U.S. patent application number 14/820700 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-03 for systems and/or methods for managing "show-rooming" practices.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nintendo of America Inc.. Invention is credited to Peter J. JUNGER.
Application Number | 20150348101 14/820700 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49756742 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150348101 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
JUNGER; Peter J. |
December 3, 2015 |
SYSTEMS AND/OR METHODS FOR MANAGING "SHOW-ROOMING" PRACTICES
Abstract
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to systems and/or methods
for managing "show-rooming" practices of consumers, e.g., where
consumers interact with a product at a sometimes convenient
brick-and-mortar location, only to later purchase the product from
a different (and typically online) provider. Distinct special
offers (e.g., in the form of price adjustments) may be presented to
potential show-rooming consumers, e.g., via a mobile device
operated by those consumers. In certain exemplary embodiments, the
distinct special offers may be generated based on, for example,
pricing information gathered from competitors, rules specified by
the brick-and-mortar location, characteristics or habits of a
particular consumer using a particular device, recent trends, etc.
The rate at which browsing consumers buy products for which they
are presented with special offers, etc., may be monitored and fed
back into the system, e.g., to help provide a more finely tuned
special offer that helps preserve profit for the seller.
Inventors: |
JUNGER; Peter J.; (Redmond,
WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nintendo of America Inc. |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49756742 |
Appl. No.: |
14/820700 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13495436 |
Jun 13, 2012 |
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14820700 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0253 20130101;
G06Q 30/0256 20130101; G06Q 30/0211 20130101; G06Q 30/0276
20130101; G06Q 30/0239 20130101; G06Q 30/0207 20130101; G06Q
30/0629 20130101; G06Q 30/0222 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02; G06Q 30/06 20060101 G06Q030/06 |
Claims
1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly
storing instructions that, when executed by an electronic device,
cause the electronic device to at least: initiate, in response to a
detected attempt to comparison shop for an item of interest
currently being shopped for from a first party that offers the item
of interest at a first price, a price lookup query to determine how
much other parties different from the first party offer for the
same item as the item of interest, the price lookup query being
executed in connection with an identifier of the item of interest,
at least one of the other parties being a flagged entity; and
generate a custom offer when the first price is higher than a price
offered by one or more of the other parties as determined using the
price lookup query, the custom offer having terms determined in
accordance with a set of predefined rules that are applicable when
calculating custom offers, the predefined rules specifying, at
least in part, that the custom offer is (a) to have a value that is
larger when a flagged entity offers a price lower than the first
price than when only non-flagged entities offer prices lower than
the first price, and (b) redeemable in connection with the first
party.
2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the custom offer is a discount applicable to the first
price.
3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2,
wherein the discount, when applied to the first price, makes the
first price match the lowest price offered by the other
parties.
4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2,
wherein the discount, when applied to the first price, makes the
first price lower than the lowest price offered by the other
parties by a predetermined amount or percentage.
5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the electronic device is a server including at least one
processor, the server being configured to perform price lookup
queries and calculate custom offers.
6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5,
wherein the server includes a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium tangibly storing the rules that are applicable to
calculating custom offers.
7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5,
wherein the server is configured to calculate a rate at which
custom offers lead to item purchases from first parties.
8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7,
wherein the server is configured to reduce the value of special
offers when the rate exceeds a predefined threshold and to increase
the value of special offers when the rate is below the predefined
threshold.
9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,
wherein an offered discount database includes records that store,
for each record, indications as to the device and/or consumer for
whom a custom offer was generated, the custom offer, an item to
which the custom offer applies, and an expiration date for the
custom offer.
10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,
wherein the custom offer relates to an item offered by a
manufacturer that competes with a manufacturer of the item of
interest.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,
wherein each said flagged entity is a designated close competitor
of the first party.
12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly
storing instructions that, when executed by an electronic device,
cause the electronic device to at least: receive an indication that
an item of interest is or was being shopped for from a first party
by a consumer, the first party offering the item of interest for
sale at a first price; initiate, in response to a detected attempt
to shop for the item of interest from another party different from
a first party, a price lookup query to determine how much other
parties different from the first party offer for the same item as
the item of interest, the price lookup query being executed in
connection with an identifier of the item of interest; and cause
the display of a custom offer when the first price is higher than a
price offered by one or more of the other parties as determined
using the price lookup query, the custom offer being redeemable in
connection with the first party, wherein the electronic device
belongs to the consumer and the custom offer includes redemption
conditions, displayable in connection with the custom offer on the
electronic device, specifying that the custom offer is redeemable
by the consumer while at a brick-and-mortar store of the first
party and/or through a subsequent use of an electronic purchasing
channel of the first party.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone configured to
receive the identifier by taking a picture, receiving an RF signal,
and/or receiving a barcode scan.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the custom offer is only redeemable by the consumer
while at a brick-and-mortar store of the first party.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the custom offer is only redeemable by the consumer
through a subsequent use of an electronic purchasing channel of the
first party.
