Today, June 4th, marks 25 years since the opening of the first top! store, which began in renovated apartment premises at 30 Vītolu Street in Liepāja. Now, with more than 200 stores across 35 municipalities and 9 major cities in Latvia, top! has become the largest retail chain in the country owned by local Latvian entrepreneurs. The company remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting locals – employees, customers, producers, and partners – strengthening Latvian business and communities in all regions. As a thank-you for the trust and cooperation over the years, from June 4th to 16th, customers are invited to join various activities and celebrations at top! stores in five Latvian towns – Grobiņa, Smiltene, Limbaži, Tukums, and Dobele.
Looking back 25 years to the year 2000, experienced consumer cooperatives and the then relatively small company SIA “Firma Madara 89” began discussions about merging under a single brand. The goal was to join forces and create a strong local retail network in Latvia. This led to the creation of the purchasing alliance SIA “Iepirkumu grupa,” which was initially formed by AS “LPB,” SIA “Firma Madara 89,” and AS “Diāna.” Soon after, SIA “Mārksmens,” SIA “Dekšņi,” and SIA “Madara 93” also joined the group. The unified brand name top! was coined during a market research trip, when a colleague from AS “LPB” began playing with the word top. She explained, “We are at the top, we are the best – so we are the top team and stores.” Today, top! is one of the leading and most beloved brands in Latvia. The store network now unites 12 local companies from various Latvian cities, with 214 top! stores open in towns and rural centers across the country.
In the beginning, the partners handled many tasks independently within their own offices, but over the years, the collaboration has become much closer and more unified. Today, the network operates with centralized assortment planning, joint marketing activities, developed technological solutions, and goods are delivered through three logistics centers located in Smiltene, Dreiliņi, and Mārupe. We have moved from paper-based processes to digital solutions — from cash to mostly contactless payments. For customer convenience, we have introduced self-service checkouts. With sustainability in mind, we have also implemented various energy-efficient solutions, including LED lighting, new retail equipment, solar panels installed on stores, and electric vehicle charging stations set up near the stores.
And yet, not everything has been easy. Over time, many crises have been endured: the entry of new and strong brands into the market, the pandemic with all its challenges, the war in Ukraine which triggered strong inflation, and other difficulties. But as Latvians say, there is always a fighting spirit, and together we all strive to overcome these challenges.
“Over the past 25 years, the top! store network has experienced both economic and social challenges, as well as opportunities for development and growth, yet it has always maintained stability thanks to close cooperation and humane relationships with local entrepreneurs, producers, suppliers, and loyal employees throughout Latvia. Alongside them stand our customers, who choose top! for both their everyday purchases and celebrations. We believe that these people are our greatest value — both today and in the future. That is why, both during the anniversary month and every day, we want to give back the joy, trust, and support we have received from locals over these 25 years. Moving forward, we will continue to work according to top!’s core values. We will keep developing and modernizing the store network, expanding the range of local products, strengthening cooperation with Latvian producers and suppliers, and taking care of employee well-being, customer convenience, and sustainable business,” says Ilze Priedīte, board member and marketing director of the local store network top!.
Behind every store, every delivery, and every customer service interaction stand people – our employees, whose daily work and responsibility shape what the top! store network is today. More than 4,000 employees work in the network, many of whom have long-standing experience with us. Whether 4,000 is a large or small number is for each person to decide, but this figure is not just a statistic – it is a testament to trust, stability, and a shared journey. Many of our colleagues have been with top! for several years, and nearly a quarter have worked here for more than 20 years. There is also a sizable group who have been with us since day one. We believe that people are always the foundation of a successful company – reliable, knowledgeable, and motivated colleagues with whom we can face challenges, achieve goals, and build the future together. Caring for our employees is both a value and a mission that we responsibly uphold every day: supporting growth, providing a safe and supportive work environment, offering opportunities for development, and involving employees in shaping the company. Our employees are our greatest asset, strength, and the key to our success.
