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New study from PwC unveils key trends driving change in the retail industry in 2012 Retailers must Find new ways to engage consumers as social media continues to transform the shopping experience

TORONTO , March 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Today's consumers are more empowered than ever before, with social media and mobile technology transforming the shopping experience. With over half (53%) of global internet shoppers expecting to spend more online in the future and consumers becoming increasingly sophisticated, retailers need to act now to insure a seamless multi-channel experience, according to a new study from PwC. The study, Customers take control - How the multichannel shopper is changing the global retail landscape, identifies key trends that will shape and transform the retail industry in 2012.

Alain Michaud, Canadian National Leader, Retail and Consumer, PwC, commented:

"With more than 70% of customers engaging in multi-channel shopping, it's clear that the convergence of in-store, online and mobile shopping has arrived. Retailers should leverage this convergence and re-evaluate their organizations to create a winning customer experience focused on integrating channels, taking mobile technology to new heights and creating a personalized shopping experience. Retailers who do not deliver this seamless experience and invest in the necessary changes to their business models, run a very real risk of losing market share."

Key Study Findings: The survey of over 7,000 online shoppers across three continents covering eight markets, shows a remarkably consistent picture across the world, with internet shopping becoming an integral part of day-to-day behaviour.

Alain Michaud commented:

"The reasons why shoppers choose a favourite are quite different in each country, which means it's going to be difficult to serve multiple countries, using one website and product range - unless, like Amazon, you have an extremely broad offer or, like Apple, a unique and globally compelling product range. In essence, consumers are creating their own multi-channel experiences by leveraging multiple retailers across a single category or product."

The integration of social, mobile and location-based technologies is providing a whole new locally-specific shopping experience. Retailers can send offers to encourage nearby customers to enter their shops and customers reap the benefits of coupons delivered on their mobile devices as they stand in front of the product.

Alain Michaud commented:

"Achieving retail growth in 2012 and beyond requires a 360-degree approach to customers, using accessible technologies like video, mobile, email and social media to improve traditional tactics. In order to communicate more effectively with customers, retailers must use innovative ideas to differentiate their brand."

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Savvy global consumers take control: Retailers lag behind

MONTREAL - As Montreal cops brace for this years edition of the march against police brutality which will coincide Thursday with student demonstrations against tuition hikes the officer in charge of overseeing crowd control operations has a message for would-be participants:

We know theres going to be a lot more people present at this years anti-brutality march, Chief Inspector Alain Bourdages told reporters Wednesday. And we want those people to know that bad people are going to be present, and theyre going to use the fact that theyre (inside a crowd) to commit criminal acts and other people are going to be caught in it.

This years march is the 16th. Out of the last 15, 13 turned into illegal assemblies that ended with arrests. Id urge anyone who shows up tomorrow who sees any illegal act going on to leave the march.

Weve had demonstrations of 30,000 students; it went very well. People have shown that even in large numbers, they can behave. The problem is when you have 100 or 200 people whose only intention is to hide in that group and to start breaking the law.

Bourdages made his comments during a rare meeting between police and the news media during which the Montreal forces approach to crowd control was explained and illustrated.

The meeting took place a week after a March 7 protest outside Loto-Qubecs office on Sherbrooke St. during which student protester Francis Grenier suffered a serious injury to his right eye after apparently being struck by a police flash grenade.

Bourdages called the incident deplorable and said it is under investigation but added that the crowd control grenades would remain in use.

The Rubber Ball grenade is meant to be thrown over the heads of protesters and explodes into two pieces with a 175-decibel blast before depositing a cloud of CS gas less intense than pepper spray onto those below.

Nine such grenades were used when demonstrators clashed with police March 7, police said, while aerosol cans spraying CS gas were used 37 times.

Bourdages said Montreal police applies a continuum of force when it comes to crowd control. Verbal warnings to disperse are followed by physical but non-forceful contact repeating the message.

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Montreal police brief media on crowd control

TEWKSBURY, MA--(Marketwire -03/14/12)-

WHAT: Design Control for Medical Devices-Ensuring Compliant Processes and Procedures with PLM Webinar.

FDA statistics show that forty five to fifty percent of all medical device recalls stemmed from poor product design. Design controls are not only a regulatory requirement, they lay the foundation for the proper design and development of medical devices. Hosted by Omnify Software with a guest industry expert speaker, this complimentary educational webinar will help attendees learn how to implement effective and efficient product development procedures with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technology in order to ensure compliant design controls, address design control challenges, simplify the audit process, and reduce the cost of compliance through automated enterprise systems and best practices.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 1:00 P.M. EDT

WHERE: Event will be presented online; those interested in attending this event can register at: https://omnifysoftwebinars.webex.com/omnifysoftwebinars/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661666389

WHO: Roger Martin, founder of Compliance Dynamics, http://www.mycdyn.com, and Chuck McGinley, Sr. Applications Engineer for Omnify Software, http://www.omnifysoft.com/.

About Omnify Software

Omnify Software, the leading provider of business-ready Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, helps OEMs shorten development cycles, accelerate product innovation and improve bottom-line profitability. Omnify's commitment to customer success has resulted in a unique solution that is quick to implement, easy to use, and provides an open integration platform built on the Microsoft .NET Framework. Omnify is well-known for superior customer service, delivering outstanding training, development and support with a team of experienced technology professionals. For more information about Omnify Software Product Lifecycle Management, please call 978-988-3800, email info@omnifysoft.com or visit http://www.omnifysoft.com, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube; or subscribe to the Omnify Software RSS Feed.

