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Global Deployment Of Merchandise Planning, Demand Forecasting And Inventory Management

Tomax Corporation is pleased to announce an agreement with Swarovski, world's leading producer of precision-cut crystal, for the deployment of its Retail.net Merchandise Planning, Demand Forecasting and Inventory Management solutions.

"After an extensive review of the market we selected Tomax because of their superior model that connects strategic planning and operational execution," said Bob Grant, VP, Supply Chain Management/Consumer Goods for Swarovski North America. "Unlike the many demand planning solutions on the market that were designed for manufacturing, the Tomax demand forecast was designed for retail and is superior because it works at the SKU level, by store, based on actual sales data. The Tomax solution also provides the sought after integration with our consolidated (retail and wholesale) sales and operations planning for North America and, as well, with our global supply chain partners."

"The Tomax approach to retail software, integrating merchandise planning, demand forecasting, and inventory management, is truly refreshing. It allows our business to eliminate disconnected spreadsheets, and have a dynamic, comprehensive view of corporate planning & operational requirements," said Rob Noller, Swarovski Vice President of Information Technology. "Their technical interface approach promises to provide timely, accurate and actionable information by leveraging source data in-place within our SAP ERP system, in some cases eliminating the need to maintain multiple data sets."

"Swarovski is a luxury brand, and now, through an expansion of fashion oriented product lines, is experiencing significant growth, supported through an expansion of their retail operation. We are enormously proud to be associated with this prestige organization," says Eric Olafson, CEO for Tomax.

Swarovski operates retail locations in the United States and around the world, in addition to its manufacturing and distribution operations. The initial Tomax Retail.net demand forecasting and inventorying management implementation will take place in the U.S., with plans for an international test and roll out in a subsequent phase. The Tomax solutions will provide Swarovski with highly accurate demand forecasts for each item in every store, up to 52 weeks into the future. These forecasts will be the basis for determining optimal inventory requirements for each store and throughout the supply chain. Retail.net will provide a more accurate view of the business, enabling improved calibration of product assortment with store demand, better store stock positions, and increased ability to perform to plan.

About Swarovski (www.swarovski.com)
For more than a hundred years Swarovski, the Austrian family company based in Wattens in the Tyrol, has been the world's leading brand for cut crystal. Crystal jewellery stones and crystalline semi-finished goods for the fashion, jewellery and lighting industries are as much a part of the company's product range as gift articles, home accessories, and collectibles fashioned from faceted crystal. Swarovski's artistic and design abilities are evident in Daniel Swarovski Paris and Swarovski Jewellery, the company's accessory and jewellery ranges. Since 1995 visitors have been able to enjoy the ultimate crystal experience at the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. The Swarovski group also includes Tyrolitâ, which produces grinding tools and abrasives, and Swarovski Optik, the company's optics division, with its precision optics for hunting and nature observation. In 2005 Swarovski achieved group sales of Euro 2,14 billion with a total of approximately 17,000 employees.

About Tomax
Tomax is the leading provider of realtime merchandising and store execution applications and services. The Tomax Retail.net suite helps retailers connect the dots across the demand-driven retail continuum, integrating people and processes, and providing timely, relevant, actionable information to improve retail results. Tomax has served retailers exclusively for more than 20 years, delivering Merchandise Planning, In-Season Merchandising, Merchandise Management, Workforce Management, Store Operations and Customer Management solutions, and implementation and application hosting services. The Tomax customer base includes over 100 branded retailers including Air Terminal Gifts, The Andersons, Alco Stores, Benjamin Moore, Coach House Gifts, Deseret Books, Franklin Covey, Kelly Moore, Kroger, LA Weight Loss, Mud Bay, Raley's Supermarkets, Safeway, ShopRite, Snyder's Drug Stores, Sportsman's Warehouse, Trader Joe's, Travel Traders, TJX Companies (Marshall's and TJ Maxx), Winn Dixie and 24 Hour Fitness. For more information visit www.tomax.com.