The success of the top! store network is also unimaginable without our loyal customers, who choose us for their everyday shopping, celebrations, and special moments in life. Their loyalty and support over many years have been a strong foundation for our development — allowing us to expand our store network, open new stores in various regions of Latvia, and offer an increasingly wide range of products that meet customers’ needs and lifestyles. We continuously work to make shopping at top! stores convenient, enjoyable, and accessible to everyone. Customer trust is a value that inspires us to think long-term, introduce various innovations, support local communities, and provide assistance to different groups in society, so that together we can realize good ideas and create positive change. We sincerely thank everyone for the years spent together and look forward to continuing this journey together for a long time to come!
Although the product range and customer habits have changed over the years, the shopping baskets most often still contain milk, white bread, sugar, curd snacks, kefir, curd cheese, sour cream, eggs, some non-alcoholic drink and beer, as well as homemade pastries. One thing that has changed since trading began is the availability of fruits and vegetables. That is why today, at the top of the list, you will also find bananas, watermelons, and other fruits that once seemed exotic.
Today, top! stores stand out from others with their special Vietējā top! homemade products, where nearly every town has its own unique recipes lovingly created by local pastry chefs and cooks. This individual approach helps preserve and cultivate the culinary heritage characteristic of each region, offering customers the familiar flavors they love and know. Over the years, Vietējā top! products have become a popular choice among shoppers — with the most in-demand items still being bacon pies, small pizzas, cinnamon rolls, juicy pork cutlets, schnitzels, and rasols salad.
Over the past 25 years, while creating a unified assortment, the top! store network has significantly expanded both its supplier and producer base to ensure a wide and diverse range of products for different tastes and needs. The offer includes products in various price categories, but special importance has always been placed on cooperation with local producers. Many of those who started as small regional companies have grown over time into recognizable brands — and this growth has gone hand in hand with top!. Despite some producers relocating their manufacturing facilities outside Latvia during these years, the share of local products in several product categories within the top! network still exceeds 80%. This demonstrates both our commitment to supporting local producers and customers’ desire to choose Latvian-made, quality, and beloved products.
To supplement the assortment with lower-priced products while maintaining product quality and ensuring the network’s competitiveness, the top! store network created the private label brand tip top in 2012. This brand represents carefully selected products by professionals, designed for customers who value a good price and reliability. Currently, tip top offers more than 100 items, which are popular among shoppers and often become the most demanded in their category.
“It is valuable to occasionally look back at what has been accomplished — to pause, appreciate what has been achieved, and outline the direction we want to take in the future. Over time, processes, technologies, and systems change, but there are values that remain constant — our employees, partners, suppliers, and of course, our loyal customers. The operation of the top! store network is always organized so that all these parties feel valued and heard. We are sincerely grateful for the years spent together and want to celebrate them together — because top! is not just about us; it is and always will be about you — the locals. That is why we have prepared a celebration program in the stores,” says I. Priedīte.
The anniversary year is and will be filled with various activities. At the beginning of the year, we gifted customers the long-awaited loyalty program. By June, we have opened five new stores and plan to open eight more. The second half of the year will bring more events and activities, but June is a special month for us — a birthday month. We will hold birthday celebrations in five top! stores, and everyone is invited to join. Additionally, members of the "mans top!" club can participate in a lucky wheel spin and receive surprise gifts as a thank you for their loyalty and being together. We invite you to celebrate with us and take part in activities at our stores from June 4 to June 16:
• June 4 – Lielā iela 74, Grobiņa
• June 6 – Baznīcas laukums 2, Smiltene
• June 10 – Rīgas iela 23A, Limbaži
• June 12 – Eksporta iela 6, Tukums
• June 16 – Muldavas iela 3A, Dobele
About the top! store network
The top! store network is the largest store network owned by Latvian entrepreneurs in Latvia. Under the top! brand, there are currently 214 grocery stores operating in Latvia, owned by 12 local companies. In total, more than 4,000 jobs are provided, supporting local producers and suppliers throughout Latvia.
Information prepared by:
Ilze Priedīte
Marketing Director and Board Member of the top! store network
pr@toppartika.lv