Martindale succeeds Standley as Rite Aid's COO

CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid on Thursday promoted Ken Martindale to COO, succeeding John Standley who was promoted to president and CEO following the Rite Aid annual meeting conducted Wednesday.

“In a very short time, [Martindale] has had a significant impact on a number of the initiatives we’re implementing to improve our performance and grow profitable sales, including the launch of our new customer loyalty program Wellness+, the revamping and expansion of our private brand program and our segmentation strategies for low volume stores,” Standley said. “Add to that his first hand experience in store operations during his extensive retail career, and Rite Aid has a very talented and accomplished new COO.”

Martindale will have overall responsibility for all store operations as well as category management, marketing, merchandising and supply chain. Martindale was senior EVP merchandising prior to the promotion. 

Martindale, 50, joined Rite Aid in December 2008. Previously, he served as co-president, chief merchandising and marketing officer for Pathmark prior to that company’s sale to A&P. Martindale started his retail career in 1975 with Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, where he climbed the ladder from a district manager in store operations to SVP marketing and SVP sales and merchandising. In January 1998, he joined Fred Meyer where he served as EVP sales and procurement.

During his retail career, Martindale also founded and operated Orchard Street Inc. a food retailer in Salt Lake City; consulted for national and regional food retailers on category management, marketing and strategic planning; and served as president, CEO and chairman of Intesource Inc., a software company designed to help food and drug retail, wholesale and manufacturing clients with procurement.