This year, the local retail store chain top! celebrates its 25th anniversary — a significant milestone in its journey of growth and development. However, only few people know that the creator of the brand and one of the founders of the store chain top! is a local Latvian company from Liepāja, LPB AS. Inspired by international experience, the company’s owners and team decided to take a risk in 2000, introducing a new shopping concept in Latvia by opening a small self-service store in a converted apartment in Liepāja.
At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, there were neither self-service stores nor retail chains in Latvia, but there were people with great entrepreneurial spirit and big dreams. It was a time when there were far more opportunities to stand out and offer something new and different. LPB AS, a joint-stock company that has undergone several reorganisations over its 33-year history before adopting its current name, historically inherited the trade business — stores in the form they existed during the era of Consumers’ Cooperative Societies, where goods were handed to customers by sales assistants. The company’s management and team at that time were young and ambitious newcomers who, guided by international practices where self-service stores and extensive product ranges were common, decided to bring a similar concept to Latvia.
Back then, this was relatively easier — the lack of strong competition allowed for experimenting and bringing new ideas to life. Of course, from today’s marketing perspective, much of what was done at the time may seem amusing and quite primitive, but in those days, it was something new and unprecedented.
At first, the stores did not have a unified brand — they operated under different Latvian names, including Liepa, Paula, and Vītoli. However, it soon became clear that to attract customers, the company needed to launch promotions and come up with a slogan that would reflect its values and resonate with shoppers. But before unified marketing campaigns could be developed, the first step was to establish a single identity — a common name for all LPB AS stores.
The company spent a long time working on what the unified name could be. Various options were considered, but none felt truly right. The breakthrough finally came during a market research trip to Lithuania. Aloizs Norkus, the chairman of the board at the time, announced that no one would be allowed off the bus until a single name for the store chain was decided. The discussion became lively, until one colleague began playing around with the word “top”. She explained: “We are at the top, we are the best, which means we have a top team and top stores.” This is how the brand was born, which today is one of the leading and most beloved in Latvia!
The first store of the unified chain under the brand name top! opened in a converted apartment at 5 Mirdzas Ķempes Street in Liepāja, repurposed as a retail space. In this store, goods were not delivered through warehouse doors but through a courtyard window located one and a half metres above the ground. Nowadays, such a delivery method would be unthinkable, given the vast range of products available.
With the new name came the first top! slogan: “We love to help!”. Although much has changed over time and new slogans have been introduced, the core values have remained the same. Our mission is to support and care for employees, local producers, and suppliers, while ensuring customers have access to high-quality products at competitive prices.
To attract customers and raise awareness of the newly launched brand, the company ran creative marketing campaigns. One of the first was the “sweet roll for 1 santim” promotion, featuring a countdown in its advertising: “... a sweet roll for 1 santim — only 3 days left!”, “... only 2 days left...”, “... only 1 day left...”.
The company grew rapidly and attracted the best employees. The selection process was rigorous, ensuring that every new team member was not only a skilled professional but also aligned with the company’s values and culture. People queued up for the opportunity to work at the top! stores, as it was considered prestigious, and employment there was seen as a mark of excellence, guaranteeing the chance to work to the highest standards in a fast-growing company. The high quality of jobs is evidenced by the fact that LPB AS still employs staff who began their careers back in the era of the Consumer Cooperatives. One such employee is the current manager of the top! store in Aizpute, who has been working in retail since 1979.
Developing an unfamiliar store concept in the Latvian market was both a challenge and a risk. However, LPB became a pioneer in this journey, inspiring both its management and employees.
At the heart of the company’s success at that time was undoubtedly its leadership and team. The then-chairman of the board was an ambitious, growth-focused leader who motivated and inspired those around him. He gained the trust of his closest colleagues, employees, and company owners alike, enabling the creation of a unified top! store chain and the unification of multiple retailers into a single association.
A logical step in this process was the establishment of Iepirkumu grupa SIA in 2000 — an association of several retailers, which managed cooperative purchasing and sold goods under a single brand within the store chain top!. This association brought several strategic advantages, not only strengthening the business but also fostering strong and reliable relationships with suppliers.
Building strong ties with local suppliers and communities has always been a priority for the company — both in the past and today. We understand that local suppliers play a crucial role in the success of our stores, ensuring high-quality products while reinforcing connections with the local market. This was particularly important in the company’s early years when supply chains were underdeveloped and large warehouses did not yet exist. At that time, great emphasis was placed on personal relationships, which helped to build trust and enable successful trade.
Since LPB AS was founded, the retail market has undergone significant changes. When the company launched in 1992 as the Liepāja City Cooperative Trade Enterprise of the Liepāja District Consumer Cooperative Society, large retail chains had yet to emerge in Latvia. Over time, competition intensified, and consumer preferences and shopping habits shifted — more and more people sought a fast, convenient, and accessible shopping experience.
Today, the market position of the store chain top! is viewed very positively. With locations near residential buildings and schools, in city centres, and remote settlements, the stores offer a diverse, high-quality product range, with a particular focus on goods from local producers. This approach has helped strengthen the company’s standing in a highly competitive landscape, attracting young people, senior citizens, and families with children alike.
“It is essential to maintain the initial boldness, ambition, and enthusiasm that drove us at the start of our journey. These qualities push us forward and help us discover new opportunities. Entrepreneurship comes with many challenges, but the ability to embrace them and grow ensures long-term success. Looking ahead, we see opportunities to expand the store chain top! not only by opening new stores but also by implementing innovative and sustainable solutions, particularly in the field of digitalisation. We are grateful to our company’s leaders, who have each had different management styles tailored to their era and market conditions, allowing the company to grow and evolve. This year, LPB AS celebrates its 33rd anniversary, and the top! brand marks 25 years. It is the shared vision of our team and the value we place on people that have helped us become the large company we are today and develop a store chain that has remained a favourite among local residents for 25 years!” states Elīna Ļaudama, Chairwoman of the Board at LPB AS.
About LPB AS
LPB AS is one of the founders of the store chain top!, which opened the first top! store in Liepāja back in 2000. LPB AS was established in 1992 and is a company with 100% local ownership and Latvian capital. Currently, the company offers shopping experience in 40 top! and mini top! stores in different towns and cities of Latvia, and also provides more than 600 jobs. LPB AS owns more than 80 real estate properties and shopping centres, the largest of which are the Baata Shopping Centre and the XL SALA Shopping Centre in Liepāja, as well as a bakery and confectionery production facility, the Priekule Bakery.
About the retail store chain top!
The retail store chain top! is the largest store chain owned by Latvian business and the third largest retail chain in Latvia. There are currently 209 food stores in Latvia operating under the trademark top!, owned by 12 local companies. In total, more than 4,000 jobs are provided, supporting local producers and suppliers across Latvia.
Information prepared by:
Ilze Priedīte
Member of the Management Board and Marketing Director of the store chain top!
pr@toppartika.lv