16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly
storing instructions that, when executed by an electronic device,
cause the electronic device to at least: initiate, in response to a
detected attempt to shop for an item of interest that is or was
being shopped for from a first party that offers the item of
interest at a first price, a price lookup query to determine how
much other parties different from the first party offer for the
same item as the item of interest, the price lookup query being
executed in connection with an identifier of the item of interest;
generate a custom offer when the first price is higher than a price
offered by one or more of the other parties as determined using the
price lookup query, the generated custom offer being redeemable in
connection with the first party and having a value that cannot be
used to offset the first price of the item of interest; and cause
the generated custom offer to be displayed on a display device.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein the custom offer is displayed in a format such that it
is redeemable at a point-of-sale (POS) register.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein the custom offer relates to an item offered by a
manufacturer that competes with a manufacturer of the item of
interest.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone that is
configured to receive the identifier by taking a picture of the
identifier, receiving near field communication (NFC) information,
and/or reading an EPC/RFID tag.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein price lookup queries are performed, and custom offers
are generated, by a server including at least one processor.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
20, wherein the server includes a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium tangibly storing rules that are applicable when
calculating custom offers.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
20, wherein the server is configured to calculate a rate at which
custom offers lead to item purchases from first parties.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
22, wherein the server is configured to reduce the value of special
offers when the rate exceeds a predefined threshold and to increase
the value of special offers when the rate is below the predefined
threshold.
24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein records are stored to an offered discount database,
each record including indications as to the device and/or consumer
for whom a custom offer was generated, the custom offer, an item to
which the custom offer applies, and an expiration date for the
custom offer.
25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
16, wherein the pricing information is obtained via screen scraping
respective websites of the other parties.
26. An electronic device including at least one processor that
executes an application for providing custom offers to a consumer,
the application comprising instructions that cause the application
to at least: initiate, in response to a detected attempt to shop
for an item of interest currently being shopped for from a first
party that offers the item of interest at a first price, a price
lookup query to determine how much other parties different from the
first party offer for the same item as the item of interest and for
one or more similar items indicated as being substitutes for the
item of interest, the price lookup query being executed in
connection with an identifier of the item of interest; and cause a
custom offer to be displayed via the electronic device when the
first price is higher than a price offered by one or more of the
other parties as determined using the price lookup query, the
custom offer being redeemable in connection with the first party
and being redeemable in connection with a similar item indicated as
being a substitute for the item of interest.
27. The device of claim 26, wherein the custom offer has a value
that is larger when a flagged competitor offers a better price than
the first price than when only non-flagged competitors offer better
prices than the first price.
28. The device of claim 26, wherein the electronic device belongs
to the consumer and the custom offer is redeemable by the consumer
only while at a brick-and-mortar store of the first party and/or
only through a subsequent use of an electronic purchasing channel
of the first party.
29. The device of claim 26, wherein the custom offer is redeemable
only at an in-store location from which the price lookup query was
initiated.
30. An electronic device including at least one processor that
executes an application for providing custom offers to a consumer,
the application comprising instructions that cause the application
to at least: initiate, in response to a detected attempt to shop
for an item of interest that is or was being shopped for from a
first party that offers the item of interest at a first price, a
price lookup query to determine how much other parties different
from the first party offer for the same item as the item of
interest, the price lookup query being executed in connection with
an identifier of the item of interest; generate a custom offer when
the first price is higher than a price offered by one or more of
the other parties as determined using the price lookup query, the
generated custom offer being redeemable in connection with the
first party and only via a sales channel different from the one in
which the price lookup query was initiated; and cause the generated
custom offer to be displayed on a display device.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
13/495,436 filed Jun. 13, 2012, the entire content of which is
hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The technology disclosed herein relates to techniques for
managing "show-rooming" practices of consumers, e.g., where
consumers interact with a product at a sometimes convenient
brick-and-mortar location, only to later purchase the product from
a different (and typically online) provider. More particularly, the
technology disclosed herein relates to techniques for presenting
distinct special offers (e.g., in the form of price adjustments) to
potential show-rooming consumers, e.g., via a mobile device
operated by these consumers. In certain exemplary embodiments, the
distinct special offers may be generated based on, for example,
pricing information gathered from competitors, rules specified by
the brick-and-mortar location, characteristics or habits of a
particular consumer using a particular device, recent trends,
etc.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0003] Showrooms have been around for years and have been used to
promote many different kinds of products and/or services. Indeed,
showrooms are common for automobiles, bathroom and kitchen design
services and associated products, etc. "Specialty stores" have
begun to appear in the last few years to showroom mobile phones
and/or other devices, products specific to a particular
manufacturer, etc. Perhaps more basically, however, virtually every
brick-and-mortar store is in essence a showroom, as a potential
broad array of products are presented for potential consumers.
Indeed, although e-tailers, web-based storefronts, online portals,
and the like have become very popular, many people still like the
experience of going to a physical brick-and-mortar store. The
experience of browsing a showroom is important for some, because
they can actually touch the product before deciding whether to
purchase it, view products side-by-side (e.g., televisions,
electronic, etc.), and/or interact with a "real live person" (e.g.,
a sales clerk, etc.) to ask questions, get feedback or receive
recommendations, etc.
[0004] The advent of the Internet and other information
technologies has led to more information being available in a
faster and sometimes more efficient manner. For example, a
potential consumer can "shop online" and determine which store has
the best price on a particular product, potentially balancing
factors like base price, sales and/or use tax to be paid (if any),
shipping and handling charges (if any), etc. In fact, currently
available online and/or mobile device tools such as RedLaser,
PriceGrabber, PriceSpider, and the like, help provide product
pricing information for a variety of different stores. Even some
product review websites (such as, for example, CNet) provide
similar price comparison tools for the products that they are
reviewing.
