Tops Club

What Tops Club does

TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1948 and headquartered at 4575 S 5th St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It operates a peer-to-peer weight-management support network built around weekly chapter meetings — both in-person and virtual — with thousands of chapters across all U.S. states and Canadian provinces/territories. The organization's core product is a tiered membership subscription (Newcomer $70, Trailblazer $60, Legacy $48 on the renewal path; Basic $49, Plus $69, Deluxe $79 for new-member bundles), augmented by a bimonthly TOPS News magazine, annual retreats, the KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) recognition program, three active blog series (Refracted Fridays, Wellness Wednesday, TOPSy-Turvy), TOPS Talks video content, the Health on the Horizon resource platform, and the TOPS Food Exchange Tracker mobile app.

The underlying technology platform is light by software-industry standards: the Exchange System is a static, medically-reviewed food-grouping methodology rather than a software product, and the mobile app explicitly stores user data locally on the device with no transmission to TOPS servers. Virtual Chapters operate over Zoom or similar consumer video tools, and membership enrollment is self-serve through the member.tops.org portal. The organization integrates with Stripe for donation processing and sponsors the TOPS Obesity and Metabolic Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin plus a parallel research partnership with Obesity Canada to anchor clinical credibility.

TOPS generates revenue from individual membership dues, monthly chapter dues (~$5 U.S., ~$8 Canada), merchandise and add-on bundle sales through shop.tops.org, retreat registrations, and tax-deductible donations via the annual TOPS Fights Obesity campaign (September–November). Customer segments include adults aged 7 to 100+ seeking weight management, workplace groups forming on-site chapters, and KOPS members who have reached and maintained goal weight. The organization is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Directors (with the TOPS President as an automatic member) and supported by four regional Service Program Administrators covering U.S. and Canadian territories plus a Virtual Program Administrator.

Name

Tops Club

Legal name

TOPS Club, Inc.

Website

https://tops.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TOPS Club, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1948 that provides peer-to-peer weight management support through thousands of chapter meetings across the U.S. and Canada, serving tens of thousands of members via tiered annual memberships, educational resources, and a mobile food-tracking app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Weight Management Support Services

NAICS

Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Membership Clubs (Category-Focused) (CRAEADAI)

Keywords

• Weight loss support
• Peer support groups
• Weight management
• Healthy lifestyle education
• Wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees with tiered pricing structure: Newcomer $70, Trailblazer $60, Legacy $48. Plus tiered packages: Deluxe $79, Plus $69, Basic $49. Additional chapter dues of approximately $5/month in U.S. and $8/month in Canada.
2. Merchandise and Products: TOPS operates an online shop selling merchandise including TOPS Fights Obesity T-shirts ($25), ceramic mugs, portion plates, weight trackers, and other branded items. Retreat registrations and add-on bundles also sold.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: TOPS Fights Obesity campaign accepts donations September-November to support obesity research at Medical College of Wisconsin and Obesity Canada, plus educational resources. Donations are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

TOPS Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a peer-to-peer weight-loss support program built on annual membership. Members join local chapters or online/virtual formats for weekly meetings featuring private weigh-ins, educational programming on nutrition and exercise using the Exchange System, accountability, and recognition (KOPS for goal-weight maintainers). The membership is reinforced by a bimonthly TOPS News magazine, in-person and virtual retreats, and supporting educational resources.

Product overview

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a nonprofit weight-loss support organization offering a tiered membership-based platform with both in-person and digital delivery. The core offering consists of weekly peer support meetings across thousands of chapters in the U.S. and Canada, supplemented by online membership options including live-streamed meetings (TOPS Online Membership) and member-led Virtual Chapters via Zoom. The product portfolio includes tiered membership packages (Newcomer, Trailblazer, Legacy for renewals; Basic, Plus, Deluxe for new members), bimonthly TOPS News magazine, annual retreats, the Recipes of the Month collection, KOPS recognition program, and educational blogs (Wellness Wednesday and Refracted Fridays). A mobile app called TOPS Food Exchange Tracker supports dietary tracking. Add-on bundles are available during sign-up or renewal to enhance the membership experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TOPS News: A bimonthly members-only magazine delivered to members' doorsteps, featuring nutritional information, recipes, success stories, and wellness content.
• TOPS Food Exchange Tracker
• KOPS

