U.S. patent application number 16/405635 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for integration of third party delivery service interface into online retail platform.
The applicant listed for this patent is Target Brands, Inc.. Invention is credited to ROB ANDERSON, MIKE CALVO, PETER GUIDARELLI, CHRIS JOHNSON.
Application Number | 20200160428 16/405635 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70726590 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200160428 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CALVO; MIKE ; et
al. |
May 21, 2020 |
INTEGRATION OF THIRD PARTY DELIVERY SERVICE INTERFACE INTO ONLINE
RETAIL PLATFORM
Abstract
Methods and systems for integrating same-day delivery services
with an online retailer platform are disclosed. Graphical user
interfaces are displayed on a retailer website for browsing and
selecting items for purchase. Delivery options are provided
including those for same-day delivery. A delivery service can
provide available schedule delivery timeframes to be displayed on a
GUI of the retailer website. A customer selects a delivery window
for delivery of items selected for same-day delivery. The delivery
windows are communicated through an integration API. Features
presented to the customer during a shopping experience from item
selection to checkout can be seamlessly presented to the user from
both the retailer and the delivery service. Payment can be managed
by the retailer rather than passed through the delivery
service.
Inventors: |
CALVO; MIKE; (Minneapolis,
MN) ; JOHNSON; CHRIS; (Minneapolis, MN) ;
ANDERSON; ROB; (Minneapolis, MN) ; GUIDARELLI;
PETER; (Minneapolis, MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Target Brands, Inc. |
Minneapolis |
MN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
70726590 |
Appl. No.: |
16/405635 |
Filed: |
May 7, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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62768719 |
Nov 16, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/0834 20130101;
G06Q 30/0641 20130101; G06Q 30/0639 20130101; G06Q 10/08355
20130101; G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q 30/0633 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20060101
G06Q030/06; G06Q 10/08 20060101 G06Q010/08 |
Claims
1. An ordering system of an online retailer, the system comprising:
a computing system of an online retailer platform including a
processor communicatively connected to a memory, the memory
storing: data for each of a plurality of product web pages; an
inventory data store comprising current product inventory
information of the online retailer; and instructions which, when
executed by the processor, cause the computing system to: generate
a graphical user interface of a retailer web site including
descriptions of a plurality of items offered for sale by the online
retailer, the plurality of items including at least one item
eligible for delivery by a third party same-day delivery service
provider; receive, from a customer user computing device, a
selection of at least one of the plurality of items offered for
sale, the selection comprising the at least one item that is
eligible for delivery by the third party same-day delivery service
provider; retrieve, via an API exposed by the third party same-day
delivery service provider, one or more scheduled delivery timeframe
options available for delivery of the at least one item; display,
within the graphical user interface of the retailer website, the
one or more delivery window options associated with the at least
one item and the third party same-day delivery service provider;
receive, from the user device, a selection of a delivery window
option from the one or more delivery window options; and in
response to confirming payment information, completing a
transaction at the retailer website for the at least one item and
transmitting order information to the third party same-day delivery
service provider.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein eligibility of items for delivery
by the third party same-day delivery service provider is determined
based on criteria specified by the retailer.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the criteria specified by the
retailer comprises one or more of perishable items, items available
in a retail store, and items weighing less than 50 pounds.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein eligibility of items for delivery
by the third party same-day delivery service provider is determined
based on criteria specified by the third party same-day delivery
service provider.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the criteria includes, for each
item, a maximum item weight or a maximum distance from a retail
location at which the item is stocked.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of items further
comprises at least one item that is not eligible for delivery by
the third party same-day delivery service provider and wherein the
selection of at least one of the plurality of items offered for
sale comprises at least one item that is not deliverable via the
third party same-day delivery service provider.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more delivery window
options specify a start time and an end time and are dependent on
availability of delivery users in proximity to one or more of a
retail store location and a delivery address.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the order information comprises
at least a delivery address, the selected delivery window option,
and a shopping list, the shopping list comprising the at least one
item.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the descriptions of the plurality
of items offered for sale by the online retailer comprise
information about availability of each of the plurality of items at
a given location.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the descriptions of the
plurality of items offered for sale by the online retailer comprise
information about available delivery options for each of the
plurality of items.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface of
the retailer website further comprises an online shopping cart
comprising a cart items section comprising descriptions of the at
least one item, and an order summary section showing the total cost
for the at least one item.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the descriptions indicate a
price of each item and which delivery modes are available for each
item, wherein at least one item is available for same-day delivery
and the cart items section includes a button for choosing delivery
options.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of items further
comprises at least one item that is selected for delivery by a
method other than the third party same-day delivery service
provider and wherein the selection of at least one of the plurality
of items offered for sale comprises the at least one item that is
selected for delivery by a method other than the third party
same-day delivery service provider.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one item eligible
for delivery by the third party same-day delivery service provider
is available at a first retail location and the plurality of items
offered for sale by the online retailer include at least one item
not available at the first retail location and the selection of at
least one of the plurality of items offered for sale includes that
at least one item that is not available at the first retail
location.
15. A method of presenting an integrated checkout experience on a
retailer website, the method comprising: generating a graphical
user interface for display on a computing device, the graphical
user interface comprising a cart section and an order summary
section, the cart section comprising one or more items selected for
purchase, the one or more items being grouped into at least two
categories based on method of delivery where at least one of the
methods of delivery is same-day delivery performed by a third party
delivery service provider, the order summary section comprising a
total price for the one or more items selected for purchase;
displaying one or more delivery window options for items in the
category for same-day delivery performed by a third party delivery
service provider, the window options being accessed from a third
party delivery service provider API; receiving a selection of one
of the one or more delivery window options; and completing a single
transaction for one or more items.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein alternative methods of delivery
for each item are displayed next to a description of each item, the
alternative methods of delivery being determined by the retailer
based on characteristics of the item and availability of the item
at a given location.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein options for each method of
delivery are selectable upon interaction with an element displayed
next to each item.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the options are displayed in a
window having visual elements similar to the graphical user
interface generated by the retailer website and a visual indicator
of the third party delivery service provider is included in the
window.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a
computing system, cause the computing system to: generate a
graphical user interface of a retailer web site for browsing a
plurality of items offered for sale by the online retailer, each of
the plurality of items having a description including an indication
of availability in a geographic area and an indication of delivery
methods available to deliver the items in the given geographic
area; receive, from a user computing device, a selection for
purchase of at least two of the plurality of items offered for
sale, the selection comprising at least one item that is available
for delivery by a third party same-day delivery service provider in
the given geographic area and at least one item that is available
for delivery by a delivery method other than delivery by the third
party same-day delivery service provider; generate a graphical user
interface of the retailer website for placing an order, the
graphical user interface including a visual representation of the
at least two items selected for purchase; retrieve, via an API
exposed by the third party same-day delivery service provider, one
or more available delivery time options for the at least one item
available for delivery by a third party same-day delivery service
provider; display, within the graphical user interface for placing
an order, the one or more delivery window options associated with
the at least one item and the third party same-day delivery service
provider; receive a selection of a delivery time option from the
one or more delivery time options; receive a selection of a
delivery method for delivery of the at least one item that is
available for delivery by a delivery method other than delivery by
the third party same-day delivery service provider, the delivery
method being a method that is not delivery by the third party
same-day delivery service provider; determine a delivery address
for the at least one item that is selected for delivery by the
third party same-day delivery service provider; determine a payment
method for purchase of the two or more items; display a total for
the at least two items on the graphical user interface for placing
an order; receive, from the user computing device, a confirmation
to place an order for the at least two items; transmit order
information to the third party same-day delivery service provider,
the order information including the delivery address and excluding
the payment method; receive confirmation of completed delivery from
the third party same-day delivery service provider; and complete a
single transaction using the payment method at the retailer website
for the at least two items.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
19, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to
receive, via the API exposed by the third party same-day delivery
service provider, graphical elements representative of the third
party same-day delivery service provider, and displaying the
graphical elements with the delivery window options.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
19, wherein the instructions further cause the system to: receive
input from the user computing device requesting to change the one
or more items selected for delivery by the third party same-day
delivery service provider; determine that the input is received
before a predetermined time period before the selected delivery
time; display, on a graphical user interface for changing an order,
options for changing the one or more items selected for delivery by
the third party same-day delivery service provider; and communicate
the requested change to the third party same-day delivery service
provider.
22. An online retailer computing platform comprising: a computing
system of an online retailer including a processor communicatively
connected to a memory, the memory storing: data for each of a
plurality of product web pages; an inventory data store comprising
current product inventory information of the online retailer; and
instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the
computing system to: generate a graphical user interface of a
retailer web site including descriptions of a plurality of items
offered for purchase from the online retailer, the plurality of
items including at least one item eligible for same-day delivery;
receive, from a customer user device, a selection to save at least
one of the plurality of items offered for purchase in an online
shopping cart, the selection comprising the at least one item that
is eligible for same-day delivery; display, on the graphical user
interface of the retailer website, a checkout page comprising a
summary of order information; retrieve one or more scheduled
delivery options available for same-day delivery of the at least
one item; display, within the graphical user interface of the
retailer website, the one or more scheduled delivery options
associated with the at least one item; receive, from the customer
user device, a selection of a scheduled delivery option from the
one or more scheduled delivery options; communicating at least a
portion of the order information to a delivery user computing
device; receiving confirmation from the delivery user computing
device indicating that the order including that at least one item
eligible for same-day delivery has been fulfilled; in response to
confirming payment information, completing a transaction at the
retailer website for the at least one item; and sending a
verification to the delivery user computing device, the
verification indicating that the transaction is complete.
23. The platform of claim 22, wherein the descriptions of the
plurality of items include an indication of whether the item is
available for same-day scheduled delivery.
24. The platform of claim 22, wherein the instruction further cause
the computing device to: receive, from a customer user device, a
selection to save at least one of the plurality of items offered
for purchase in an online shopping cart, the selection comprising
the at least one item that is not eligible for same-day
delivery.
