Ken Martindale

Rite Aid Corp. said yesterday that Ken Martindale, a retail veteran with over 35 years of marketing, merchandising, and operations experience, is joining Rite Aid as senior e.v.p. of merchandising, marketing, and logistics, effective immediately.

Reporting to Rite Aid president and c.o.o. John Standley, former c.e.o. of Pathmark, where the two men worked together, Martindale is responsible for category management, merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and inventory management for the company.

Martindale most recent position was co-president, chief merchandising and marketing officer for Carteret, N.J.-based Pathmark Stores, Inc. He worked there until December 2007 when A&P acquired the grocer.

"Ken is a seasoned food and drug retail executive with significant experience in nearly every facet of our business, and has exceptional leadership skills," said Standley. "He has a track record of developing successful merchandising and marketing programs that improve profitability. Just as importantly, he can implement those programs at reasonable cost and with minimal disruption to the business."

Martindale began his retail career in 1975 at Smith's Food and Drug Centers on the West Coast, where he rose from a district manager in store operations to s.v.p. of marketing and s.v.p. of sales and merchandising. In January 1998 he joined Fred Meyer, Inc. after it bought Smith's as e.v.p., sales and procurement, and remained until September 1999, when the company merged with Kroger.

Additionally, during the course of his career, Martindale founded and operated Salt Lake City food retailer Orchard Street, Inc.; consulted for national and regional food retailers on category management, marketing, and strategic planning; and was president, c.e.o., and chairman of Intesource, Inc., a Phoenix-based software company designed to assist food and drug retail, wholesale, and manufacturing clients with procurement.

Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid has over 4,900 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia.