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Williamsville, N.Y. – Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania and western Vermont, announced today that the company’s produce director, Steven Wright has won 2013 Retailer of the Year from Produce Retailer magazine.  The award celebrates Wright as well as Tops’ entire produce team as leaders in the produce field and within the grocery industry.

Nominations for this distinction are submitted largely by the produce vendor community and are based on criteria such as: innovative programs, creative merchandising, environmental stewardship, supplier relationship, leadership effectiveness, and divisional culture.

Wright was selected based on a strong group of nominations who cited not only his leadership style, but also the positive sales and volume increases in fresh produce they’ve seen over the past few years since he joined the Tops team. Nominators also pointed to the strong emphasis Tops places on its fresh produce division, and the innovative programs Wright and his team has put together, including exclusive deals on premium products and social media outreach through fresh produce-focused accounts like @TOPSProduce on Twitter.

“I am extremely honored by this distinction,” Wright said.  “The entire produce team at Tops works hard to give our shoppers fresh, wholesome products from reputable local and national growers and suppliers.  We strive, everyday to make fresh produce top of mind for our associates and customers and I am thankful to our vendor community as well as Produce Retailer for recognizing that.”

Wright has been in the grocery industry for 31 years, and prior to his appointment as Director of Produce/Floral at Tops Markets three years ago, he was with Spartan Foods based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Produce Retailer is a retail grocery industry publication that serves the information needs of produce executives and buyers.

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