25. The platform of claim 22, wherein the delivery user computing
device is configured to operate a delivery application in
communication with a third party delivery service platform.
26. The platform of claim 22, wherein the delivery user computing
device is configured to operate a delivery application in
communication with a crowd-sourced delivery service platform.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/768,719, filed on Nov. 16,
2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to methods and
systems for providing third party delivery services integrated with
a retailer website.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The rise of crowd-sourced services has brought a lot of
convenience to consumers. Various companies now provide delivery of
goods from retailers to consumers in the same day. In particular,
many companies recruit people to shop for groceries and deliver
those groceries to customers. A customer can access a smartphone
application, browse through eligible grocery items, and place an
order to have those groceries delivered within a particular time
window. The person shopping for the groceries also utilizes a
smartphone app to accept the orders, view information about the
orders, and complete the orders at a grocery store. The shoppers
typically use a payment card to check out at the grocery store. The
shopper is later reimbursed for the cost of the groceries and will
also receive a payment for completing the delivery. The customer
pays the delivery service for the groceries and the delivery fee.
The delivery service keeps some of the delivery fee to cover
operating expenses and then also pays a portion to the person who
delivers the groceries. In some cases, the customer is charged more
for the individual grocery items to offset the cost of delivery
instead.
[0004] These delivery service providers often form mutually
beneficial relationships with grocery stores. The grocery stores
provide information about their available products. The delivery
service brings more business to the grocery store by making home
delivery possible for stores that may not already provide grocery
delivery services.
[0005] In some instances, delivery services go beyond groceries.
Additionally, some grocery retailers offer products other than
groceries and perishable items. For example, some retailers offer
goods that can be sourced from local stores or distant warehouses.
The source of the item depends on the type of items. Some items are
perishable grocery items that can only be picked up in the store.
Some items are available in the store, but are not perishable so
delivery is not time sensitive. Some items are bulky or not in high
enough demand to be stocked in every store location of a chain
retailer. Therefore, there are many ways in which items can be
delivered from a retailer to a customer.
[0006] Some delivery options include simply having the customer
select and purchase items in the store, having a third party
same-day delivery service shop for items in the store and then
deliver them to the customer within a short period of time, placing
an order at a store so that employees select and bag the items and
then the customer can quickly pick up the bagged items from the
store (either in-store or drive-up service). Customers can also
place orders that will be shipped by a carrier from a store or
warehouse to the customer's address.
[0007] Generally, to place an order for same-day delivery of items
from a retail store to a customer, the customer has to place the
order directly through a third party same-day delivery service.
This has a number of disadvantages. For example, such third party
delivery services may not readily be able to deliver the entire
inventory held by a particular retailer--this may be because
certain items are bulky or not amenable to same-day shipment, or
may simply be because the particular item selection and/or
inventory at the retailer may change, and therefore the information
held by the third party delivery service may be out of date (either
in terms of items not being offered through the third party
delivery service which are available through the retailer, or based
on the item not being in stock at the moment the customer wishes to
order). Still further, the customer may simply prefer to place the
order directly through the retailer (e.g., based on brand or store
loyalty). Additionally, the customer might be purchasing other
items from the retailer and wishes to only have to check out online
once for all of the items that will be delivered in different ways.
The customer might also wish to limit the parties with which the
customer shares his or her payment information. The customer might
also want to ensure that discounts from the retailer are being
applied to his or her order.
[0008] For at least these reasons, it is desirable to provide a
checkout experience that allows a customer to order perishable
items for same-day delivery at the same time as items that can be
delivered to the customer by other means. This order is placed
directly with the retailer even though a third party same-day
delivery service is delivering at least some of the items, thus
limiting the need to provide payment information to just one
entity.
SUMMARY
[0009] In summary, the present disclosure relates to methods and
systems for integrating third party same-day delivery options with
an online retailer ordering system.
[0010] In one embodiment, an ordering system of an online retailer
is provided. Thee system comprises a computing system of an online
retailer platform including a processor communicatively connected
to a memory, the memory storing: data for each of a plurality of
product web pages; an inventory data store comprising current
product inventory information of the online retailer; and
instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the
computing system to: generate a graphical user interface of a
retailer website including descriptions of a plurality of items
offered for sale by the online retailer, the plurality of items
including at least one item eligible for delivery by a third party
same-day delivery service provider; receive, from a customer user
computing device, a selection of at least one of the plurality of
items offered for sale, the selection comprising the at least one
item that is eligible for delivery by the third party same-day
delivery service provider; retrieve, via an API exposed by the
third party same-day delivery service provider, one or more
scheduled delivery timeframe options available for delivery of the
at least one item; display, within the graphical user interface of
the retailer website, the one or more delivery window options
associated with the at least one item and the third party same-day
delivery service provider; receive, from the user device, a
selection of a delivery window option from the one or more delivery
window options; and in response to confirming payment information,
completing a transaction at the retailer website for the at least
one item and transmitting order information to the third party
same-day delivery service provider.
[0011] A method of presenting an integrated checkout experience on
a retailer website is provided. The method comprises: generating a
graphical user interface for display on a computing device, the
graphical user interface comprising a cart section and an order
summary section, the cart section comprising one or more items
selected for purchase, the one or more items being grouped into at
least two categories based on method of delivery where at least one
of the methods of delivery is same-day delivery performed by a
third party delivery service provider, the order summary section
comprising a total price for the one or more items selected for
purchase; displaying one or more delivery window options for items
in the category for same-day delivery performed by a third party
delivery service provider, the window options being accessed from a
third party delivery service provider API; receiving a selection of
one of the one or more delivery window options; and completing a
single transaction for one or more items.
[0012] In another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable
storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which,
when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to
perform a method of presenting a online retailer checkout interface
The method comprises: generating a graphical user interface of a
retailer web site for browsing a plurality of items offered for
sale by the online retailer, each of the plurality of items having
a description including an indication of availability in a
geographic area and an indication of delivery methods available to
deliver the items in the given geographic area; receiving, from a
user computing device, a selection for purchase of at least two of
the plurality of items offered for sale, the selection comprising
at least one item that is available for delivery by a third party
same-day delivery service provider in the given geographic area and
at least one item that is available for delivery by a delivery
method other than delivery by the third party same-day delivery
service provider; generating a graphical user interface of the
retailer website for placing an order, the graphical user interface
including a visual representation of the at least two items
selected for purchase; retrieving, via an API exposed by the third
party same-day delivery service provider, one or more available
delivery time options for the at least one item available for
delivery by a third party same-day delivery service provider;
displaying, within the graphical user interface for placing an
order, the one or more delivery window options associated with the
at least one item and the third party same-day delivery service
provider; receiving a selection of a delivery time option from the
one or more delivery time options; receiving a selection of a
delivery method for delivery of the at least one item that is
available for delivery by a delivery method other than delivery by
the third party same-day delivery service provider, the delivery
method being a method that is not delivery by the third party
same-day delivery service provider; determining a delivery address
for the at least one item that is selected for delivery by the
third party same-day delivery service provider; determining a
payment method for purchase of the two or more items; displaying a
total for the at least two items on the graphical user interface
for placing an order; receiving, from the user computing device, a
confirmation to place an order for the at least two items;
transmitting order information to the third party same-day delivery
service provider, the order information including the delivery
address and excluding the payment method; receiving confirmation of
completed delivery from the third party same-day delivery service
provider; and completing a single transaction using the payment
method at the retailer website for the at least two items.
[0013] In another aspect, an online retailer computing platform is
provided. The platform comprises a computing system of an online
retailer including a processor communicatively connected to a
memory. The memory stores: data for each of a plurality of product
web pages; an inventory data store comprising current product
inventory information of the online retailer; and instructions
which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system
to: generate a graphical user interface of a retailer website
including descriptions of a plurality of items offered for purchase
from the online retailer, the plurality of items including at least
one item eligible for same-day delivery; receive, from a customer
user device, a selection to save at least one of the plurality of
items offered for purchase in an online shopping cart, the
selection comprising the at least one item that is eligible for
same-day delivery; display, on the graphical user interface of the
retailer website, a checkout page comprising a summary of order
information; retrieve one or more scheduled delivery options
available for same-day delivery of the at least one item; display,
within the graphical user interface of the retailer website, the
one or more scheduled delivery options associated with the at least
one item; receive, from the customer user device, a selection of a
scheduled delivery option from the one or more scheduled delivery
options; communicating at least a portion of the order information
to a delivery user computing device; receiving confirmation from
the delivery user computing device indicating that the order
including that at least one item eligible for same-day delivery has
been fulfilled; in response to confirming payment information,
completing a transaction at the retailer website for the at least
one item; and sending a verification to the delivery user computing
device, the verification indicating that the transaction is
complete.
[0014] A retailer integration platform of a same-day delivery
service provider is also provided. The platform comprises: a
computing system of a same-day delivery service provider including
a processor communicatively connected to a memory configured to
store instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the
computing system to: receive, from a retailer website at an
Application Programming Interface (API), an identification of an
item location of an item designated for delivery and a delivery
location of a requesting user; providing, to the retailer website
via the API, at least one delivery window option available for
delivery of the item; receiving, from the retailer website, a
confirmed request for delivery of the item; and dispatching a
delivery user to fulfill the request for delivery of the item from
the item location to the delivery location.
[0015] Another aspect provides a method of providing same-day
scheduled delivery of an order comprising at least one item. The
method comprises: receiving order information from an online
retailer platform, the order information comprising a list of
requested items, wherein the list of requested items includes at
least one item to be delivered by same-day scheduled delivery to a
delivery address; communicating one or more delivery options to the
online retailer platform through an integration API, the delivery
options including at least one scheduled delivery window; receiving
a selection of one of the scheduled delivery windows; communicating
the order information to a delivery user computing device;
receiving an indication that the delivery user has retrieved the
requested items; sending confirmation of the completed delivery to
the online retailer platform through the integration API; sending
an indication of checkout to the delivery user computing device,
the indication enabling the delivery user to leave a retail store
without providing payment for the items; and receiving payment for
completed delivery without receiving payment information from a
customer.