[0005] As a result, the practice of "show-rooming" has become a
major hurdle for brick-and-mortar stores. A person may be aware of
a product he/she would like to purchase or may simply be browsing
through a brick-and-mortar store's goods with no particular
purchase motive in mind. The person may treat the brick-and-mortar
store as a showroom to, among other things, try out a product, seek
advice, etc. But instead of buying a seemingly suitable product
right away, the person may already know that the product is
available elsewhere for a better price, or may later search for the
best price available. The above-mentioned and/or other tools make
competitive pricing more transparent to would-be consumers. Thus,
many brick-and-mortar stores essentially lose out on potential
sales. Indeed, an Apr. 10, 2012 article in Forbes entitled "Why
Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn Had To Quit," argues that "Competitive
advantages you [brick-and-mortar stores] once had are gone. Price
is transparent. Service and repair are not the refuges they once
were." In some cases, service contracts and the like offered by
brick-and-mortar stores are insufficient to justify the sometimes
higher prices.
[0006] A 2011 InsightExpress study found that 59% of U.S. smart
phone owners have comparison-shopped while actually in the store.
According to a more recent Feb. 22, 2012 survey from market
research firm ClickIQ, consumer panel members revealed that 67%
have shopped online as well as in brick-and-mortar stores during
the past six months. The group members were asked whether they had
researched a product while actually at the local retail store and
then made the purchase online, and 46% indicated that they had done
so. Eighty-seven percent of the panel members said that price was
the main reason for having made the purchase online.
[0007] Given this evidence, it is apparent that show-rooming is
presenting a number of challenges to traditional brick-and-mortar
retailers. There also is a concomitant race to develop
technology-based solutions that either help consumers find better
deals elsewhere, or alert consumers after the fact (e.g., after
they have made their purchase), that a price reduction has taken
place by the retailer they have made their recent purchase from, or
that a competitor has reduced its price on the item they have
purchased. This has given rise to the above-described and other
applications. However, a Fox News article by John R. Quain
published on Apr. 18, 2012, entitled "Should you `showroom`--shop
in stores, buy online--your next gadget?" notes that shopping is
possible everywhere and argues that "retailers need to recognize
this fact and use the technology to reach customers in novel ways.
Specific store apps with rewards and notices of upcoming sales can
help. But more innovative approaches will be needed."
[0008] Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art
for technology-based solutions to show-rooming practices. For
instance, it will be appreciated that it would be desirable to
provide retailers, manufacturers, and others, the ability to
counter the "price transparency" revolution and continue to compete
on price/value offers, e.g., via individually tailored "distinct
special offers."
[0009] In certain exemplary embodiments, a system for providing
custom offers to consumers is provided. An electronic device
includes at least one processor that executes an application
comprising instructions that cause the application to at least:
receive an identifier of a product of interest; determine a first
price of the product of interest, with the first price being a
price ordinarily charged by a first seller; initiate, in connection
with the identifier, a price lookup query to determine pricing
information from a plurality of other sellers different from the
first seller, for the same and/or similar product(s) as the product
of interest; and display a custom offer when the first price is
higher than a price charged by one or more of the other sellers,
with the custom offer being redeemable in connection with the first
seller only.
[0010] In certain exemplary embodiments, there is provided an
electronic device including at least one processor that executes an
application for providing custom offers to a consumer. The
application comprises instructions that cause the application to at
least: receive an identifier of a product of interest; determine a
first price of the product of interest, the first price being a
price ordinarily charged by a first seller; initiate, in connection
with the identifier, a price lookup query to determine pricing
information from a plurality of other sellers, different from the
first seller, for the same and/or similar product(s) as the product
of interest; and display a custom offer when the first price is
higher than a price charged by one or more of the other sellers,
with the custom offer being redeemable in connection with the first
seller only.
[0011] In certain exemplary embodiments, a method of providing
custom offers to a consumer is provided. An identifier of a product
of interest is received from an electronic device including at
least one processor that executes an application. A first price of
the product of interest is determined, with the first price being a
price ordinarily charged by a first seller. A price lookup query is
initiated, in connection with the identifier and the electronic
device, to determine pricing information from a plurality of other
sellers different from the first seller, for the same and/or
similar product as the product of interest. A custom offer is
caused to be displayed via the electronic device when the first
price is higher than a price charged by one or more of the other
sellers, with the custom offer being redeemable in connection with
the first seller only.
[0012] Programmed logic circuitry may include, for example, any
suitable combination of hardware, software, firmware, and/or the
like. A computer-readable storage medium may include, for example,
a disk, CD-ROM, hard drive, and/or the like, and thus may be
transitory or non-transitory in nature. Instructions may be stored
on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when
executed (e.g., by a processor of one or more computers or computer
systems), perform the methods described herein.
[0013] There are a number of advantages that are made possible in
connection with the exemplary techniques disclosed herein. For
example, the "meet or beat" price ability of certain exemplary
embodiments may provide an omni-channel customer tie-in, e.g., by
presenting the user with some small credit (potentially, say, $5 or
$10) to be used as a gift certificate for an online purchase, or
other indicia of value. Thus, it is possible to bridge the gap
between online and in-store experiences, thereby providing a
helpful resolution to show-rooming problems while also taking
advantage of the fact that, as shown by recent studies, the most
valuable customers are those customers who shop both online and in
stores.
[0014] Another advantage relates to the fact that customized
special offers are better than "price guarantees" (which typically
last some short period such as, for example, one week or 30 days).
The approaches of certain exemplary embodiments are more convenient
for customers who might otherwise forget or find it difficult to
make it back to a store with the required documentation (e.g.,
receipt, competitor advertisement, etc.). They also may be more
helpful to stores by encouraging more immediate purchases or even
subsequent purchases through an associated online portal.
[0015] Still another advantage relates to the fact that in-store
display prices, online prices, advertised prices, and/or the like,
are not being altered. Instead, the distinct special offer is made
for a particular user. Thus, there is not necessarily an obligation
to make the same offer available to others, or even the same person
after an initial offer is made once and/or expired after some
predefined period.
