Merchant-affiliated direct wholesale marketing and fulfillment system

• US 20020099622A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Jay Langhammer
• Original Assignee: Michael Jay Langhammer
• Inventors: Langhammer, Michael Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A merchant-affiliated direct wholesale marketing and fulfillment system. A computer server receives information from a consumer and from this information assigns the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants. The server then provides the consumer'"'"'s remote computer with identifying information for the assigned retail merchant, to be displayed along with information regarding products for sale. Consumers may then purchase products directly from the organization operating the server, with a partial profit from the transaction delivered to the assigned retail merchant. Consumers may also purchase products at merchants'"'"' retail locations, in which case a transaction is consummated between the organization operating the server and the merchant, permitting the merchant to resell the purchased item to the consumer. The system may also be used for fulfillment by merchants.

Claims

1. A merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment system, comprising:

a computer server for connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer, the server delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale, the server receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants that are affiliated with the entity operating the server, the server providing the remote computer with identifying information for the assigned retail merchant, to be displayed by the remote computer along with information regarding products for sale.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

said server delivers to the consumer a retail merchant'"'"'s retail price for a product for retail sale, the retail price being set by the merchant and being computed by reference to a wholesale price for the product.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the server stores markup information provided by a merchant, and

after a merchant has been assigned to a consumer, the server retrieves the merchant'"'"'s markup information, and computes from it a retail price to provide to the consumer along with the identifying information for the retail merchant.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said identifying information for an assigned retail merchant comprises one or more of a name, a logo and other graphic information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said server consummates a retail transaction to purchase a product, with a consumer, in affiliation with a merchant, said server collecting payment and address information from the consumer and arranging for shipment of the purchased item to the consumer.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the retail transaction consummated by the server is between the consumer and a business entity operating the server, and does not involve the affiliated retail merchant.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said server identifies a payment amount representing a partial profit margin for a sale consummated with a consumer in affiliation with a merchant, said payment amount to be delivered to the merchant affiliated with the sale.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein pricing information for products for sale are not delivered to the remote computer or displayed to the consumer, until after the consumer has been assigned to an affiliated retail merchant.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein, after a consumer is assigned to an affiliated retail merchant, identifying information for the assigned retail merchant is supplied by the server for storage in a connected remote computer.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said server detects identifying information stored in a remote computer and upon detection of such identifying information prevents reassignment of a consumer using said remote computer to another retail merchant.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said server detects identifying information stored in a remote computer and upon detection of such identifying information prevent a consumer using said remote computer from viewing pricing of a retail merchant other than the retail merchant that was previously assigned.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said identifying information is stored temporarily by the remote computer.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said identifying information is stored permanently by the remote computer.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said server prevents a consumer from consummate a transaction to purchase a product, until after the consumer has been assigned a permanent login identification.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said server associates a permanent user login identification assigned to a consumer, with a particular retail merchant, and said server responds to a login identification provided by a consumer by delivering identifying information related to the merchant that has been associated with the login identification provided by the consumer.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said server receives a consumer zip code from a consumer, and selects a retail merchant for assignment to the consumer by locating an affiliate merchant having a nearest to a matching zip code.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said server selects a merchant for assignment to the consumer at random, from among multiple merchants having zip codes equally similar to a zip code provided by the consumer.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification of an affiliated merchant that is supplied to the remote computer, comprises a logo or other graphical information, and an identifier useable by the server for identifying the merchant.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the identification of an affiliated merchant that is supplied to the remote computer is returned to the server during interaction of the remote computer and server.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said server is responsive to information regarding orders that have been taken by a retail merchant, by fulfilling these orders by direct shipment to customers.

21. A method of merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment, comprising:

connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer,

delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale,

receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants,

providing the remote computer with identifying information for the assigned retail merchant, to be displayed by the remote computer along with information regarding products for sale.