[0016] A system for integrating third party delivery services with
an online ordering web service of a retailer comprises: a delivery
service platform comprising a processor communicatively connected
to a memory comprising: a delivery data store; an application
programming interface; and instructions which, when executed by the
processor, cause the delivery service platform to: receive, from a
retailer website at an Application Programming Interface (API), an
identification of an item location of an item designated for
delivery and a delivery location of a requesting user; provide, to
the retailer website via the API, at least one delivery window
option available for delivery of the item; receive, from the
retailer website, a confirmed request for delivery of the item; and
dispatching a delivery user to fulfill the request for delivery of
the item from the item location to the delivery location.
[0017] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system for
integrating a third party delivery service with a retailer
website.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the system of
FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the online
ordering system of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the order
processor of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the third
party delivery service platform of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the user
accounts data store of FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 7 displays a detailed block diagram of the inventory
data store of FIG. 2.
[0025] FIG. 8 displays a schematic diagram of an example computing
device usable in the system of FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates an example method of presenting a
retailer user interface for receiving orders for delivery of items
to a customer.
[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates an example method of integrating third
party same-day delivery service options into a retailer online
ordering system.
[0028] FIG. 11 illustrates an example graphical user interface
presented on a retailer website illustrating items selectable for
same-day shipping via a third party delivery service.
[0029] FIG. 12 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 11.
[0030] FIG. 13 illustrates an example graphical user interface
showing a shopping cart including items eligible for same-day
delivery and items not eligible for same day delivery on a retailer
website.
[0031] FIG. 14 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 13, showing a further set of options selectable
by a customer in the event same day delivery is requested.
[0032] FIG. 15 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 13, showing a further set of options selectable
by a customer in the event same day delivery is requested.
[0033] FIG. 16 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 13, showing confirmation of coexisting shipments
via a same-day delivery service and a second delivery service.
[0034] FIG. 17 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 13, showing post-order interactive elements
selectable by a customer for providing post-order modification
and/or feedback.
[0035] FIG. 18 illustrates another view of the graphical user
interface of FIG. 13, showing post-order interactive elements
selectable by a customer for providing post-order feedback
regarding a delivery user.
[0036] FIG. 19 illustrates an example graphical user interface
presented on a delivery user computing device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Various embodiments will be described in detail with
reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals
represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views.
Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the
claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in
this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set
forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended
claims.
[0038] The present disclosure describes systems and methods for
integrating a third party same-day delivery service with a retailer
website. A customer selects items for purchase from a retailer
using a website displayed on a web browser or a computing
application configured to access and display information from the
website. The customer accesses the retailer's information using a
network enabled computing device such as a desktop computer, laptop
computer, tablet, or smartphone.
[0039] In example implementations, each item offered by a
particular retailer is described on the retailer website where the
description includes a price and available methods of delivery. The
methods of delivery can be determined by characteristics of the
item as well as the availability of the item in proximity to a
delivery location specified by the customer. The customer can
select two or more items for purchase in the same transaction, even
if the items are sourced from different locations or are delivered
by different methods of delivery.
[0040] The customer can view items selected for purchase in an
online shopping cart. The online shopping cart displays item
information including available delivery methods. For items that
have more than one delivery method option for the given delivery
location, the user can select a preferred delivery method. The
retailer website may select a default delivery method for each
item. Some items may be selected for delivery by a third party
same-day delivery service provider. Delivery options for third
party same-day delivery of those items are displayed within the
online shopping cart. The delivery options include at least one
delivery window, specifying a particular range of time in which
delivery to the customer address will take place. These delivery
windows are accessed from an application programming interface
(API) of a third party same-day delivery service provider. In some
instances, the third party same-day delivery service provider can
be a crowdsourced delivery service provider.
[0041] In use, a customer first accesses an online shopping portal
associated with a retailer. The online shopping portal can be
accessed via a website or via an application. The website can be
viewed on a computing device using a browser. The website can be
used to browse through items available for sale by the retailer.
The application can display the same set of items, but are accessed
through an application on a portable computing device.
[0042] The retailer website can offer a variety of items for sale.
Some items may be perishable items such as groceries. Other items
may be shelf stable items such as non-perishable groceries, home
goods, clothing etc. Depending on the nature of the items,
different means of delivering the items to a customer are
available. For example, a TV may be available for in-store pickup
or by shipping to the customer. Alternatively, a banana may be
available for in-store pickup or same day delivery. The same day
delivery can be performed by a third party same-day delivery
service. In some embodiments, the third party same-day delivery
service is performed by crowdsourced users. In some embodiments,
the same-day delivery service is not a third party, but instead is
a subsidiary of the retailer or the same entity as the retailer.
For same-day delivery performed by the same entity, the delivery
users can be employees or independent contractors.
[0043] Once the user (customer) has accessed the website or
application, the user can begin to browse items available for sale.
There are various ways that the items can be presented to the user.
In one example, the user browses by categories. Such categories may
be things like groceries, clothing, electronics, and furniture. The
user can also filter items by key words or characteristics.
Combinations of categories and characteristics can be used to
narrow down the items.
[0044] In the case of groceries, the available items could be
browsed in such a way as to mimic the process of walking through
aisle of a grocery store. For example, all of the produce may be
collected together into one category or aisle. Then all of the
items that would be found at the meat counter are grouped together.
This allows a user to more easily navigate available grocery items
as the use can think through a typical grocery shopping session as
if they were actually shopping at a physical store.
[0045] As the user is browsing, items can be selected to display
item information pages that include additional details about the
items. Such information can include availability, when the item can
be shipped or picked up, price, brand name, and the like.
[0046] The user can select items to add to a shopping cart. The
cart can be associated with a particular user account. At some
point while using the retailer website, the user could login into
an account or establish a new account. The account can include
location information and payment information for the customer user.
To determine availability of items without an account, a user could
simply enter a zip code or select a preferred store location.
[0047] Once the user selects some items, they are added to the
shopping cart. The user can make some selections to determine how
and when the items are delivered to the user. Delivery can refer to
delivery by shipping carrier, same-day delivery by a service, or a
customer picking up a prepared order at a retail store. Other
methods of delivery are possible, such as crowd-sourced delivery
performed by other customers or employees, etc.
[0048] Scheduled delivery options are presented to the customer
user on cart or checkout page of the retailer website. The delivery
options are populated from data received from a third party
same-day delivery service provider through an API. The data can be
displayed in such as way as to blend in with the visual appearance
of the cart or checkout page of the retailer. In some embodiments,
some visual elements are displayed with the delivery options, where
the visual elements are derived from the third party same-day
delivery service. Such visual elements could include a logo or name
of the third party delivery service. In some embodiments, other
visual elements associated with the third party delivery service
such as colors or patterns could be incorporated into the
cart/checkout page.
[0049] In the example implementations, the items added to a
shopping cart can be assessed by the retailer web site. If items
are included in the shopping cart which are perishable and may be
delivered by a same day delivery service, an application
programming interface (API) can be used to transmit user and item
information to the third party delivery service. Based on delivery
user availability, information may be provided to the retailer web
site regarding delivery windows and delivery preferences, which can
in turn be displayed to the customer within the user interface of
the retail web site. Concurrently, if items are included in the
shopping cart which are not perishable or are not eligible for
same-day delivery, those items may be handled separately by other
delivery means. However, the customer may execute a check out
operation on all items concurrently, and effect payment within the
website.
[0050] Continuing this example discussion, a delivery person may
visit a retail location to select and pick up items that are
designated four same-day delivery. In some instances, because
payment for the selected items was previously made by the customer,
the delivery person can, advantageously, simply select the relevant
items and leave the retail location without having to wait in a
checkout line or otherwise execute a second payment process for
those items. In such instances, the delivery person may only be
required to consult with a store employee to validate the items
selected by the delivery person against a manifest shared by the
retailer and the third party delivery service.
[0051] In accordance with the following disclosure, the systems and
methods provided herein have a number of advantages. For example,
the customer will have a typical online shopping experience at the
retail web site of his or her choosing, while the third party
delivery service can receive only the items selected for same-day
delivery from among the overall selection of items made by the
customer. In other words, the third party delivery service may not
need to be capable of delivering all of the items offered online by
the retailer. The customer may be displayed information or options
required by the third party delivery service such as delivery
windows or delivery options, but the customer experience will be as
if the customer is interacting only with the retail web site. This
ensures that the customer will be presented with an updated list of
items available from the retailer, as well as updated inventory
information about those items, which would otherwise not likely be
available if the customer were required to select items at a third
party delivery service's website for pickup at the retailer. Still
further, the customer only is required to execute a single check
out operation, rather than separate check out operations for both
same-day delivery and items that are shipped using other carrier
options.
[0052] Still further, the third party delivery service may expose
an API accessible to the retail website. This has the advantage
allowing the third party delivery service to seamlessly integrate
with any of a number of different retail web sites, and allowing
those retail web sites to pass through and display information from
the third party delivery service to customers of that retailer.
This increases the overall frequency of use of the third party
delivery service, as well as both simplicity of use to the
customer, and simplicity of use to the delivery the user, who does
not have to perform a secondary check out operation when fulfilling
the customer's order.
[0053] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system 100 for
integrating a third party delivery service with a retailer website.
The system 100 operates to provide items for sale and delivery to
customer users C, where delivery can be performed by delivery users
D associated with a third party same-day delivery service provider.
The system 100 includes at least one customer user computing device
102 operable to access one or more online retailer platforms 104.
The one or more online retailer platforms 104 operate to provide
web based portals accessible by the customer user computing device
102 to browse available items for purchase. The online retailer
platforms 104 communicate with at least one delivery service
platform 106 through a network 108 and an integration API 110.