[0016] The exemplary embodiments, aspect, and advantages described
herein may be used in any suitable combination or sub-combination
such that it is possible to obtain yet further embodiments of the
instant invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Aspects and characteristics of the exemplary illustrative
non-limiting implementations will become apparent from the
following detailed description of exemplary implementations, when
read in view of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system for managing
show-rooming activities, according to certain exemplary
embodiments;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an example pricing information database record in
accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an example offered discount database record in
accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example process for managing
show-rooming activities, according to certain exemplary
embodiments;
[0022] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the price differential for several
retailers for an example product;
[0023] FIG. 8 is an exemplary screenshot including a distinct
special offer generated in accordance with certain exemplary
embodiments;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example process for
determining the "sweet spot" in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for enabling
manufacturers to leverage the techniques of certain exemplary
embodiments in connection with a participating retailer or the
like.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] It will be recognized by those of ordinary skill that
modification, extensions and changes to the disclosed exemplary
implementations may be made without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention. In short, the present invention is not
limited to the particular forms disclosed herein.
[0027] Certain exemplary embodiments relate to an application for
an electronic device (e.g., a smart phone, tablet, or other device)
that helps address the show-rooming dilemma for brick-and-mortar
stores, where consumers exploit their store and/or staff to acquire
merchandise familiarity, only to then buy products on-line from
competing ecommerce sites. Certain exemplary embodiments attempt to
accomplish this by encourage customers who are browsing
(show-rooming) in a store to actually buy from that store or the
very same retailer's ecommerce site.
[0028] In certain exemplary embodiments, a participating
brick-and-mortar store is provided with an opportunity to intervene
in a substantially real-time manner to offer an instant price
adjustment of its own, e.g., to either match or beat a competitor's
price/offering, and potentially before the consumer is directed to
a multitude of ecommerce competing retailers (or traditional
competing retailer websites). This may be accomplished by having an
application running on a mobile device in a retail location
initiate a search of other sellers' prices, determine whether it is
possible for the retail location itself to offer a discount on the
product and, if so, then offering a customized discount immediately
to the mobile device user via the mobile device. Optional analysis
may be performed, e.g., on ongoing bases, to determine the
"optimal" discount that both reduces the retailer's erosion of
revenue/profit and yet still results in the show-rooming customer
buying the products.
[0029] Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a
schematic view of a system for managing show-rooming according to
certain exemplary embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, a user operating
a mobile device 100 (e.g., a mobile phone, tablet, PDA, computer,
or other electronic device) is in a retail location, perhaps
browsing in-store products 102a-102n that are on display for
possible spontaneous purpose, with the specific intent of
show-rooming, etc. The mobile device 100 includes processing
resources such as, for example, at least one processor 104 and a
memory 106. The processing resources may control an operating
system, e.g., to provide output to the display 108 (which may be a
LCD, OLED, or other suitable display device type, integral with or
otherwise connected to the mobile device 100). A non-transitory
computer readable storage medium (e.g., a disk drive device, solid
state device, flash memory, and/or the like) also may be provided
to the mobile device 100, e.g., for storing the operating system
and a mobile application 110. As described in greater detail below,
the mobile application 110 may be operable by the user to
"comparison shop" for products of potential interest, and to
present individualized offers, promotions, coupons, or the like to
the user, as appropriate. It will be appreciated that the mobile
application 110 of certain exemplary embodiments may be "branded"
for a particular retailer, manufacturer, product line, and/or in
some other fashion. The reader 112 of the mobile device 100 may
enable the user to obtain identifying information regarding a
product of potential interest. For instance, the reader 112 may be
a 2D, 3D, or other barcode scanner, a camera that enables barcodes
to be captured and interpreted (e.g., with the aid of the at least
one processor 104, etc.), an EPC/RFID reader, a NFC device,
etc.
[0030] For instance, in certain exemplary embodiments, the mobile
application 110 may use a network interface 114 of the mobile
device 100 to connect to a server 116, which may be located remote
from the store, via a first network 118. The first network may be,
for example, a wireless (WI-FI) network, 3G, 4G, LTE, or other
suitable network. The server 116 may include hardware components
such as, for example, at least one processor, a memory, a
non-transitory computer readable storage medium, etc. These
components may cooperate with one another to enable a price
collection module 120 to access pricing information from a
plurality of different stores 122a-122n, e.g., via a second network
124 (which may be, for example, the Internet or other suitable
network). The price collection module 120 may be responsible for
gathering pricing information for products of potential interested
to the user of the mobile device 100. Such items may include, for
example, products read, scanned, or otherwise identified using the
reader 112 of the mobile device 100, known comparable products
(e.g., name-brand products when generics are read, generics when
name-brand products are read, competitive offerings, etc.). The
price collection module 120 may operate similar to currently
available price comparison tools (such as, for example,
PriceGrabber), and may obtain pricing data from databases of the
individual stores, from a centrally maintained database, by
screen-scraping or other techniques, etc.
[0031] The pricing information database 126 may include pricing
information for products specific to the store in which the user is
located. For instance, FIG. 2 is an example pricing information
database record 200 in accordance with certain exemplary
embodiments. The pricing information database record 200 may
include, for example, a product identifier 202 (e.g., a UPC, EPC,
EAN, JAN, or other identifier), together with the price of the
product 204, and the information concerning how long that price is
good for 206 (e.g., until the end of the week, a date certain,
until it is updated manually, etc.). Optionally, margin information
208 may be stored, e.g., so that there is some indication of how
much profit can be made and, thus, how much price flexibility might
be possible in some cases. In certain circumstances, a custom offer
may be made so that the final price is below cost (e.g., it may be
a so-called "loss leader"), e.g., to help lock-out competition.
