Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from John Heinbockel with Goldman Sachs.
John Heinbockel - Goldman Sachs
So Christian, a couple of things -- what are the qualifications you are looking for in the new CEO? And how long do you think that process will take -- you know, likely to be -- I imagine it’s going to be fairly lengthy, so we’re not talking until maybe early next year at the earliest but what are your thoughts on that?
Christian Wilhelm Erich Haub
Well, I really don’t want to put a time estimate on how long the process is going to take but saying a few words about the type of candidate we are looking for, it is clearly somebody who has a good amount of experience in the food retail industry but I think we look at this industry and defining it larger than just supermarkets. You know, we today compete in a world where we compete with warehouse clubs and discounters and [inaudible] discounters and different formats, and I think that is something very important for me for the next CEO to understand and how we successfully compete in an environment like that. You know, we’ve been working on a transformation strategy with some very good success in the past but also with some challenges and we need to further transform the business, so I think the next leader has to share in that vision that success will not come from actually just tinkering with what is existing but thinking in more radical ways of better position and transforming this organization.
John Heinbockel - Goldman Sachs
Is it likely to be -- do you think it is likely to be someone with a prior relationship with Yucaipa, or it doesn’t have to be -- that’s not the path this likely goes down?
Christian Wilhelm Erich Haub
I think we have agreement that we are looking for the best possible candidate and we are not limiting ourselves to anything here, and I am looking forward for Yucaipa’s involvement, since they have a pretty major stake in this decision and I think this is going to be a very collaborative process with specific members of our board that will be engaged, as well as myself.
John Heinbockel - Goldman Sachs
Just touching on Pathmark then, you made the point that the business should be doing better in this economy. I guess you are seeing some signs in terms of tonnage that things are getting a little bit better but how long do you think it will take to change price perception and I guess it’s likely that you need to make some greater changes to the look of the store but that -- how quickly do you think that is going to happen, Pathmark?
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