[0054] Items are selected for delivery by one or more delivery
modes including same-day delivery performed by a third party
service provider. Order information regarding items eligible and
selected for third party same-day delivery is communicated to the
third party delivery service via the integration API 110 which
processes the information for receipt by the delivery service
platform 106.
[0055] The delivery service platform 106 is operated by a third
party same-day delivery service provider. In some embodiments, the
third party is associated with, owned by, or owns one or more of
the online retailer platforms 104. Such service provider can employ
contract delivery users D to perform deliveries. In some instances,
the service provider utilizes crowd-sourced delivery users D to
complete deliveries based on communications with a smartphone
application that are sent through a network 108. The delivery
service platform 106 operates in conjunction with an integration
API 110 which moderates sending and receiving of data with online
retailer platforms 102.
[0056] The network 108 allows for communication between one or more
computing devices in the system 100. The network 108 can be a wired
network or a wireless network such as the Internet.
[0057] After receiving order information via delivery user
computing device 112, delivery users D perform deliveries of items
from a physical retail location to a customer delivery address
associated with a customer user C. The delivery user computing
device 112 can be utilized to access order information, provide
confirmations, communicate with customer users C, and receive
confirmations and payments. The system 100 of FIG. 1 is described
in further detail with respect to FIGS. 2-8.
[0058] FIG. 2 illustrates a more detailed schematic diagram of the
system 100 of FIG. 1. This schematic is simplified to illustrate
functionality of a single customer user C operating a customer user
computing device 102 to access a retailer user interface 124 to
place an order including items to be delivered by a single delivery
user D associated with a third party same-day delivery service
provider.
[0059] The online retailer platform 104 includes an online ordering
system 120. The online ordering system 120 includes an online order
handling system 122, a retailer user interface 124, and a third
party delivery service integrator 126.
[0060] The online ordering handling system 122 operates to receive
orders placed through the retailer user interface 124 from a
customer user computing device 102. The online ordering system 122
accesses information from the user accounts data store 130 and
inventory data store 132 that is needed to complete an order. The
information gathered by the online order handling system 122 is
processed and delivered to the order processor 136 and third party
delivery service integrator 126. Such information can include
delivery addresses, payment information, and item availability.
[0061] In some embodiments, customer payment information is not
provided to the third party delivery service integrator 126, and
therefore not provided to the third party at all. Rather, the third
party delivery service can be separately paid for the delivery of
items to the customer, but may not be exposed to payment details
for at least a portion of the items selected by that customer of
the retailer. In such an arrangement, the delivery user may only be
presented with a list of items requested by the customer for
fulfillment, rather than pricing information.
[0062] The retailer user interface 124 operates to present a
graphical user interface on a website or application hosted by the
retailer. The GUI can be shown in different views or pages having
different functions. For example, the GUI can present one page for
browsing items, individual pages for each item, a page for an
online shopping cart, and a one or more pages for the checkout
process. The retailer user interface 124 is further described with
respect to FIG. 3.
[0063] The third party delivery service integrator 126 operates to
mediate communication and transfer of data between the online
retailer platform 104 and the third party delivery service platform
106. The third party delivery service integrator 126 determines
which information from the retailer needs to be communicated to the
third party delivery service platform 106. The third party delivery
service integrator 126 draws information from the retailer user
interface 124 and online ordering system 122. The information is
then communicated through the integration API 110 to the third
party delivery processor 126. This information is utilized by the
third party delivery service to complete same-day, scheduled
delivery of orders. In some embodiments, the delivery is not
same-day because the customer schedules delivery for one or more
days after placing the order. Same-day delivery refers to orders
that are packed and delivered in the same day.
[0064] The online retailer platform 104 further includes a user
accounts data store 130, an inventory data store 132, and an order
processor 136.
[0065] The user accounts data store 130 operates to store user
account information for customers of the retailer. Generally, a
user may be required to set up an account in order for information
to be stored about a particular user. The user can then login to
the user account to access saved information relevant to use of the
retailer website. The user accounts data store 130 is described in
greater detail with respect to FIG. 6.
[0066] The inventory data store 132 operates to store information
about available inventory offered for sale by the retailer. The
inventory data store 132 tracks the current available inventory at
a number of retailer locations including warehouses and store. The
inventory data store 132 is described in greater detail with
respect to FIG. 7.
[0067] The order processor 136 operates to process orders or
portions of orders for items that are to be delivered by methods
other than third party same-day delivery. In the example of FIG. 2,
these other delivery methods are shipments 138 and user pickup 140.
The order processor 136 determines which items are to be fulfilled
by shipments 138 and those items are processed for fulfillment at
one or more retail locations such as warehouses. The order
processor 136 also determines which items are to be fulfilled by
user pickup 140 at a store and those items are packaged for pickup
at a particular retail store. The order processor 136 is described
in further detail with respect to FIG. 4.
[0068] The third party delivery service platform 106 includes the
integration API 110 as well as a third party user and item manager
144, a third party delivery processor 146, and a same-day delivery
manager 148. The third party delivery processor 146 receives order
information from the third party delivery service integrator 126.
Some of this information is forwarded to the same-day delivery
manager 148 which operates to communicate necessary order
information to delivery user computing devices 112. The third party
user and item manager 144 communicates via the integration API 110
with the inventory data store 132 and user accounts data store 130
of the online retailer platform 102. The third party delivery
service platform 106 is described in further detail with respect to
FIG. 5.
[0069] In use, after a delivery user D receives the necessary order
information on the delivery user computing device 112, the delivery
user travels to a retail location, retrieves the requested items,
and delivers those items to the customer user C. Various
confirmations can be sent and received at the delivery user
computing device 112 and customer user computing device 102.
[0070] In some embodiments, the delivery user D will select the
requested items from shelves at a retail location. This may be
particularly the case where the delivery user D is dispatched via a
crowdsourced delivery service. In such embodiments, the delivery
user D may not be presented with pricing information for the items
retrieved from the retail location, but may instead scan those
items at the retail location to confirm receipt. In some
embodiments, the delivery user D may not need to be processed at a
point of sale at the retail location. In other embodiments, the
delivery user D may simply need to be validated by a retail
employee anywhere within the store, to indicate that the delivery
user D has only selected the correct items requested by the
customer (e.g., by visual inspection of items selected by the
delivery user D or comparison of scanned items to a manifest held
by the store and issued by the order processor 136). In such
instances, the process experienced by delivery user D is
simplified, since he/she does not also need to handle payment for
items, since payment information is not provided to the third party
delivery service. Rather, settlement funds and tips are managed by
the retailer and passed back through to the third party delivery
service. This has the further advantage of simplifying the data
that needs to be tracked by the third party delivery service, e.g.,
by limiting the payment details and secure customer information
that are stored.
[0071] FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed schematic diagram of the
online ordering system 120. The online ordering system 120 operates
to present different views or pages of a graphical user interface
(GUI) to a customer via a customer user computing device. The GUI
provides various functionalities and options for user interaction
to place orders for purchase and delivery of items provided for
sale by a retailer.
[0072] The online ordering system 120, as noted above includes a
retailer user interface 124 (as seen in FIG. 2), which is presented
to a user via an item browsing interface 160, online shopping cart
164, and unified checkout interface 176, details of which are
described further below. The retailer user interface 124 can be
presented on a display of a customer user computing device 102. The
retailer user interface 124 may have a different appearance
depending on the size of the display of the customer user computing
device 102. For example, the retailer user interface 124 might have
a more detailed appearance when displayed on a desktop or laptop
computer. The retailer user interface 124 might have a more
simplified appearance when displayed on a mobile device or tablet
so that a user can more easily navigate the options displayed. The
retailer user interface 124 provides graphical and textual display
elements that a user can interact with to navigate through a
retailer website. The user can obtain information about items
provided for sale by the retailer, access a user account, check
order statuses, and purchase items from the retailer. A method of
receiving selections of items from a customer through the retailer
user interface 124 is described in more detail with respect to FIG.
9.
[0073] The online ordering system 120 in the example of FIG. 3
includes an item browsing interface 160 configured to display
images and text descriptions of items available for sale through
the retailer website. Information presented by the item browsing
interface 160 includes availability of items and available delivery
methods by which a customer could receive items purchased from the
retailer. The item browsing interface 160 accesses such information
from the inventory data store 132 (FIG. 2).
[0074] In some embodiments, the item browsing interface 160
operates to present available items for sale from the retailer in a
graphical display that organizes the items in a manner similar to
the way in which the items might be displayed in a physical retail
store. In one example, the items may be organized such that one
"aisle" of items is displayed as a horizontal arrangement of items
that can be scrolled through left or right. Then the next aisle is
located above or below the first aisle. The aisles can be arranged
in a similar relation to each other as they would be in a physical
store. For example, the fruit aisle might be next to the vegetable
aisle, similar to the way the produce section of a grocery store
would be arranged.
[0075] The item browsing interface 160 receives selections of items
by any user, and passes user, item inventory, and available
shipping method information to a data store, which can also be
passed to a third party delivery service (e.g., via an API of that
third party delivery service).
[0076] A third party delivery service integrator 162 displays
delivery options that are specific to a particular third party
delivery service, e.g., for items that can be delivered using the
particular shipping method for which that delivery service is
applicable. For example, different delivery services might provide
different lengths of delivery timeframe windows, offer delivery at
different dates and times of day, and charge different delivery
fees. In the example shown, where an item may be associated with a
same-day third party delivery service (e.g., a crowdsourced
delivery service), the third party delivery service integrator 162
can pass order and seller information to the third party delivery
service, so that delivery service can return (e.g., to a third
party shopper tenant 174, described below) relevant information to
delivery of those items. Additionally, graphical displays specific
to a third party delivery service can be displayed on the website.
The third party delivery service integrator 162 can access data
provided by a third party delivery service to customize a delivery
options display to the particular third party delivery service by
using the third party delivery service's logo, colors, and
fonts.