Thus, in some cases, offers may be made that are greater than the
margin.
[0032] Referring once again to FIG. 1, one or more discount rules
128 may be specified for the server 116. These discount rules may
include criteria indicating when an offer that comes close to,
meets, or beats, a competitor should be generated. These rules may
be specified on a competitor-by-competitor basis in certain
instances, e.g., such that better offers are provided as against
one or more predefined fierce competitors, such that worse offers
are provided as against one or more predefined competitors from
whom the user of the device 100 is unlike to buy (e.g., because
they are far away, known to offer poor service or charge high
shipping rates, etc.), etc. The rules also may indicate tolerances
for how much of a discount to apply, e.g., such that a predefined
discount is always offered, a better offer from a competitor is
always beaten by a predefined amount, the amount offered never
exceeds the expected profit margin (e.g., as indicated in the
pricing information database 126) or a percentage thereof, etc.
These rules also may be user specific. For example, the mobile
device user may be known (e.g., through a loyalty program and/or
other types of user registration), and/or the mobile device itself
may be recognizable. Thus, it may be desirable in certain instances
to offer subjectively or objectively qualified "good customers"
better deals (e.g., to reward them for their loyalty, etc.),
subjectively or objectively qualified "bad customers" worse deals
(e.g., because they are known to shop elsewhere, frequently return
products, etc.), to offer subjectively or objectively qualified
good customers worse deals (e.g., because they might be expected to
make the purchase at the location, regardless), to offer
subjectively or objectively qualified bad customers better deals
(e.g., to incentivize them to become better customers), to prevent
certain users from "over-using" the discount system, etc. In some
cases, the determination as to whether to offer a discount and/or
the amount of the discount (e.g., within a predetermined range) may
be random. Rules also may be tailored for products, product types,
regional differences, and/or the like.
[0033] A discount calculator 130 may receive information from the
price collection module 120, the pricing information database 126,
and/or the discount rules 128, and arrive at a particular discount
to be offered. This particular discount may be stored to the
offered discount database 132. In that regard, FIG. 3 is an example
offered discount database record 300 in accordance with certain
exemplary embodiments. As alluded to above, the record 300 may be
specific for a particular use/user/mobile device. Thus, a mobile
device or other identifier 302 may be a key field in certain
example implementations. The product identifier 304 may be stored,
along with the base price 306, the discount to be applied 308, the
applicable rules 310 that were used in formulating the particular
discount 208, and an expiration date 312 for the offer (which may
be specified as a date/time certain, as a relative matter, etc). A
link to the pricing information database 126 and/or information
gathered by the price collection module 120 also may be provided in
some cases, e.g., to help keep track of how the discount was
generated.
[0034] Returning yet again to FIG. 1, the server 116 may
communicate the offer to the mobile device 100, substantially in
real-time, back over the first network 118. With this offer, the
user may be incentivized to purchase the product of interest from
the retailer or from an online portal operated by the retailer, as
opposed to from another party. If the purchase is made using the
point-of-sale (POS) register system 134 of the retail location,
information concerning the sale may be sent to the server 116 via
the network connection 136 (which may in some instances be an
Internet, WAN, LAN, or other connection). This information may be
stored for electronic registration (ER) purposes, e.g., to help
ensure that returns/warranty requests are processed appropriately
(e.g., such that they account for the discount applied). ER systems
are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,978,774; 6,018,719;
and 6,085,172, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
[0035] The information transmitted from the POS register system 134
to the server 116 also may be used for subsequent analytical
purposes. For example, a sales database 138 may store information
concerning the original price, the discount amount, the mobile
device, etc., and/or may include links back to the pricing
information database 126, the offered discount database 132, and/or
the information gathered by the price collection module 120. This
information may be analyzed by the analytics engine 140, e.g., to
help the application, backend system supporting the application,
and/or a specific retail location determine the "sweet spot" for
converting potential show-rooming users to actual buyers, while
offering only a modest price reduction.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example process for managing
show-rooming activities, according to certain exemplary
embodiments. In step S402, an application is downloaded to a mobile
device of the user. The application may be tailored to a specific
store, chain of stores, brand, manufacturer, and/or the like. In
some cases, the user may be charged a fee for the application,
although this need not necessarily be the case in all instances.
The user can shop at locations and access the application using the
mobile device.
[0037] In step S404, a product of interest is identified to the
application. For example, a customer who is in a participating
brick-and-mortar retail store and is viewing a product (and
potentially show-rooming) may scans an item's barcode, shelf
barcode, EPC/RFID tag, NFC tag, or the like, e.g., to initiate a
price check/comparison as between the store's price and other
competing retailers. QR (Quick Response) codes, which often are
two-dimensional barcodes, also have become quite popular and can be
customized by the participating retailer or by a supplier to a
variety of information such as, for example, retailer name/ID
(e.g., Store-Mart Store #100), the SKU item number, etc. Certain
exemplary embodiments may benefit from knowing the customer's
location, that the customer is actually in a physical store, and
the specific store that the user is in, e.g., as prices sometimes
vary by store in a chain, region, etc. As indicated above, this
location information may be embedded in a QR code, and it also
could possibly be embedded in an EPC/RFID or NFC tag, etc. There
are other techniques that can be used in addition, or in the
alternative, to determine the user's location. Such techniques may
include, for example, using the device's built-in GPS features (if
any), using a wireless or cellular network to triangulate the
approximate location of the individual (and potentially
cross-referencing with a directory of known locations), etc. It
will be appreciated that the location services (e.g., GPS or other
functionality) of a smart phone or other electronic device may need
to be enabled to serve these and/or other purposes. In this regard,
the application may in some example embodiments perform a check to
determine whether such features are enabled for the device in
general and/or the application in particular, and prompt the user
to make any changes, as needed.
