amos Zittel & Sons, both of whom supply local produce sold in Tops stores.

The campaign, which will be launched this summer, will inform Tops’ customers where the produce they purchase comes from and who the local growers are through in-store signage.

Tops is working with local marketing firm The SKM Group to develop the homegrown campaign and in-store signage.

Since transitioning back to a locally operated and managed grocer in 2007, Tops has doubled the number of local growing partners it uses to more than 200 farms and grower co-operatives in western and central New York.

“With Tops once again under local ownership and management, it is also more important than ever for us to build the relationship between Tops and our local growing partners," said Frank Curci, president and chief executive officer of Tops, in a release.

“Local growers and farmers are very important to the economies of the regions we serve and we believe in supporting this industry. That’s what our homegrown campaign is all about.”

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