[0077] Accordingly, because the item browsing interface 160 and the
third party delivery service integrator 162 gather user, item
inventory, shipping method, and both order and seller information,
that collection of information can be used by a third party
delivery service to determine (1) the retailer at which to acquire
items for delivery, (2) the items for delivery, and (3) the user to
whom delivery is requested (including a default address for
delivery).
[0078] In the embodiment shown, the online shopping cart 164
presents information about items selected by a customer, and
shipping options for a customer order. The items selected for
purchase are organized into an online shopping cart which tracks
which items, options, and quantity that a user has selected for
purchase. The available options for delivery of the items to the
customer are displayed. In some embodiments, the items are
organized visually based on the selected delivery mode. The prices
of the items and the total for the order can be displayed. The
online shopping cart engine 164 accesses information about the
items from the inventory data store 132. Information about
available shipping options is accessed by the online ordering
system 122 from various databases (not shown). In some embodiments,
the online shopping cart engine 164 accesses address and payment
information for a customer user from the customer user's account,
which can be stored in the user accounts data store 130.
[0079] In the embodiment shown, the online shopping cart 164 is
integrated with a fraud assessor 170 and a payment authorizer 172.
The fraud assessor 170 operates to analyze information received at
the online shopping cart 164. This analysis flags users and
transactions that are deemed high risk for fraudulent activity. The
payment authorizer 172 operates to check payment information and
determine that payments can be made. Payments can be authorized for
items ordered as well as tips paid to delivery users. In example
embodiments, the payment authorizer 172 pre authorizes payment in
excess of the total cost of the items (e.g., 125% of total cost) in
the online shopping cart 164 to account for possible variance when
the third party delivery service obtains the selected items from
the retailer. Accordingly, based on selection of same-day delivery
items, a pre-authorization process may occur in which payment is
authorized prior to it being fully processed (e.g., by order
processor 136, below).
[0080] The tips 166 function operates to receive input from
customer users at the item browsing interface 160 indicating that
an additional tip should be paid to a delivery user. This is
communicated to the online shopping cart 164 where the payment is
processed by the payment authorizer 172.
[0081] The online shopping cart 164 also communicates with a third
party shopper tenant 174 and a unified checkout 176. The third
party shopper tenant 174 receives communications from a third party
same-day delivery service, which can include, for example,
information about possible order times or other options. For
example, based on the items presented in the online shopping cart
164, the third party delivery service may provide to the retailer
user interface 124 one or more time windows for delivery of the
selected items as well as one or more options for selection of
items (e.g., how to handle substitutions of items where certain
items may not be available).
[0082] In some embodiments, in coordination with the third party
shopper tenant 174, a graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed
within a shopping cart or checkout page of a retailer website. Data
is received from a third party delivery service provider to
customize the GUI. The GUI can be customized to include logos,
colors, and other visual themes associated with a third party
delivery service. The GUI displays options for delivery that are
specific to the third party delivery service. For example, the
retailer user interface 124 accesses information from the third
party service provider about available delivery windows and
presents a visual representation of those available delivery
windows on the retailer website.
[0083] The unified checkout 176 operates to enable a single
checkout process for multiple items even when the items are being
delivered by different methods. For example, a single order could
include items for third party same-day delivery as well as items
that will shipped by a parcel carrier for delivery two days later.
The single order could also include items that the customer will
pick up at a retail store. The order is paid for with a single
charge to a single payment method.
[0084] The unified checkout 176 accesses information from user
accounts, item inventory, etc., to determine whether to apply
discounts to an order. For example, a discount provided by the
retailer to employees could be applied to all items in an order,
even if the items are being delivered by a third party delivery
service. In another example, a discount provided to customers that
use a credit card associated with the retailer could be applied to
an order that is paid for with that credit card, even if a third
party service provider is actually completing delivery. The unified
checkout 176 sends order information to the order processor 136
once checkout is complete.
[0085] FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the order
processor 136. In the embodiment shown, the order processor 136
includes an order manager 200, a payment processor 202, and a
reporter 204.
[0086] The order manager 200 receives data from the unified
checkout 176 and item browsing interface 160. The unified checkout
176 sends information to the order manager 200. The order manager
200 then processes the order information to communicate
instructions to other systems to prepare and/or ship items in the
order. The order manager 200 also communicates payment information
associated with the order to the payment processor 202. The payment
processor 202 processes payment using the payment information for
an amount provided in a total price for the order, which is
received from the unified checkout 176. Finally, the reporter 204
operates to produce reports that can be consumed by systems and
users within a retail supply chain. The reports can be used to
analyze sales made through a retailer's website.
[0087] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the third
party delivery service platform 106 of FIG. 1. The third party
delivery service platform 106 operates to coordinate the offerings
of a third party delivery service with a retailer website. This is
accomplished in part with the aid of the API 110 which mediates
communications between the third party delivery service platform
106 and the online retailer platform 104.
[0088] The third party user and item manager 136 operates to manage
data received from a retailer, such as one managing online retailer
platform 104. Different types of data are processed including
member data 220, capacity data 222, and item eligibility data 224.
Member data 220 generally corresponds to data associated with users
who are either (1) already known to the third party delivery
service or (2) new users who have selected to receive a delivery to
be made by the third party delivery service (e.g., those users who
may become new users). Capacity data 222 relates to the capacity of
the third party same-day delivery service to complete deliveries of
orders in a given time and place. Item eligibility data 224
indicates criteria for items to be delivered by the third party
same-day delivery service provider. Such criteria may be based on,
for example, the items elected to be made available for delivery by
the third party delivery service (e.g., items eligible for same-day
delivery).
[0089] In some instances, because order information is initially
received at the online retailer platform 104, the online retailer
can determine which items (i.e., all items, or fewer than all
items). As such, only item information for those items which may be
eligible for shipment via the third party delivery service will be
passed to the third party delivery service. However, in some
instances, eligibility may be defined by a determination performed
at the online retailer platform 104 or based on item eligibility
data at the third party delivery service platform 106.
[0090] In the example embodiment shown, the third party delivery
processor 138 communicates order data 234 and seller data 236 to
the delivery data store 230. This data is utilized to complete
order information. The data is communicated to delivery users D via
a delivery user application 238.
[0091] The order data 234 can include as little as a list of items
to be acquired and shipped to the user. For example, the order data
234 can include item identifier data, arranged in the form of a
digital receipt. In example embodiments, the list of items may
include item descriptions, quantities, and characteristics of items
(such as size, brand, etc.). The pertinent information can also
include a delivery address, and the requested delivery timeframe,
and a retail store address. In some embodiments, the third party
delivery service is also provided with substitution instructions
and other delivery instructions provided by a customer in their
same-day delivery order. In some embodiments, the pertinent
information further includes a cell phone number so that the
shopper can contact the customer to ask about substitutions or
provide updates on the order progress. In example implementations,
some or all of this information may be provided to a delivery user
D for interaction with a customer user (e.g., in the event of
variances that are required due to items being out of stock, or
other preference information that may need to be communicated
between the customer user and delivery user.
[0092] The seller data 236 includes information about the retailer
and location where the items are to be picked up. This can include,
for example, an identification of a retail location selected by the
user (e.g., a store from which a shipment will originate) as well
as an address of the retail location.
[0093] The delivery manager 228 operates to receive data about
incoming orders and arrange for deliveries to be completed by
delivery users D. The incoming order data is drawn from the
delivery data store 230. The delivery manager 228 coordinates
delivery via the delivery user app 238, which is installable on any
of a number of user devices of delivery users D. In use, the
delivery manager 228 will, in response to receipt of order data
234, identify one or more delivery users D who are available to
respond to the delivery. Delivery users available for responding to
a delivery may be determined based on delivery users within a
predetermined area who have responded as available to handle
deliveries. Additionally, delivery users may be filtered or
selected by using a predetermined proximity to the retail location
and/or delivery address of the customer user. The delivery manager
228 can then determine, for example which one of the delivery users
should be assigned to the order based on, for example, ratings of
the delivery user, complexity of the order, or other rating or
prioritization systems.
[0094] The delivery data store 230 stores all data managed by the
third party delivery service platform. For example, the delivery
data store pertaining to incoming orders as well as information
relating to users and items. Some data in the delivery data store
230 is gathered from incoming orders. Other data is created by the
third party same-day delivery service, e.g., for managing delivery
services by crowdsourced delivery users.
[0095] In some embodiments, the delivery data store 230 includes
static inventories from retailers that a given third party delivery
service offers deliveries from. The database is populated with
available items that are offered for delivery from one or more
retailers. The inventories can be specific to a particular store
location or to a particular retail chain. The retailer inventories
can be updated on a regular basis or whenever the retailer provides
an update. In some instances, the inventory of available items for
a retailer might include fewer items than are actually available
for sale at a particular retail store due to other restrictions
that prevent the third party delivery service from offering
delivery of those items.
[0096] In some embodiments, the delivery data store 230 includes
information for delivery users or shoppers that work for a third
party delivery service. The third party delivery service could
operate using contract workers in a model that might be described
as "crowd-sourcing." The delivery users may go through a vetting
and enrollment process to join the delivery network. The third
party delivery service provider then operates to coordinate
deliveries with available delivery users based on their proximity
to retail stores and customers. The delivery data store 230
includes information for each delivery user such as location,
contact information, availability, etc. In some instances, the
information could include proof of driver's license, proof of
insurance, tax forms, etc.
[0097] The delivery user application 238 generates a graphical user
interface for display on delivery user computing devices 112. In
particular, the GUI generated for delivery users could be designed
to be displayed on a mobile computing device for use with a
computing application. The GUI for delivery users displays such
information as the list of requested items for an order, a delivery
time window, the address of a retail location where the items are
be picked up, and a delivery address. In some embodiments, the
delivery user application 238 also provides for messaging functions
to communicate with customers regarding updates for same-day
delivery orders. For example, the delivery user D could communicate
with the customer user C regarding an unavailable item and how to
go about substituting the items.
