A partnership between Topco and DreamWorks brought the beloved children’s show “Gabby’s Dollhouse” to life at two Utah grocery stores this past weekend. On Saturday, Macey’s in Pleasant Grove and Lee’s Marketplace in North Salt Lake hosted meet-and-greet events with the character Gabby, attracting families from all over the area.
The events were part of a promotional campaign for Sweet P’s, a new Exclusive Brand of sugar cookies from Topco. The collaboration between Topco and Gabby’s Dollhouse included character appearances at Macey’s and Lee’s.
“Our bakeries recently introduced Sweet P’s, and this partnership with Gabby’s Dollhouse was the perfect way to promote the new cookies,” said Boyd Irving, vice president of Exclusive Brands at AFS. “We wanted to create a fun, memorable experience for families.”
The bakery team at Macey’s set up eye-catching Sweet P’s displays and handed out free cookies to children who attended the event. Meanwhile, the marketing team enhanced the experience by organizing five themed booths inside each store, each featuring activities tied to different Gabby’s Dollhouse characters. Children enjoyed activities like slime-making, word matching, coloring, modeling dough, and even baking.
“Topco took care of the logistics, scheduling and communication with DreamWorks. Ashlyn Petersen, our Exclusive Brands marketing specialist played a major role as she worked as a liaison between Topco and AFS while our marketing and store teams handled a variety of tasks from signage to line management,” said Boyd. “It was a great example of ‘One Associated’ in action.”
The turnout exceeded expectations, with over 1,250 reservations at both locations and even more attendees in standby lines. Macey’s reported that as many as 1,500 people visited throughout the day and Lee’s reported similar numbers. Families expressed their delight with the event, with children eagerly participating in crafts and activities, and parents appreciating the additional entertainment options.
“The kids, of course, loved meeting Gabby, but they were also thrilled with the booths. It was a fantastic way to explore the store while keeping the kids entertained,” said Jade.
Beyond community engagement, the event also provided a boost in sales for both stores. “Macey’s had a large sales day, higher than last year and recent weeks,” said Jade. “It also gave us a chance to showcase our new Macey’s decor to the community, ahead of our grand opening.”
Lee’s also experienced an increase in sales at one of their newer stores and the event matched up nicely with Lee’s mission to make shopping a fun and enjoyable experience.
“We’re thrilled with how the day went. It was all about creating memories for families, and based on the smiles and excitement we saw, it’s safe to say we achieved that,” said Jade. “A huge shout out to all who supported the events at these two great stores.”