[0038] Competitive price information is gathered for the same
and/or similar products in step S406. PriceGrabber, PriceSpider,
etc., currently gather such information, and certain exemplary
embodiments may use the same and/or similar techniques (e.g., after
search for or otherwise locating one or more competitor websites
that sell the identical or similar item that is being viewed by the
customer in the store). That is, certain exemplary embodiments may
rely on a pre- or custom-built database that includes at least
pricing and store information, screen or other scraping techniques,
etc. Other cost-related metrics also may be gathered or known in
advance (e.g., it is generally known that most Amazon.com purchases
over $25 qualify for free standard shipping), with such metrics
possibly including, for example, shipping and handling information,
tax information, etc. Still other information may be gathered such
as, for example, number of days before delivery, available for
in-store pickup, etc. This information, and potentially the other
cost-related metrics, may be value-added offerings (e.g., for which
the mobile application user is charged a premium). In certain
exemplary embodiments, the application may be customizable to
direct customers to pre-determined competitors or via general
search rankings.
[0039] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the price differential for several
retailers for an example product. More particularly, FIG. 5 shows
that this particular Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven is available
directly from Amazon.com for $46.99+$0.00 shipping. Displayed in
the lower right are additional Amazon.com reseller partners, along
with the price and shipping charges (i.e., "Today's Concept"
$57.76+$0.00 Shipping, Goodman's $49.99+$8.95 Shipping, Ritz Camera
$52.21+$6.95 Shipping). In this particular scenario, Amazon.com's
(total) value proposition, including the price and the cost of
shipping, is $46.99. FIG. 6 shows that the very same Presto Pizzazz
Pizza is available at Target.com for $59.99+$0.00 Shipping.
Target.com's (total) value proposition thus is $59.99. FIG. 7 shows
that the same Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven also is available at
walmart.com for $49.96+$0.00 shipping. For the purpose of this
illustration, it is assumed that Wal-Mart's store price is the
same, although they could vary. Wal-Mart's (total) value
proposition therefore is $49.96, making it the second best value
proposition, next to Amazon.com's.
[0040] In step S408 (e.g., possibly after locating and determining
competitors' prices, but before the information is presented to the
customer), based on certain predetermined parameters, a "distinct
special offer" may be calculated to "meet or beat" the competitors.
This distinct special offer may be available at the retailer's
store. In other cases, the distinct special offer additionally or
alternatively could apply to on-line purchases made via a virtual
storefront for the specific retailer or the like. It is noted that
terms like "distinct special offer," "custom offer," etc., are used
herein in generally interchangeable manners.
[0041] It is noted that prior to displaying/presenting the
information/offers to the customer, it may be determined whether
the retailer's own net offer is equal or superior to the
competitors'. See the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, versus the
example shown in FIG. 7. If the retailer's own offer is higher/not
competitive (e.g., FIG. 7 versus FIG. 5), the competitors'
offerings may be matched or undercut with a custom-generated
"distinct special offer," e.g., by lowering the retailer's own
price. The net price may in certain exemplary embodiments be the
relevant figure to adjust, with the net including possible shipping
and handling fees, taxes, etc. The adjustment may be made in some
cases by applying a predetermined percentage or actual discount off
the lowest competitor's NET price, by including a free product
accessory (e.g., worth some predetermined amount of money such as,
for example, $5.00), by providing an in-store or on-line gift
certificate, etc. The distinct special offer in some cases may be
presented as a customer appreciation gesture for visiting a store,
for buying from its physical store or via its own on-line channel,
etc. It will be appreciated that the processing of competitive
pricing information may be accomplished on a computer system remote
from the device and/or on the device itself, in different exemplary
embodiments. It similarly will be appreciated that the
determination of the distinct special offer may be accomplished on
a computer system remote from the device and/or on the device
itself.
[0042] Referring once again to FIG. 4, in step S410, once the
downloaded information has been processed, the application may
display the competitors' net offers or other associated pricing
information, together with the determined "distinct special offer"
and/or total net price as noted that, by design, may be equal to or
better than the other offers. The distinct special offer may be
presented as a redeemable token that may be human and/or machine
readable. For example, to facilitate the purchase of the item
viewed in the store, and for the purpose of redemption and/or
tracking of the distinct special offer (e.g., in-store and/or
on-line), a code number or the like that represents the detail of
the distinct offer can be generated and represented electronically.
For instance, a barcode, QR code, NFC program code, and/or the like
may be generated and displayed together with explanatory text,
e.g., on the device. The barcode or QR code could be scanned at a
POS register, a human-readable number could be entered by a store
clerk or typed in by the mobile device user (e.g., in connection
with an online purchase), etc.
[0043] In some cases, the distinct special offer may be emailed,
SMS or MMS messaged, mailed, or otherwise delivered to the mobile
device user. For instance, the application may in certain exemplary
embodiments incorporate an automated feature that allows the
customer to remember/save the code number (or voucher/coupon),
e.g., by auto-texting or emailing the code number to themselves,
along with product information and the offer detail, for possible
subsequent redemption or simply for their records.