[0098] The delivery user application 238 operates to present a
graphical user interface on a delivery user computing device 112.
The graphical user interface includes features to aid a delivery
user D in selecting items at a retail store to fulfill an online
order of a customer C placed through the retailer website. The GUI
can also operate to allow a delivery user D to check out using the
delivery user computing device 112 and skip checking out at the
retail store.
[0099] In some examples, the delivery user application 238 also
operates to mediate communications between a delivery person and a
customer. Such communications could be made through a computing
application that includes a messaging features. The messaging can
be associated with, for example, modifications that may be made to
the order based on a change in inventory at the location where
items are picked up from a retailer for delivery.
[0100] Various graphical user interfaces (GUIs) can be generated by
the delivery user application 238.
[0101] A shopping list viewer operates to display a list of items
for each order. The list of items includes descriptions of the
requested items including quantity and other characteristics such
as size and color. In some instances the list can include
particular brand names for the items. The list might also include
visual representations of each item.
[0102] A summary checkout screen can be displayed on the delivery
user computing device 112 after a delivery user has collected all
of the requested items for a given order. The delivery user can
checkout by confirming that all items are collected and then the
items will be paid for by the customer. The GUI then displays a
confirmation of checkout on the delivery user's mobile computing
device.
[0103] In some embodiments, a barcode is generated that can be
scanned by an employee of the retail store to confirm that the
items have been paid for. In some instances the employee can be
presented with a short list of representative items from the order
to do a visual inspection of the contents to ensure that the items
that the delivery user is leaving with match up with what was paid
for.
[0104] In some embodiments, a GUI is displayed to a delivery user
for viewing available orders that are waiting to be claimed for
delivery. In some embodiments, the GUI automatically narrows down
the available orders to those within a given geographic area of the
delivery user. In other embodiments the user can search by store
location or by a general area for deliveries. In some embodiments,
the delivery user can then select an unclaimed order to initiate
the delivery process.
[0105] FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the user
accounts data store 130 of FIG. 1. The example user accounts data
store of FIG. 6 includes shopping history data 260, payment
information 262, contact information 264, and preferences data 266.
Information in the user accounts data store 130 can be used to by
the online ordering system 122 to facilitate completing orders more
quickly.
[0106] The shopping history data 260 includes information about
previous browsing activity and orders placed by a particular user.
A user can log into a user account on a retailer website. Browsing
activity on the retailer website can be saved in association with
the user account. This browsing activity can be used to inform
recommendations and promotions that are presented to the user.
Previously placed ordered can also be saved in association with the
user account. This information can be accessed by the user later
through a user account page. The user can access precious orders to
review receipts, initiate returns, and leave feedback. Previous
order information can be used to suggest repeat orders and make it
easier for a user to browse items that the user has purchased in
the past. The shopping history data 260 can also save preferences
for retail stores that the user has shopped at or picked up order
from in the past.
[0107] The payment information 262 includes information about
methods of payment. A user can save payment information in a user
account for use in placing future orders. For example, a user could
place a first order and enter information for a credit card. That
credit card information can be saved and auto-populated during
checkout for a second order. In some instances, a payment method
can have discounts and perks associated with its use. By saving
that payment method in a user's account, the user can access those
discounts and perks whenever the user is logged into the retailer
website. The stored payment information 262 can also be used to
fund tips that are entered by a customer to be provided to a
delivery person who delivers same-day orders to the customer.
[0108] The contact information 264 includes mailing addresses,
billing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and other
contact information for a user that is stored in a user account. In
some embodiments, the mailing address or billing address is also a
delivery address for same-day delivery orders. The email address
can be used to login to the user account. The user can also receive
confirmation messages, receipts, and other account information at
the email addresses associated with the user account. The phone
numbers can be landline or cellular phone numbers at which a user
or users associated with a user account can be contacted. In some
embodiments, a cell phone number can be utilized to communicate
with a user about substitutions and other status updates for an
order. Such communications can come directly from a delivery user
that is preparing a customer's order for same-day delivery. The
phone numbers can also be used to contact a user in case of
problems with orders or delivery.
[0109] The preferences data 266 saves information about a user's
preferences while using a retailer website. Preferences can be
saved for items, brands, categories of items, store locations,
delivery modes, payment methods, and delivery addresses. Some
preferences can be set directly by a user in a preferences page.
Some preferences can be inferred from the shopping history data
260.
[0110] FIG. 7 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the inventory
data store 132 of FIG. 1. The inventory data store 132 stores
information pertaining to each item in inventory. In some
embodiments, the data is stored end tables or is otherwise
organized buy item. In the example of FIG. 7, each row of the table
represents an item and each column of the table represents
characteristics of the item pertinent to order processing and
delivery. Here each row includes an item identifier 290, a retail
store location 292, a warehouse location 294, and an indication of
whether the item is same day delivery eligible 296.
[0111] The item identifier 290 provides a means for identifying an
individual item. For example, the item identifier could be a unique
name comprising alphanumeric symbols. Alternatively, the item
identifier 290 could be a unique item number. The item identifier
290 could be linked to a barcode or other means for scanning and
identifying an item.
[0112] The retail store location 292 identify one or more locations
at which the item can currently be located. The retail store
location 292 can serve as an indicator of availability of
inventory. in instances where the item is not available at any
retail store location, this field may be blank or otherwise
indicate lack of availability.
[0113] The warehouse location 294 identifies one or more locations
the item can currently you located. However this refers to
warehouse locations rather than in store locations. Indication of
warehouse locations having an item in stock serve as an indicator
of availability. Again, in instances where the item is not
available at any warehouse location, this field may be blank or
otherwise indicate lack of availability.
[0114] The same-day delivery eligible field 296 indicates weather
item is eligible for same-day delivery. This field may be generic
to any same day delivery service or maybe specific to a particular
same-day delivery service provider. In this example, the same-day
delivery eligible field 296 only has two options: yes or no.
Criteria for determining same-day delivery eligibility can be
determined based on criteria specified by the retailer, the
delivery provider, or combination of the two. In the example of
FIG. 7, the same day delivery eligibility is determined at least in
part upon information said from the third party same-day delivery
service.
[0115] In some embodiments, the same-day delivery eligible items
156 are items that are sold in stores and also meet other criteria.
The other criteria can be a per-item weight limit such as less than
50 pounds, less than 40 pounds, less than 30 pounds, or less than
20 pounds. The other criteria might be that the items are included
in a particular category such as groceries or paper goods. Some
items might only be available for same-day delivery when ordered
online. Such items can include perishable grocery items such as
meat and produce.
[0116] The inventory data store 132 can be accessed by the online
ordering system 122 to determine which items are in stock and what
methods of delivery can be used to deliver the items.
[0117] FIG. 8 displays a schematic diagram of an example computing
device 400 usable in the system of FIG. 1. The example computing
device 400 is representative of the customer user computing device
103 and the delivery user computing device 104 of FIG. 1.
[0118] In the embodiment shown, the computing device 400 includes
at least one central processing unit ("CPU") 402, a system memory
408, and a system bus 422 that couples the system memory 408 to the
CPU 402. The system memory 408 includes a random access memory
("RAM") 410 and a read-only memory ("ROM") 412. A basic
input/output system that contains the basic routines that help to
transfer information between elements within the computing device
400, such as during startup, is stored in the ROM 412. The
computing system 400 further includes a mass storage device 414.
The mass storage device 414 is able to store software instructions
and data.
[0119] The mass storage device 414 is connected to the CPU 402
through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the
system bus 422. The mass storage device 414 and its associated
computer-readable storage media provide non-volatile,
non-transitory data storage for the computing device 400. Although
the description of computer-readable storage media contained herein
refers to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or solid state
disk, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
computer-readable data storage media can include any available
tangible, physical device or article of manufacture from which the
CPU 402 can read data and/or instructions. In certain embodiments,
the computer-readable storage media comprises entirely
non-transitory media.
[0120] Computer-readable storage media include volatile and
non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any
method or technology for storage of information such as
computer-readable software instructions, data structures, program
modules or other data. Example types of computer-readable data
storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM,
EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology,
CD-ROMs, digital versatile discs ("DVDs"), other optical storage
media, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or
other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be
used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by
the computing device 400.
[0121] According to various embodiments, the computing device 400
can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to
remote network devices through a network 421, such as a wireless
network, the Internet, or another type of network. The computing
device 400 may connect to the network 421 through a network
interface unit 404 connected to the system bus 422. It should be
appreciated that the network interface unit 404 may also be
utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computing
systems. The computing device 400 also includes an input/output
controller 406 for receiving and processing input from a number of
other devices, including a touch user interface display screen, or
another type of input device. Similarly, the input/output
controller 406 may provide output to a touch user interface display
screen or other type of output device.
[0122] As mentioned briefly above, the mass storage device 414 and
the RAM 410 of the computing device 400 can store software
instructions and data. The software instructions include an
operating system 418 suitable for controlling the operation of the
computing device 400. The mass storage device 414 and/or the RAM
410 also store software instructions, that when executed by the CPU
402, cause the computing device 400 to provide the functionality
discussed in this document. For example, the mass storage device
414 and/or the RAM 410 can store software instructions that, when
executed by the CPU 402, cause the computing system 420 to receive
and analyze carrier information to optimize delivery modes.
[0123] FIG. 9 illustrates an example method 500 of placing an order
through a retailer user interface for delivery of items to a
customer. This method 500 can be performed by the system 100
described in FIG. 1.
[0124] A retailer website is accessed by a computing device such as
the customer user computing device 102 of FIG. 1. The retailer
website is configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI)
usable to view information about items available for sale through
the retailer, access user accounts, and access order information.
In some embodiments, the retailer website can offer additional
functionality to customers.
