A Culture of Sales
Dan Dinkowitz, senior director of sales and merchandising for Allegiance, spent 37 years in various roles for Pathmark. Derderian described him as the “essence” of the brand’s renewal.
“Pathmark portrayed value, and the entire organization was energized on sales,” Dinkowitz said when asked to comment on what separated Pathmark from its rivals. “That energy level started at the top and went all the way to the store level, to the cashiers who would report back who was selling more. All of that became a very competitive culture of selling, and at the same time there was a very keen eye on profits. So there was just as strong emphasis on sales as there was on gross profits. That became a culture.
“The other thing Pathmark did was: It knew how to navigate the city,” Dinkowitz continued. “They would not be afraid to go into some very depressed neighborhoods and make that sales program come alive there.”