[0044] FIG. 8 is an exemplary screenshot including a distinct
special offer generated in accordance with certain exemplary
embodiments. As shown in FIG. 8, in response to the information
gathered from FIGS. 5-6, the retailer's price is reduced by $3.00
to $46.96. The show-rooming customer browsing in the store would
only be presented with this offer, and not the standard offer as
shown in FIG. 7. As can be seen from the FIG. 8 example, a code
number is generated (e.g., for in-store and/or possible subsequent
online redemption), and an expiration date could possibly be
provided. Of course, it will be appreciated that other designs for
the distinct special offers may be provided in different
implementations, and such designs may include this and/or other
different information.
[0045] It will be appreciated that the distinct special offer may
be registered with a central database that tracks the distinct
special offers and potentially stores information concerning, for
example, the user and/or device for whom the offer was generated,
the product to and/or store at which the offer applies (e.g., the
SKU number, UPC, or other unique or non-unique identifier viewed),
date/time the offer was generated, an expiration date for the
offer, whether the offer is redeemably in-store and/or online,
and/or the like. Other pertinent information (e.g., competitor
offers searched and found, the rules used in creating the discount,
etc.) also may be stored.
[0046] Additionally, for anti-fraud and/or security measures, the
code number may incorporate a check digit created using an
appropriate algorithm and/or in accordance with a known mask. See,
for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,941 and U.S. Publication No.
2011/0251911, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference. Registering the special distinct offers in a
central database may be used to reduce the likelihood of fraudulent
purchase and/or return/warranty transactions, e.g., by treating the
offers as if they were buyer reward program bonuses, gift card
purchases, and/or the like, and by implementing the techniques
disclosed in any one or more of U.S. Publication Nos. 2012/0078739
and 2012/0123845, as well as U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/522,966
filed Aug. 12, 2011. The entire contents of each of these
references is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0047] When the customer makes the purchase in step S412, at the
physical store or via an on-line order, the offer code number is
entered (e.g., scanned, read, typed in, etc.), and the original
record of the offer is retrieved. The price thus may be adjusted, a
free give-away offered, etc., in accordance with the distinct
special offer.
[0048] As shown in step S414, the system may perform certain
analysis on an ongoing basis to determine an optimal distinct
special offer value over the competitors' offers, e.g., in an
effort to increase the opportunity to convert show-rooming
customers into buying customers, while at the same time reducing
the retailer's erosion of revenue/profit. In other words, the
"distinct special offer" can be optimized (e.g., to determine the
sweet spot as indicated above) to help ensure that the discount
amount is sufficient enough to entice the customer to purchase the
item, but not so great that it risks eroding profits unnecessarily.
The starting discount amount over the competitor's lowest price can
be very minimal or very generous, because certain exemplary
embodiments include the ability to quickly determine what the
appropriate discount amount should be.
[0049] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example process for
determining the "sweet spot" in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment. The participating retailer (or the manufacturer of the
brand, if they are the participant) predetermines a starting
discount amount (e.g., a dollar amount and/or a percentage) over
the lowest competitor price in step S902. In step S904, program
logic running at a central or other location may monitor or measure
the rate of sales conversions, which can be thought of in some
cases as the number of show-rooming customers who have been issued
a "distinct special offer" versus the number who have actually
redeemed the "distinct special offer" and have made a purchase.
Regardless of the conversion rate, but especially if it is
substantially different from the expected value, an adjustment may
be made so that the discount amount is adjusted accordingly. Thus,
in step S906, the sales conversion rate is examined for possible
adjustments thereto. For instance, if the conversion rate is too
high (e.g., a greater than expected or desired number of people
take advantage of the distinct special offer), then the discount
amount will be adjusted downwardly for a predetermined amount of
time in step S908. The conversion rate results may be monitored
until a decrease in the conversion rate beyond a threshold level is
observed. The discount rate may be locked in at the amount it was
just before conversion rates dropped below the level.
[0050] On the other hand, if the conversion rate is too low (e.g.,
a lower than expected or desired number of people take advantage of
the distinct special offer, potentially indicating that
show-rooming is ongoing), the discount amount may be revised
upwardly in step S910. A maximum dollar or percentage increase may
be specified in some cases to make sure that the discount does not
grow too large, and this maximum can be predetermined as an
arbitrary amount, a percentage of actual or expected profit margin,
etc. The conversion rate results may be monitored until it once
again meets a certain threshold/expectation. The discount rate may
be locked in at the amount where the conversion rate just began to
level off or at the predetermined maximum amount (if set).
[0051] If the conversion rate stabilizes or remains constant for
some period, the "optimal conversion rate" may be maintained in
step S912. However, it also optionally be tested or verified by
making minor adjustments to the offered discount rate. Fluctuations
in conversion rates could be detected, e.g., as preferences change
over time and/or for different products. Thus, if a drop or
increase in buyer conversion is detected, adjustments can be made
to restore the amount to the previous level. The FIG. 9 example
analysis may be performed on an on-going and potentially dynamic
basis, e.g., to help facilitate a rolling conversion rate versus
discount calculation. This in turn may help to optimize sales,
maximize profit, and retain and/or attract new customers.
[0052] It is noted that the parameters used in calculating the
distinct special offer may vary by geographic areas (e.g., to take
into account the differences between relatively richer areas and
relatively poorer areas). Similarly, the parameters used in
calculating the distinct special offer may vary for different
product and/or different product types. Thus, different sweet spots
may be appropriate for different areas, products, and/or product
types. For instance, there may be more price flexibility for
certain products as compared to other products, some people might
be willing to accept a smaller discount on some products as
compared to others, etc. Accordingly, certain exemplary embodiments
may determine multiple sweet spots, e.g., for different regions,
products, product types, etc.