[0125] A user login is optionally received. In some embodiments,
users can operate the website without logging in. In some
embodiments, users remain logged in even when not accessing the
website due to cookies being stored on the customer user computing
device 103. The login accesses a user's account on the website,
which can store such information as delivery addresses, preferred
store locations, and payment methods.
[0126] At operation 502, a GUI is displayed on the retail website
for browsing items. In some embodiments, filters are displayed to
narrow down items displayed based on one or more criteria. The item
information can include photographs of items, videos of items, and
text descriptions of items. The text descriptions can include
characteristics such as dimensions, color, weight, size, and brand.
The descriptions typically include a price for each item. In some
embodiments, available methods of delivery for each item along with
any additional costs for that method of delivery are displayed.
Some examples of methods of delivery include same-day scheduled
delivery provided by a third-party delivery service provider,
same-day delivery provided by the retailer, in-store pickup,
delivery to a storage locker, next-day delivery provided by a
shipping carrier, and shipping by a carrier at a time of two days
or greater from order date.
[0127] In some embodiments, the items can be browsed by category,
narrowed down using filters, or both. The filters operate to show
only items that have specified criteria. Such criteria can include
characteristics of the items such as brand, color, etc. The
criteria can also relate to availability of the item at a
particular location or availability of different methods of
delivery of the item. For example, a user could select to filter
grocery items by availability of same-day scheduled delivery. This
would narrow down the items displayed to only those available for
same-day delivery. In some instances, the items could be further
narrowed down based on availability for same-day delivery from a
specific store location. In another example, items could be
narrowed down based on availability of two-day shipping or
availability for in-store pickup at a nearby retail location.
[0128] At operation 504, item selections are received. Items
selected for purchase are stored in a digital online shopping cart.
The shopping cart tracks the items a user wishes to purchase until
the user checks out and submits payment for the items. In some
embodiments, at least one item selected for purchase by a user is
eligible for same-day delivery by a third party delivery service
provider. In some embodiments, at least one item selected for
purchase by a user is selected for delivery by a third party
delivery service provider. In some embodiments, at least two items
are selected for purchase where one item is to be delivered the
same day by a third party delivery service provider at a scheduled
time and another item is to be delivered by a delivery method other
than same day delivery.
[0129] At operation 506, availability of the item is determined
based on inventory. This determination can be based on a delivery
location. In some embodiments, a zip code is determined to
ascertain a general location for delivery or store pickup. The zip
code can be determined based on an address on file in a user
account or based on the location of the user's computing device. In
some embodiments, the location is received from user input. In some
embodiments, the location is not determined until during checkout.
In other embodiments, the location is determined immediately upon
user access of the retailer website.
[0130] At operation 508, delivery method options for each item are
displayed based on the delivery location. In some embodiments,
these delivery method options can be displayed for each item before
it is selected for purchase if the delivery location is already
determined. In some embodiments, the delivery method options are
not displayed until the item is in the online shopping cart. The
delivery method is determined based on availability of the item at
a retail store or warehouse as well as characteristics of the item
itself. Some types of items are only available for shipping by
carrier due to size and weight. Other types of items are not sold
in stores so are only available for shipping by carrier from a
warehouse. Some types of items are not conducive to lengthy
shipping times, such as perishable grocery items. Such items might
only be available for in-store pickup or same-day delivery. Some
frozen or refrigerated items might not even be eligible for
in-store pickup and can only be delivered by scheduled, same-day
delivery. Other items may have a multitude of delivery method
options. For example, a small, non-perishable item sold in stores
could be delivered by same-day scheduled delivery by a third-party,
picked up in-store, or shipped by carrier within a couple of
days.
[0131] At operation 510, a selection of a delivery method is
received. Depending on the method chosen, the user may be prompted
to input a delivery address or select a particular retail store
location. In the case of items having more than one delivery method
option, a default delivery method may be selected by the retailer
website. The default delivery method might be the least expensive
delivery method available. For such items, the user can select to
change the delivery method in operation 518. Changing the default
delivery method could incur additional charges to a user's
order.
[0132] At operation 512, items ordered for same-day delivery are
processed and order details are communicated to a third party
delivery processor. Order details include at least a delivery
address and scheduled delivery timeframe.
[0133] At operation 514, available delivery windows are received
from the third party same-day delivery service platform 106 through
the integration API 110. The available delivery windows for
scheduled same-day delivery at determined based on a location of a
retail store and a location of a delivery address.
[0134] At operation 516, same-day delivery options, including
available delivery windows, are displayed on a window integrated
with the checkout page on the GUI. In some embodiments, the
delivery options include visual elements from the third party
same-day delivery service. In some embodiments, the other delivery
options include substitution options, delivery instructions, and
the like.
[0135] At operation 518, input is received specifying a delivery
window, delivery instructions, and order modifications.
[0136] At operation 520, payment information is accessed. In some
embodiments, a customer user enters payment information at the time
of checkout. In other embodiments, the payment information becomes
available upon user login if the user has payment information saved
in the user's account.
[0137] Operation 522 portions of each order are forwarded to
individual processing centers for each type of delivery method. For
example one order could be divided into three different suborders
with one sub order including items being prepared for in-store
pickup, another sub order including items that will be delivered
the same day by a third-party delivery service, and another sub
order having items that will be shipped by a carrier within a few
days. Each processing center requires different information to
complete delivery. However all processing centers require a
selection of a delivery address or store location as well as a list
of items requested.
[0138] A receipt is sent to third-party delivery service shoppers
for all items that are ordered for same-day delivery. The
confirmation indicates that the third party same-day delivery
service shopper has retrieved all the requested items for same-day
delivery at a retail store. In some embodiments, the checkout
confirmation comes from a POS system. In other embodiments the
checkout confirmation could come from an app operating on a
delivery user computing device 112.
[0139] The shopper checks out on an application on the delivery
user computing device 112, a barcode or receipt may be sent to the
shopper's app. The barcode or receipt can be checked by an employee
of the retail store to confirm that the shopper has checked out.
Thus, a shopper can avoid having to pay for a grocery order and
simply bypass the payment step because the items are being charged
directed to the customer user by the retailer.
[0140] At operation 528, the order total is updated to reflect any
changes to the order that were made while the shopper was
retrieving items from the retail store. For example if an item was
unavailable or another item was added to an order after the
customer user initially checked out online, the total price for the
order could change. At the time that the third party checks out to
the online retailer. Then the customer user's payment method is
charged with the updated total.
[0141] At operation 530, payment is sent from the online retailer
to the third party same-day delivery service 4 completing tool and
some vitamins, the payment is mediated through the third-party
delivery service platform. In such an embodiment, payments may be
accumulated for each individual delivery user D before submitting
payments to the delivery user. In other embodiments individual
payments are forwarded to the delivery users as deliveries are
completed. Payments to the delivery users can also include tips
that are selected by customer users.
[0142] FIG. 10 illustrates an example method 550 of accessing a
user interface for completing a delivery of retail items to a
customer. This method 550 can be performed by the delivery service
platform 106.
[0143] At operation 552, the third-party delivery service platform
106 receives a new order at the third-party delivery processor 138.
The order can include information about items requested, and
delivery location. The order can also include information about the
retailer from which items are requested.
[0144] At operation 554, available delivery are users in the area
of the delivery location are accessed. This information can be
accessed from the delivery data store 230. Delivery users or
shoppers can indicate availability if I sign up for time periods at
which they can the complete deliveries. In some embodiments,
delivery users indicate availability and by logging into an
application such as the delivery user app 238.
[0145] At operation 556, available delivery windows are
communicated to the retailer interface. This communication is
mediated through the API 110. The delivery windows indicate a
schedule delivery timeframe in which the requested items can be
delivered to the delivery address.
[0146] At operation 558 full details of an order are received at
the third-party delivery processor 138 and are stored in the
delivery data store 230. Full details can include a list of items,
a retail store location, a customer identifier, and a delivery
address in addition, the full details will include a desired
delivery window. In some embodiments, the full details of the order
do not include payment information for the customer requesting
delivery. The full details are forwarded to a selected delivery
user to be displayed on a delivery user computing device 112
operating a delivery user app 238.
[0147] At operation 560, the delivery user D operates the delivery
user computing device 112 to scan barcodes of items to match with
items on a list associated with an order. Other methods of
documenting items that are retrieved by the delivery user are
possible such as checking off a list displayed on the delivery user
app 238. In some embodiments, the delivery app 238 scans barcodes
and uses those to check items off of a list for an order as well as
to add the items to a virtual shopping cart.
[0148] Operation 562, optional communications between the delivery
user D and the customer users C are made to determine how the
delivery user D should handle unavailable items. In some instances
default selection is made when the customer user places an order
for same-day delivery. A delivery user can send a message to the
customer user to confirm a substitution. In some embodiments the
deliver user can receive communications from a customer user while
the delivery user is still shopping at the store and can accept
requests from the customer user to add additional items to the
order. In some instances this communication is performed directly
between the delivery user D and the customer user C via text
messaging. in other embodiments, electronic communications are
mediated through the delivery service platform 106 and the online
retailer platform at 104.
[0149] At operation 564, checkout confirmation is communicated from
the third-party delivery service platform 106 to the online
retailer platform 104 through the integration API 110. In some
embodiments, checkout confirmation is communicated with the
delivery user app 238 when all requested items have been scammed,
substituted, or indicated that a customer would not like to
substitute and unavailable item. The confirmation is communicated
from the delivery user app 238 to the delivery manager 228 which
communicates the confirmation to the online retailer platform
through the integration API 110. In other embodiments, checkout
confirmation can be obtained directly from delivery user at the
retail store. In some embodiments, the delivery user D can checkout
at the retail store using only the delivery app, thus avoiding a
checkout line.
[0150] At operation 566, delivery confirmation is sent to the
retailer. Delivery confirmation is communicated through the
delivery user computing device 112. In other embodiments, customers
can send a confirmation message to the online retailer platform
indicating that delivery has been completed. In some embodiments,
use of GPS is used to confirm deliveries.
