SuperComm Taps Sales Director
as been named director of sales, a new position, at shared transaction fee supplier SuperComm here. Formerly national sales manager, she is responsible for all sales and marketing activity in the United States, reporting to Des Walsh, vice president and general manager.
"Lesley is largely responsible for the tremendous growth we have accomplished in recent years," said Walsh. "The creation of this new position is a reflection of her accomplishments in this area."
Morgan has been with SuperComm since its inception in 1991. Prior to that she was with Cevaxs here, which was the largest rack jobber of video rental in convenience stores in North America and the company SuperComm grew out of. Founder Jack Silverman sold SuperComm to the Walt Disney Co., Burbank, Calif., in 1994.
Exclusively focused on the supermarket and drugstore classes of trade, SuperComm provides new release movies on a shared transaction fee basis. Under this arrangement, retailers pay a $10 acquisition fee for each tape and then share revenues 50-50 with the supplier. Rentals are tracked electronically. This allows stores to bring in greater depth and enables promotions such as guaranteed availability.
Yapp Leaves Fox For Hollywood
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jeffrey Yapp, who was named president of worldwide for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Beverly Hills, Calif., in May, was named president of specialty retailer Hollywood Entertainment, here, in early September. Fox is suing Yapp and Hollywood, claiming Yapp's contract runs through Oct. 16, 1999.
"We have filed suit and will vigorously enforce our rights," said a Fox spokesperson. "The matter is now in the hands of the courts." However, Yapp has already moved to Portland and assumed his duties at Hollywood, according to press reports.
At Hollywood, Yapp reports to Mark Wattles, chairman and chief executive officer, who had held the title of president. With 661 stores and $393.8 million in revenue for the year ended June 30, 1997, Hollywood Video is the second largest video specialty retailer, next to Blockbuster Entertainment, Dallas, a unit of Viacom, New York.
At the same time it released news of Yapp's appointment, Hollywood reported that it expected lower than expected third quarter sales, sending its stock price to a 52-week low.