22. A merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment system, comprising:

a computer server for connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer, the server maintaining an identification of those products that are authorized for on-line sale by each of a plurality of independent retail merchants that are affiliated with the entity operating the server, the server receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of said plurality of merchants, the server delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale, but not providing product information for products that are not authorized for sale by the merchant assigned to the consumer.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said identification of products that are authorized for on-line sale are provided by manufacturers, through an indication as to particular merchants that are permitted or not permitted to perform on-line sales of particular products.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein

said computer server stores for a plurality of products, an identification of a manufacturer and a manufacturer'"'"'s authorization level,

said server stores for a plurality of retail merchants, one or more authorization levels for each of a plurality of manufacturers, and

said server determines whether there is a match between the authorization level of a retail merchant for a particular manufacturer and the required authorization level for a particular product, before providing product information to a consumer that has been assigned to that retail merchant.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said server is responsive to information regarding orders that have been taken by a retail merchant, by fulfilling these orders by direct shipment to customers.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said server provides estimates of delivery dates for products without regard to backorders.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said server reduces the indication of available inventory for a product upon consummating a purchase of the product.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said server responds to a request from a consumer to purchase a product by checking the availability of the product before continuing to consummate the sale.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein said server also connects to a remote computer system under control of a retail merchant, said server consummating purchases of products by retail merchants.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein, upon completing an order by a merchant said server reduces the indication of available inventory for the product.

33. The system of claim 27 wherein said server is responsive to information regarding orders that have been taken by a retail merchant, by fulfilling these orders by direct shipment to customers.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said server maintains an indication of a currently available inventory of products for sale at the wholesale organization,

said consumer being prevented from receiving information regarding products that are not currently available in inventory.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said server responds to a consumer'"'"'s request to purchase a product by requesting authorization for the purchase from a retail merchant.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said server causes a product purchased by a consumer to be shipped from the wholesale organization to the retail merchant.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein a shipping cost for an item is identified to the consumer, such that the merchant may charge the consumer for shipping.

40. The system of claim 38 wherein said server causes a plurality of orders received for shipment to a particular merchant, to be shipped from the wholesale organization to the merchant in a single package.

41. The system of claim 35 wherein said server is responsive to information regarding orders that have been taken by a retail merchant, by fulfilling these orders by direct shipment to customers.

26. A method of merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment, comprising:

connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer,

maintaining an identification of those products that are authorized for on-line sale by each of a plurality of independent retail merchants,

receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of said plurality of merchants,

delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale, but not providing product information for products that are not authorized for sale by the merchant assigned to the consumer.

27. A merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment system, comprising:

a computer server for connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer, the server maintaining an identification of products potentially for sale and an indication of current available inventory of said products, the server receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants that are affiliated with the entity operating the server, the server delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale, but not providing product information for products that are not currently available in inventory.

34. A method of merchant-affiliated direct marketing and fulfillment, comprising:

connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer,

maintaining an identification of products potentially for sale and an indication of current available inventory of said products,

receiving information from the consumer and from this information assigning the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants,

delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale, but not providing product information for products that are not currently available in inventory.

35. A merchant-affiliated direct marketing system, comprising:

a computer server for connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer, the server maintaining an identification of products potentially for sale, the server connectable to a remote computer at a place of business of a retail merchant to permit a consumer to obtain information regarding products for retail sale, said server responding to a consumer'"'"'s request to purchase a product by consummating a sale transaction for the product between a wholesale organization and the retail merchant.

42. A method of merchant-affiliated direct marketing, comprising:

maintaining an identification of products potentially for sale,

connecting to a remote computer system under control of a consumer, at a place of business of a retail merchant,

permitting said consumer to obtain information regarding products for retail sale,

responding to a consumer'"'"'s request to purchase a product by consummating a sale transaction for the product between a wholesale organization and the retail merchant.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing said remote computer to said retail merchant for free or at a price that is reduced compared to retail cost to facilitate the merchant'"'"'s participation in the method.