"Omnify" is a registered trademark of Omnify Software. Any trade, product or service name referenced in this document using the name "Omnify" is a trademark and/or property of Omnify Software. All other trade, product, or service names referenced in this release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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Media Alert: Omnify Software Hosts Webinar on Design Control for Medical Devices

In Recognition of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Awareness Month, Public Health Watchdog Warns that some Hormonal Contraceptive Methods, Including Yaz and Yasmin Birth Control Pills, and the NuvaRing Contraceptive Device, May Raise the Risk of Life-Threatening Blood Clots

New York, New York (PRWEB) March 14, 2012

According to Pubic Health Watchdog, DVTs are dangerous blood clots that mainly affect the large veins in the lower leg and thigh. In 2005, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution declaring March as DVT Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 60,000-100,000 Americans die each year from DVTs and pulmonary embolism (PE). Of those people, 10-30 percent die within one month of diagnosis. Sudden death is the often first symptom in about one-quarter of people who have PE. [olpa.od.nih.gov/tracking/109/senate_res/session1/s_con_res-56.asp; cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/facts.html]

Yaz, Yasmin and NuvaRing Blood Clot Risks

According to Public Health Watchdog, all hormonal birth control methods are known to raise the risk of blood clots for the women who use them. However, Yaz, Yasmin and NuvaRing users have alleged in lawsuits that women who use these particular birth control methods face a higher risk than those who rely on other hormonal contraceptives.

Yaz and Yasmin contain a combination of the estrogen, ethinyl estradiol, and a synthetic progestin called drospirenone. In October 2011, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released the results of a large study which found that Yaz, Yasmin and other birth control pills made with drospirenone increase the risk of blood clots by almost 74%, compared to those made with an older form of progestin. The FDA-funded study involved the medical histories of more than 800,000 American women, all of whom were on some type of birth control between 2001 and 2008. In December, a panel of FDA advisors voted 21-5 to recommend that labels for Yaz, Yasmin and similar pills be updated with stronger warnings about their possible potential to cause serious, life threatening blood clots [fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM277384.pdf]

NuvaRing is a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina, and provides month-long birth control by emitting a continuous, low dose of ethinyl estradiol, and a progestin called etonogestrel for 21 days. The FDA study released in October also noted that combined hormonal contraceptives, including the etonogestrel/ethinyl estradiol vaginal ring, potentially result in higher sustained exposure to estrogen and hence, increased thromboembolic risk. The study found NuvaRing raised the risk of blood clots, including DVT and PE by 56% when compared to older birth control pills. [fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM277384.pdf]

Yaz, Yasmin and NuvaRing Lawsuits

More than 10,000 lawsuits are currently pending in the Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2100) before the Honorable Judge David R. Herndon in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Plaintiffs in these lawsuits claim that Yaz, Yasmin and similar pills made with drospirenone, increase the likelihood that a woman will suffer serious side effects, including DVT.

Similarly, in August 2008, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered all federally filed NuvaRing lawsuits consolidated in a multidistrict litigation and transferred to Judge Rodney W. Sippel of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (MDL No. 1964). This litigation remains ongoing. Plaintiffs involved in this litigation allege that NuvaRing users face an increased danger of suffering blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, strokes and sudden death. Plaintiffs further allege that Merck & Co. and Organon, the makers of NuvaRing, failed to adequately warn patients and their doctors about the potential for NuvaRing blood clots and other side effects.

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In Recognition of DVT Awareness Month, Public Health Watchdog Warns Some Contraceptive Methods, Including Yaz, Yasmin ...

Rush Limbaugh faced rising pressure from critics who are using new media to keep advertisers away from his long-running radio show.

At least 10 companies, including online publisher AOL Inc. (AOL), have dropped the most-popular U.S. talk-radio show after Limbaugh called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a prostitute and a slut. Fluke appeared before Congress on Feb. 23 to speak in favor of President Barack Obamas policy requiring insurers to provide birth control to women.

Much of the pressure on advertisers has come from online activists using Twitter and Facebook to mobilize against Limbaugh. They see undermining the programs economic viability as the way to force distributor Clear Channel Communications Inc. (CCMO)s Premiere Radio Networks (3069Q) to stop syndicating the show.

The tactic of just asking advertisers has been a very successful one, said Krystal Ball, a 30-year-old MSNBC commentator who started a website called boycottrush.org. So as long as that is successful, well continue.

Ball, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2010. The campaign targeting Limbaugh is led by groups like Media Matters for America and the Ohio Democratic Party.

The social media world has really exploded, said Terry ONeill, president of the National Organization for Women. I think Rush Limbaugh is going to go down over this.

More big companies, including Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD), owner of the namesake retailer and discounter Kmart, insurer Geico Corp. (156714Q) and tractor maker Deere & Co. (DE), are taking steps to ensure their advertisements stop appearing on Limbaughs show.

Ads were placed on the program by Deere dealers through a network and not by the manufacturer, said Kenneth Golden, director of global public relations for the Moline, Illinois- based company.

Deere is reviewing the placement of these advertisements, as the company has not chosen to be a current advertiser, Golden said.

Instructions to keep Sears and Kmart ads off of Limbaughs show werent followed, according to Chris Brathwaite, a spokesman for their Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based parent. The company doesnt buy media based on political affiliations, Brathwaite said.

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Limbaugh Radio Show Faces New-Media Backlash as Advertisers Flee