Tops Friendly Markets and Buffalo fashion brand By Abigail Lee have unveiled the full Tops Tailgate Club collection, putting the designer’s blue, red and white “Royalty” print – celebrating the Buffalo Bills – on 10 Tops Brand tailgating foods and a new line of gameday merchandise, with a kickoff celebration set for Sept. 12 in Hamburg, New York.
The Royalty-print foods, including chips and French onion dip, tortilla chips, snack mix, popcorn and sweets, will be available at most Tops locations, while tailgate merchandise will be sold at nearly 30 stores in pop-up style boutiques. The merchandise lineup includes Tailgate Club T-shirts, crew necks, reusable bags and housewares such as chip bowls, mugs and wing platters, plus socks with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Patricia Allen Fund at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.
Growing demand for merch
“Since we first introduced By Abigail Lee in Tops stores last year, customer demand for her merch has only continued to grow,” said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Friendly Markets. “This limited-run collection will bring Abigail’s signature style to more Tops customers, with new apparel and tailgating food favorites perfect for any gameday gathering, whether you’re at the stadium or cheering on your team from home.”
The kickoff event runs 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 12 at the South Park Avenue store in Hamburg, where customers can meet Lee and be styled ahead of gameday. Shoppers can sample products from a dozen vendors, including 1911 Cider, Cayman Jack, Boar’s Head, Bud Light, Dirty Mike’s, Dove Bars, Lipton Half & Half, Mancuso, Mineo & Sapio, Monster Energy, Reser’s deli salads, Sahlen’s cocktail sausages, Tide, Tops Brand French onion dip and tortilla chips, and Weber’s mustard, with BFLO cheerleaders on hand.
“We all know this year feels different. There is so much change happening, and it really made us think about what game day actually means to all of us,” said Lee, the Buffalo native who has built her brand around local culture and football pride. “It’s the traditions we’ve created, the food we make, what we wear, the people we watch with, the parking lots we’ve made memories in and the living rooms we’ve cheered from. That’s what we want this club to celebrate.”
The collection anchors the broader Tops Tailgate Club, the six-week campaign running Sept. 6-Oct. 17 with gameday savings, recipes, digital rewards, weekly Greatest of All Tailgates prize packages and the Kick to Win instant-prize game. Sister banner Market 32 and Price Chopper, which shares parent company Northeast Grocery Inc. with Tops, launched its own Tailgate Club last week with a kickoff celebration also set for Sept. 12.
Headquartered in Williamsville, New York, Tops operates 152 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including one franchise location, with more than 14,000 associates.
Related: Tops To Roll Out 6-Week Football Tailgate Campaign