Products and services

• TOPS Membership Annual membership giving individuals access to TOPS's peer-led weight-loss support community, including weekly chapter meetings, online and virtual formats, the TOPS News magazine, retreats, and educational resources. New members can start with the Newcomer tier ($70/yr), renew at Trailblazer ($60/yr) and Legacy ($48/yr) tiers. The first in-person meeting is free. Half-priced memberships are available for additional same-household members and for blind/visually impaired individuals.
• Weekly In-Person and Online Meetings Core TOPS support group meetings offered weekly at thousands of in-person locations across the U.S. and Canada, with online meeting options for remote members. Each meeting includes private weigh-ins and professionally prepared informational programs with positive reinforcement.
• TOPS Online Membership Digital membership with live online meetings offered five times per week, plus access to recordings, led by TOPS facilitators with program content and optional friendship-forum-style member sharing.
• Virtual Chapters Member-led small groups meeting via Zoom or similar platforms, operating independently with their own bylaws, meeting schedules, and leadership structures while remaining part of TOPS.
• TOPS Retreats Overnight in-person events and virtual retreats led by TOPS directors that provide motivational programming and weight-loss education in a supportive group setting.
• TOPS Hall Member-exclusive online platform providing access to chapter resources, programs, and additional TOPS content for registered members.
• TOPS News Magazine Bimonthly members-only magazine delivered to members' doorsteps featuring recipes, success stories, wellness tips, and medically-reviewed educational content.
• TOPS Food Exchange Tracker Mobile app that enables members to track health-related data including age, gender, height, weight, and lifestyle information using TOPS's Exchange System; data is stored locally on the user's device only.
• KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) Program Recognition program for TOPS members who have reached their goal weight and maintained it, honoring long-term success in weight management with milestones at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50+ years.
• TOPS Shop Merchandise Online storefront at shop.tops.org selling branded merchandise including TOPS Fights Obesity T-shirts ($25), ceramic mugs, premium 10-inch portion plates, weight trackers and covers, engraved memorial items, and retreat registration and add-on bundles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75+ years of operation helping millions of people
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Medical College of Wisconsin - TOPS Obesity and Metabolic Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTOPS sponsors research at the Medical College of Wisconsin through the TOPS Obesity and Metabolic Research Center. Dr. Vidya Kidambi serves as Director of the research center and Medical Director of the Comprehensive Weight Loss Program. Donations support obesity research, education, and prevention.
• Obesity CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTOPS supports Obesity Canada research initiatives. Donations from the TOPS Fights Obesity campaign fund Canadian obesity research and education programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WW International (Weight Watchers): WW is the largest commercial peer-coaching weight-loss membership program globally, offering weekly meetings (in-person and digital), points-based food tracking, and a coaching community. Directly comparable to TOPS in core mechanic (paid membership + group accountability + food-tracking methodology) but operates as a for-profit company at much larger scale.
• Overeaters Anonymous: OA is a 12-step fellowship modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous, providing free peer-support meetings for compulsive eating - the closest analog to TOPS in operating model (volunteer-led in-person meetings, traditional nonprofit, peer accountability). Differs in being free vs. dues-based and abstinence-oriented vs. calorie-tracking oriented.
• Jenny Craig: Jenny Craig is a long-running commercial weight-loss program combining portion-controlled food delivery with one-on-one coaching and group support. Comparable in membership-subscription model and program-based structure (food system + accountability), though with a heavier food-product revenue component.

Emerging players

• Noom: Noom is a digital-first subscription weight-loss app using CBT-based coaching, food logging, and human coaching via app. Competes for the same outcomes (sustainable weight loss via behavior change) and members, but with a mobile-only delivery model vs. TOPS' chapter-centric community. An emerging challenger in TOPS' category.
• OPTAVIA: OPTAVIA is a coach-led MLM-style weight-loss and wellness program built around meal replacements plus health-coach accountability. Comparable in accountability/community-driven model (similar in form to TOPS' chapter-based coaching) but commercial, multi-level, and product-anchored.

Broad incumbents

• Nutrisystem: Nutrisystem is a large incumbent direct-to-consumer portion-controlled meal-plan subscription service with structured weight-loss programs. Comparable as a long-tenured category player serving the same consumer weight-loss need, but its model is product-shipment-led rather than community-led like TOPS.
• Take Shape For Life (Medifast): Medifast/Take Shape For Life operates coach-supported portion-controlled weight-loss programs through independent health coaches. Comparable program structure (food system + accountability coaching via coaches) and customer overlap with TOPS, but broader commercial scale and product-centric.
• YMCA of the USA: YMCA is a large nonprofit membership-based organization that delivers group wellness programs (including diabetes prevention, weight management, and fitness) through community branches. Comparable as a multi-site nonprofit delivering structured wellness programs to community members via local chapters, but operates at far greater scale and broader wellness scope.

Others

• Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America: WLSFA is a nonprofit that supports people pursuing bariatric/weight-loss surgery through grants, education, and peer support groups. Comparable as a peer-support-focused nonprofit serving the same patient population, but on the surgical/interventional end of the obesity-care spectrum - an adjacent clinical counterpart to TOPS' lifestyle-management approach.
• Gilda's Club / Cancer Support Community: Cancer Support Community (and its local Gilda's Club affiliates) is a nonprofit network providing free peer-support group meetings for people touched by cancer. Highly comparable operational model to TOPS: chapter-based, volunteer-led, professionally-facilitated support groups meeting weekly in-person plus online, with no-fee or low-fee membership. An adjacent peer-support nonprofit benchmark for organizational design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/topsclubinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/TOPSClub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tops-club-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/topsclubinc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/TOPSweightloss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tops Club