Shopping.com Appoints Three New Top Executives

Shopping.com named Frank Denny president and chief executive, making him the third person to run the money-losing Internet retailer in seven months.

As part of a general management shake-up, the company also named Randall Reed, formerly chief financial officer at Stone Container Corp., chairman, succeeding Denny.

Denny succeeds John Markley, who took the helm in June from company founder Robert McNulty.

Shopping.com also named James Chamberlain chief financial officer, succeeding Kristine Webster.

The 2-year old Corona del Mar-based company sells computers, books, CDs, office products and other merchandise over the Internet. It has been losing money partly because it sells products for less than their cost to try to gain market share.

In a regulatory report filed Dec. 24, the company reported that its loss for the fiscal third quarter ended Oct. 31 widened to $5.7 million, or $1.32 a share, from $1.3 million, or 98 cents, in the year-earlier period. Sales increased to $2 million from $321,281.

Its shares rose 31 cents Wednesday to $12.34.

The Security and Exchange Commission is investigating if Shopping.com and certain executives manipulated its stock. It has denied any wrongdoing. In September, the SEC accused Shopping.com’s underwriter, Waldron & Co., of cheating investors by artificially pumping up its share price. Waldron closed its doors last month.