[0151] At operation 568, payment for completion of delivery is
processed from the online retailer platform 104. Payment
information is communicated through the integration API 110 to the
delivery manager 228. Payment is handled directly between the
retailer and the third-party delivery service. Any fees or tips
contributed by the customer user our first routed through payment
to the retailer.
[0152] At operation 570, payment is credited to the delivery user's
account, where it can be recorded and viewed on the delivery user
app 238. In some environments payments are made as the delivery
user D completes deliveries. In other embodiments, payments
accumulate in an account associated with the delivery user D and
are paid out at regular intervals.
[0153] FIG. 11 illustrates an example graphical user interface
(GUI) 700 configured to provide access to a retailer website. The
GUI 700 can be displayed on a user device such as the customer user
computing device 102 of FIG. 1. In the view shown in FIG. 13, user
input has been received at the GUI 700 to browse string lights
available to purchase from an online retailer. Item descriptions
702 are shown including graphical representations of items within
the string lights category. A series of filters 704 are shown which
can be selected to further narrow down the items that are displayed
on the GUI 700. Delivery mode filters 706 can narrow down items
based on availability of different delivery modes. In the example
of FIG. 11, the displayed items can be narrowed down based on
availability of in-store pickup at "Mpls Nicollet Mall" store
location, or delivery by 2-day shipping to zipcode 55401.
[0154] FIG. 12 illustrates another view of the GUI 700 of FIG. 13.
In this view, the list of items 702 displayed in the string lights
category has been narrowed down. User input has been received to
select filters 704 narrowing down the items displayed based on both
available delivery methods (filter 706) as well as characteristics
of the items. In the example of FIG. 12, the items displayed are
available for order pickup as the delivery method. The items
displayed also fall within the category of "LED" light bulb
type.
[0155] FIGS. 11-12 illustrate how the GUI can be utilized to filter
items available for purchase based on availability of particular
delivery methods. In this example, the availability is also
determined based on a particular retail store location. In some
embodiments, to see availability at a given location, a user must
provide some location information. This information could be
entered by the user in the form of a zip code or address. The
information can also be obtained in a more automated fashion by
receiving a login to an account including location information. In
another embodiment, the location is determined based on the current
location of the computing device used to access the retailer
website. The location can be obtained based on GPS, a wireless
network connection, or an IP address.
[0156] FIG. 13 illustrates an GUI 800 presented on a retailer
website that provides an online shopping cart view. The cart
display includes a summary of order information. The order
information includes a list of items selected for purchase 802 and
a total price 804 for all of the selected items. This total price
804 can take into account taxes, discounts, delivery fees, etc.
[0157] In the example of FIG. 13, the items in the online cart are
arranged into sections based on delivery method (806, 808). In an
initial display of the shopping cart, the delivery method for each
item could be selected by default by the system. As user inputs are
received to change the delivery method of one or more items, those
items could move around in the display. Here, there are 18 items
selected for delivery by same-day delivery (section 806). As shown,
this is the only available delivery method for these items. There
is one item selected for delivery by shipping (section 808). This
item could also be delivered by in-store pickup.
[0158] The GUI further includes a button 810 to initiate the
checkout process. This initiates the display of one or page
checkout pages that are generated based on the selected items.
[0159] FIG. 14 illustrates an example GUI 850 displaying same-day
delivery options. Such display would be presented on a user device
when items eligible and selected for same-day delivery are in an
online shopping cart. The delivery options could be presented
before initiating checkout, and the delivery request would not be
finalized until checkout is complete. In other embodiments, the
delivery options are only presented after the customer has
initiated checkout.
[0160] The delivery options are populated with data received from a
same-day delivery service. This could be a third party same-day
delivery service provider. That provider could employ people full
time or use crowd-sourced contractors. Alternatively, the same-day
delivery could be provided by the same entity as the retailer. This
entity could use employees or crowd-source as well.
[0161] In the example of FIG. 14, the GUI 850 displays options for
scheduled delivery. The scheduled delivery periods or delivery
windows 852 are shown for the current day as well as the following
day. A series of one hour delivery window times 854 are shown. The
one hour delivery windows are populated from data supplied by a
same-day delivery service. In some embodiments this data is
communicated to the system through third-party delivery service
integration API 110. In such embodiments, the delivery windows are
determined based on availability of delivery users to complete
deliveries for the third party delivery service in or around a
location associated with the order. The delivery time windows 852
can provide specified scheduled delivery time frames of various
lengths. For example the time window could the 4 hours, 3 hours, 2
hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, or 5 minutes. In
some embodiments, an exact delivery time is designated such as
12:30 p.m.
[0162] FIG. 14 further provides fields for entering delivery
instructions 854 and special requests 856. In the example of FIG.
14, entering text into these fields is optional. A customer user
may desire to provide additional instructions for providing
delivery to a delivery address such as "please ring doorbell,"
"gate code 1 2 3 4," or "please come to Back Door." Special
requests for selecting items such as "select green bananas," or "if
they don't have blueberry yogurt please substitute with
pineapple."
[0163] FIG. 15 provides another example view of the retailer GUI
900 that can be displayed in conjunction with the display of FIG.
14 or displayed after selections are made in the page of FIG. 14. A
contact information field 902 is provided in which a customer user
can enter a mobile telephone number. This number will be utilized
to communicate with a delivery user about instructions for
modifications to an order. For example, a delivery user might text
message customer user to determine how to substitute an unavailable
item. In other embodiments, the delivery user could communicate
with the customer user indirectly using an application that
communicates through the third party same-day delivery service
platform 106 and the online retailer platform 104.
[0164] The GUI 900 displayed in FIG. 15 also includes a
substitutions field 904 for making selections for substitutions.
This allows a customer user to specify how a delivering user should
modify an order if a requested item is unavailable. Here, the
prompt is "How would you like your shopper to handle out of stock
items?" The customer user can provide input to the substitution
field 904 to select one of three options. The first option requests
that the delivery user text messages the customer user to determine
a suitable substitute. The second option requests that the delivery
users substitutes the missing item with a similar item without
contacting the customer user. The third option requests that the
item be cancelled if it is not available.
[0165] FIG. 16 displays another view of a GUI 950 after an order
has been submitted for checkout. The GUI 950 displays a message
thanking the customer user for placing the order. Separate
confirmations are displayed for items that are ordered for shipping
versus same-day delivery. An order edit button is provided to allow
a user to edit the same day shipment order up until a certain
point. In this example the customer user has until 8 p.m. to add or
delete items change quantity and more. Same day delivery details
are provided including the delivery window time and delivery
address. The GUI 950 also displays a logo of the third-party
same-day delivery service provider that will be delivering the
order.
[0166] FIG. 17 displays another view of a GUI 1000 that includes
order details for items that were ordered for same-day delivery.
The order confirmation number is displayed as well as information
about when the order was placed and an indication that one item was
cancelled. In this example one item from the order was unavailable
at the retail store and a suitable substitution could not be found.
The shopper then cancelled the item from the order. A series of
buttons are displayed with the order details including a return an
item button 1002, a rate and tip your shopper button 1004, and a
give feedback button 1006.
[0167] The return an item button 1002 allows the user to indicate
an item that is defective and that the user wants to return.
Additional options for making returns will be displayed in another
view of the GUI. The GUI allows a user to view options for rating a
delivery user (shopper, 1004). In some embodiments, the customer
user can also choose to tip the shopper. The tip will be added to
the customer user's total for the purchase. The give feedback
button allows written feedback about the process.
[0168] The GUI further displays a total price 1006 for the order
along with a pull-down menu to show the cost breakdown of the
order. A button for receipts and invoices 1008 is displayed which
when selected will display detailed receipts and invoices for the
order. A cancel button is displayed that when selected will cancel
the entire order. An order summary for a first scheduled delivery
is displayed including shipping updates and a carrier tracking
number. For each item image, text description, quantity, price, and
shipping status are displayed. In addition buttons are displayed
enabling a customer user to select to "fix issue" 1010 or "reorder"
1012.
[0169] FIG. 18 displays another view of the GUI 1100. Options for
tipping and leaving feedback for a delivery user are displayed. In
this example, a summary of the order price and name of shopper are
displayed. The customer user can select a star rating for the
delivery user 1102, select a tip to pay the delivery user 1104, and
provide a text review 1106.
[0170] FIG. 19 displays a further example GUI for display on a
delivery user computing device. The GUI 1150 can be presented on a
mobile device of a delivery user, for example to facilitate
selection of items from a retailer, validation of those items, and
communication with a customer in the event such communication is
required (e.g., to modify order items or address specific delivery
questions that may arise). For example, the GUI 1150 may display a
shopping list for use by the delivery user, as well as for
validation by a retail employee to validate the delivery user's
selections. In some embodiments, the GUI 1150 may further includes
a user interface that can be presented to the delivery user for
exchanging text messages with a customer to address any
discrepancies or issues that arise during delivery. Furthermore,
the GUI 1150 may present an item list so that the delivery user may
not be required to proceed through check out at a retail location
when selecting items.
[0171] Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are
described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. The functions/acts noted
in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart.
For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed
substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed
in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts
involved.
[0172] The description and illustration of one or more embodiments
provided in this application are not intended to limit or restrict
the scope of the invention as claimed in any way. The embodiments,
examples, and details provided in this application are considered
sufficient to convey possession and enable others to make and use
the best mode of claimed invention. The claimed invention should
not be construed as being limited to any embodiment, example, or
detail provided in this application. Regardless of whether shown
and described in combination or separately, the various features
(both structural and methodological) are intended to be selectively
included or omitted to produce an embodiment with a particular set
of features. Having been provided with the description and
illustration of the present application, one skilled in the art may
envision variations, modifications, and alternate embodiments
falling within the spirit of the broader aspects of the general
inventive concept embodied in this application that do not depart
from the broader scope of the claimed invention.
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