Systems and methods for selecting a product sales channel

• US 10,152,725 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Franchising Corp., Radioshack Online IPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: General Wireless IP Holdings LLC (Retail Ecommerce Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Gao, Yuan, Long, Jr., Huey Paul, Reddy, Srikanth Keelapudi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansfield, Thomas L
• Application Number:
  US14/150,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a sales channel for a product in a brick and mortar store include displaying to customers in a brick and mortar store information on an interactive data collection system relating to a product; collecting, via the data collection system, information indicative of customer interest in the product by tracking inputs at the interactive data collection system; collecting, via an online website, information indicative of customer interest relating to the product; and based upon both the information obtained at the brick and mortar store and the information obtained by the online website, determining a sales channel from a plurality of channels to offer the product for purchase by a customer.

Claims

1. A method for determining a sales channel for a product in a brick and mortar store, the method comprising:

receiving, at data processing hardware, a selection input from a customer using an interactive data collection system display in communication with the data processing hardware, the interactive data collection system display located in a brick and mortar store;

determining, by the data processing hardware, that the selection input corresponds to a first indicia of customer interest for a product;

receiving, at the data processing hardware, online website information corresponding to online indicia of customer interest relating to the product, the online website information obtained from a customer device input via an online website offering the product;

receiving, at the data processing hardware, a wireless network connection request from a portable wireless device requesting access to a wireless network of the brick and mortar store, the portable wireless device corresponding to the customer and configured to send the wireless network connection request upon entering the brick and mortar store;

determining, by the data processing hardware, that the wireless network connection request corresponds to a second indicia of customer interest for the product;

determining, by the data processing hardware, a product profitability profile based on the first indicia, the second indicia, and the online indicia, the product profitability profile comprising a sales channel identifying where to offer the product;

determining, by the data processing hardware, whether an actual product profitability for the product satisfies a sales channel threshold for the product, the actual product profitability corresponding to revenue generated by the product, the sales channel threshold indicating an acceptable profit for the product within the sales channel and input from an administrative device associated with an entity that owns the brick and mortar store; and

when the actual product profitability satisfies the sales channel threshold, transmitting, from the data processing hardware, a profitability profile alert to the administrative device, the profitability profile alert when received by the administrative device causes the administrative device to display instructions on a display in communication with the administrative device, the display instructions indicating product management options, the product management options configured to;

adjust a price related to the product;

recommend an increase in marketing related to the product;

or

determine a new sales channel for the product, the new sales channel replacing the sales channel of the product profitability profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the data processing hardware, that the wireless network connection request corresponds to a customer profile with additional customer information, the additional customer information comprising at least one of a purchase transaction history, loyalty program information, or a wireless network connection request history.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection input at the interactive data collection system comprises at least one of a search input relating to the product or a viewing selection of the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection input corresponds to the customer accessing a stock keeping unit (SKU) of the product on the interactive data collection system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

segmenting, by the data processing hardware, each indicia of the first indicia, the second indicia, and the online indicia into a first geographic region and a second geographic region based on a location where each indicia was obtained; and

determining, by the data processing hardware for the product profitability profile, a first sales channel to offer the product in the first geographic region and a second sales channel to offer the product for purchase in the second geographic region, the first sales channel different from the second sales channel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the data processing hardware, that the actual product profitability of the second sales channel is more profitable than the first sales channel; and

offering, by the data processing hardware, the product for sale in the second sales channel and removing the product from the first sales channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sales channel of the product profitability profile is selected from a plurality of channels comprising a plurality of in-store channels and a plurality of online channels, the in-store channels corresponding to a greater degree of customer interest than the online channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of in-store channels comprises:

a first channel corresponding to high visibility areas for customers within the brick and mortar store; and

a second channel corresponding to low visibility areas for customers within the brick and mortar store.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive data collection system comprises a touch screen display disposed within the brick and mortar store accessible to customers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the data processing hardware, third party indicia indicative of customer interest relating to the product, the third party indicia corresponding to third party metrics for customer interest; and

determining, by the data processing hardware, the product profitability profile based on the first indicia, the second indicia, the online indicia, and the third party indicia.

11. A system for determining a sales channel for a product in a brick and mortar store, the system comprising:

data processing hardware; and

memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection input from a customer using an interactive data collection system display in communication with the data processing hardware, the interactive data collection system display located in a brick and mortar store;

determining that the selection input corresponds to a first indicia of customer interest for a product;

receiving online website information corresponding to online indicia of customer interest relating to the product, the online website information obtained from a customer device input via an online website offering the product;

receiving a wireless network connection request from a portable wireless device requesting access to a wireless network of the brick and mortar store, the portable wireless device corresponding to the customer and configured to send the wireless network connection request upon entering the brick and mortar store;

determining that the wireless network connection request corresponds to a second indicia of customer interest for the product;

determining a product profitability profile based on the first indicia, the second indicia, and the online indicia, the product profitability profile comprising a sales channel identifying where to offer the product;

determining whether an actual product profitability for the product satisfies a sales channel threshold for the product, the actual product profitability corresponding to revenue generated by the product, the sales channel threshold indicating an acceptable profit for the product within the sales channel and input from an administrative device associated with an entity that owns the brick and mortar store; and

when the actual product profitability satisfies the sales channel threshold, transmitting a profitability profile alert to the administrative device, the profitability profile alert when received by the administrative device causes the administrative device to display instructions on a display in communication with the administrative device, the display instructions indicating product management options, the product management options configured to;

adjust a price related to the product;

recommend an increase in marketing related to the product;

or

determine a new sales channel for the product, the new sales channel replacing the sales channel of the product profitability profile.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the wireless network connection request corresponds to a customer profile with additional customer information, the additional customer information comprising at least one of a purchase transaction history, loyalty program information, or a wireless network connection request history.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the selection input at the interactive data collection comprises at least one of a search input relating to the product or a viewing input of the product.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the selection input corresponds to the customer accessing a stock keeping unit (SKU) of the product on the interactive data collection system.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

segmenting each indicia of the first indicia, the second indicia, and the online indicia into a first geographic region and a second geographic region based on a location where each indicia was obtained; and

determining, for the product profitability profile, a first sales channel to offer the product in the first geographic region and a second sales channel to offer the product for purchase in the second geographic region, the first sales channel different from the second sales channel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the actual product profitability of the second sales channel is more profitable than the first sales channel; and

offering the product for sale in the second sales channel and removing the product from the first sales channel.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the sales channel of the product profitability profile is selected from a plurality of channels comprising a plurality of in-store channels and a plurality of online channels, the in-store channels corresponding to a greater degree of customer interest than the online channels.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of in-store channels comprises:

a first channel corresponding to high visibility areas for customers within the brick and mortar store; and

a second channel corresponding to low visibility areas for customers within the brick and mortar store.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the interactive data collection system comprises a touch screen display disposed within the brick and mortar store accessible to customers.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third party indicia of customer interest relating to the product, the third party indicia corresponding to third party metrics for customer interest; and

determining the product profitability profile based on the first indicia, the second indicia, the online indicia, and the third party indicia.