[0053] It will be appreciated that the initial discount amount may
be higher or lower than an expected sweet spot value. In so doing,
it is possible to either err on the consumer purchase side or the
business protection side.
[0054] Referring once again to FIG. 4, in step S416, customer
redemption practices also may be tracked and monitored such that
the correct amount is refunded or credited to the customer when a
customer returns an item, etc. Example techniques for so doing are
described in the patent documents identified above. This may help
to reduce the likelihood of "wardrobing," whereby a customer
purchases a product for a period of time with the intention of
returning it possibly shortly thereafter (e.g., after the customer
has made use of the product for a limited function or purpose),
which potentially becomes even more attractive when distinct
special offers are made available.
[0055] The FIG. 4 flowchart is an example process where a
show-rooming customer is in a brick and mortar store utilizing an
application where the retailer participates and may ultimately meet
or beat competitor offerings. However, it will be appreciated that
the techniques described herein are not so limited. For instance,
while certain techniques may be performed in connection with a
mobile device, the exemplary techniques described herein may be
performed in connection with other devices such as, for example,
computers that may be used in connection with home Internet-based
shopping and/or the like.
[0056] Certain exemplary techniques also have potential
applications for non-participating retailers. For instance, when a
customer is show-rooming in a non-participating brick-and-mortar
retailer's store and utilizes an application that incorporates some
or all of the exemplary techniques described herein, the
application may perform the above analytics but may instead direct
the customer to one or more participating retailers (e.g., one or
more brick-and-mortar stores, their online ecommerce sites, etc.),
that either has a more favorable price offering or presents a
"distinct special offer" in accordance with the exemplary
techniques described herein. It thus will be appreciated that the
custom offer need not necessarily be generated for the specific
location that the user actually is in, in all exemplary
embodiments. In addition, or in the alternative, in certain
exemplary embodiments, multiple participating retailers/offerings
and/or "distinct special offers" can be presented to the
show-rooming customer, and the user thus can choose which offer is
preferred (based on reputation, branding, convenience, etc.).
[0057] With respect to participating manufacturer(s) that cooperate
with a participating retailer, certain exemplary embodiments may
effectively provide a platform for manufacturers to compete amongst
each other, e.g., to the benefit of the consumer, by offering
instant discounts when show-rooming activities are detected on a
product that is the same and/or similar to one of their own brands.
The application can be configured to override the retailer's
special offer in certain exemplary embodiments, e.g., and
potentially present the manufacturer's offer/discount first,
benefiting the retailer, who may elect to remain brand neutral if
the retailer carries both brands.
[0058] When a customer is show-rooming and is utilizing an
application that incorporates certain of the exemplary techniques
described herein and views an item of interest (e.g., a Dell
Obsidian Black Laptop 15.6 costing $488.00), a competing brand
(e.g., a Samsung 15.6'' Laptop PC costing $499.00) may be presented
to the customer. Optionally, a customized discount (e.g., $20.00
off) may be generated and provided to the customer. The discount
may be offered in connection with the approach described in FIG. 4
and/or variants thereof. However, the manufacturer may set the
parameters of the discount rather than the retailer.
[0059] If the retailer chooses not to offer the instant discount to
the customer at the time when the Samsung 15.6'' Laptop PC is
purchased, the customer may be able to redeem the $20.00 discount
via the manufacturer (e.g., in the form of a rebate). Because of
the terms and conditions set between the retailer and the
manufacturer, the application may be configured in advance to
direct the consumer to the manufacturer for the discount redemption
for items purchased from this particular retailer. A variety of
techniques may be used to facilitate the discount redemption,
however, to help reduce the likelihood of fraudulent transactions
associated therewith.
[0060] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for enabling
manufacturers to leverage the techniques of certain exemplary
embodiments in connection with a participating retailer or the
like. In step S1002, the retailer processes the sales transactions,
following standard practices, scanning the UPC barcode (or
RFID/EPC, NFC, or other suitable identifiers). Because of the
participating retailer/manufacturer arrangements, whenever a
participating brand UPC or other identifier is scanned or read, the
POS register is programmed to prompt for a special code number that
represents the detail of the distinct offer as in step S1004.
Optionally, in step S1006, the POS register may also prompt for an
item serial number (e.g., as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.
No. 5,978,774). In step S1008, the POS system stores the
information in a central database, and makes available or transmits
the transaction information that contains the item UPC number,
optional Serial Number, (or EPC and/or the like) and offer code
number to the manufacturer. The application may prompt the customer
for certain personal information (e.g., name, address, etc.), or
this information may be provided when the application is initially
downloaded and/or installed. The personal information may be linked
to the item information and offer code, and that information may be
transmitted to the manufacturer in step S1010. The linked
information also may be stored to the central database in step
S1012. The discount may be offered by the manufacturer in step
S1014 when matching data is received (e.g., at the manufacturer's
computer location, at the central database, or other location) from
the retailer's POS register and from the application.
[0061] For non-competing participating manufacturer(s), in
cooperation with a participating retailer, certain exemplary
embodiments may enable manufacturers to offer promotional discounts
without comparing prices to similar competing brands. Redemption
may be made via the retailer as described above in connection with
FIG. 4, as described in connection with FIG. 10, and/or in some
other way.
[0062] It also will be appreciated the example techniques described
herein may be used for pure ecommerce retailers, distributers,
manufacturers, or other parties (e.g., that lack a physical sales
location).
[0063] While the invention has been described in connection with
exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementations, it is to be
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed
implementations, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *