Tops Friendly Markets announces local supplier summit

Tops Friendly Markets will host a local supplier summit to provide opportunities for local food, beverage, wellness, beauty and general merchandise suppliers to collaborate with the New York state-based grocer. The event, set to take place Nov. 14 at the corporate headquarters (1760 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville), will provide entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with the chains’ decision-makers, share their products, and receive feedback with the ultimate goal of being stocked on local shelves of some of the Tops’ nearly 150 stores in New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

A press release stated, “While Tops has long supported the local economy through their commitment to bring locally grown, produced and manufactured products to market, this summit marks yet another proactive effort to expand local circles of supply since their merger under parent company Northeast Grocery Inc. (NGI).”

All sourcing and product submissions will be made through RangeMe, the industry-standard online product discovery and sourcing platform. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 27 at https://www.rangeme.com/pricechoppertopslocalsummit.

ECRM will qualify suppliers, create curated meeting schedules, and facilitate face-to-face meetings with Tops and Price Chopper/Market 32 category business managers so that suppliers can introduce new and innovative products into the marketplace. ECRM’s dedicated support team is available to address questions about the application process via [email protected].

“Supporting local has always been at the core of our business practices and this only further enhances that commitment to the communities we serve,” said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Friendly Markets. “We’re excited to launch this new initiative, and anticipate an outpouring of local entrepreneurs that have been waiting for a moment like this to connect with the right people in our business. We can’t wait to meet and form new partnerships!”

Based in Williamsville, Tops Markets currently operates 149 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com.