Tops Markets Doubles SNAP Customers’ Produce-Purchasing Power
More Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers at Tops Markets LLC in upstate New York will now have increased access to fresh and frozen affordable produce.
Tops and Buffalo, N.Y.-based Field & Fork Network have expanded their Double Up Food Bucks NY (DUFB) program. DUFB makes fresh and now even frozen fruits and vegetables more affordable. The DUFB program will provide a $1-for-$1 match on both fresh and, for a limited time, frozen produce purchases, up to $5 per day.
DUFB is now available at three additional Tops locations in the Rochester, N.Y., region:
- 285 Upper Falls Boulevard, Rochester
- 450 West Avenue, Rochester
- 999 East Ridge Road, Irondequoit
The first Tops locations to offer DUFB launched in the Buffalo area (1275 Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo and 1000 Portage Road in Niagara Falls) in 2023. To date, the programs' redemption rate has exceeded expectations, with a 25% redemption rate, which is three to four times the normal rate of similar programs.
How the Double Up Food Bucks NY Program works:
- SNAP recipients shop for fresh and/or frozen produce at the participating Tops locations.
- When they use their EBT card to pay for eligible produce items, the DUFB program automatically matches their purchase dollar for dollar, up to $5 dollars.
- A coupon is printed at checkout that can be used on a future visit, encouraging repeated engagement with the program.
- No registration or additional steps are necessary, making the process seamless and removing any potential barriers to participation.
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Frozen fruits and vegetables are offered for a limited time while the program is in a pilot program phase. The frozen pilot is a public-private partnership with the city of Rochester, the National Grocers Association Foundation and Catalina, which delivers personalized content and incentives in real time to shoppers, based on their purchases tied to their EBT cards through Tops’ in-store media network. The automated solution allows Double Up to distribute the incentive more equitably and removes the registration process, which can be a significant barrier to program participation.
Assemblyman Demond Meeks has championed the DUFB program for the past three years and helped secure state funding that has allowed for expansion into new locations. Topsis the largest grocery store chain to participate in the program to date.
“The Double Up Food Bucks program perfectly aligns with Tops’ mission of addressing the fundamental needs of the community in order to help eradicate hunger and enhance the health and well-being of families and children,” said Jeff Cady, VP of produce and floral for Northeast Shared Services, Tops parent company Northeast Grocery Inc.’s shared services group. “What better way to provide for our community than ensuring that community members have an easier way to affordably access fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, all while being rewarded for their healthier habits?”
DUFB has contributed to more than $10 million in healthy food sales, with $2.6 million going directly to New York farmers. The program is available at 230-plus locations across 32 counties, and has served more than 100,000 SNAP shoppers.
“What I love about the Double Up Bucks Frozen Food Pilot Program is that it's just common sense,” added Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans. “Food insecurity is a serious issue, and giving people nutritious and easy-to-prepare options when shopping is critical to a healthier, more equitable community.”
Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Markets LLC operates 152 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including one franchisee location. The grocer is the largest private for-profit employer in western New York, with more than 14,000 associates. Parent company Northeast Grocery Inc. (NGI), based in Schenectady, N.Y., is No. 49 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. NGI was also named among PG’s 2024 Top Regional Grocers.
