Computerized management system for multi-chain promotions, and related audit system

• US 20050177422A1
• Filed: 12/26/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valassis In-Store Solutions, Inc. (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Original Assignee: Valassis In-Store Solutions, Inc. (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Inventors: Weisz, Robert J., Schuller, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.650
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A promotion management system identifies store-selected identifiers as necessary to implement a particular promotion across multiple store chains. An audit system compares number of promotion offers distributed to number of linking items sold.

Claims

1. A promotion management system for managing a promotion to be provided in at least one store of a first store chain and at least one store of a second store chain, where the promotion is for a promoted product and is to be implemented in the store of the first store chain and the store of the second store chain in relation with a promotion category, the system comprising:

a computerized system operable to carry out the following steps in connection with the promotion;

identify a first store selected identifier associated with a product that is sold by the store of the first store chain and that is in the promotion category; and

identify a second store selected identifier associated with a product that is sold by the store of the second store chain and that is in the promotion category;

wherein the first store selected identifier is different than the second store selected identifier.

2. The promotion management system of claim 1, wherein the computerized system is further operable to:

create a first promotion record for use in communicating the promotion to the store of the first store chain, the first promotion record including the first store selected identifier and other promotion information; and

create a second promotion record for use in communicating the promotion to the store of the second store chain, the second promotion record including the second store selected identifier and other promotion information.

3. The promotion management system of claim 2 wherein the other promotion information of the first promotion record includes information identifying the promoted product and wherein the other promotion information of the second promotion record includes information identifying the promoted product.

4. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the first store selected identifier comprises a first price lookup number used for weighing and pricing the product that is sold by the store of the first store chain and that is in the promotion category, and the second store selected identifier comprises a second price lookup number used for weighing and pricing the product that is sold by the store of the second store chain and that is in the promotion category.

5. The promotion management system of claim 4 wherein the product that is sold by the store of the first store chain and that is in the promotion category is the same as the product that is sold by the store of the second store chain and that is in the promotion category.

6. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the promotion category is a brand-specific product.

7. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the promotion category is a brand-specific product type.

8. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the promotion category is a brand-generic product.

9. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the promotion category is a brand-generic product type.

10. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the promotion category is a brand per se.

11. The promotion management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the computerized system including a communication link for receiving updated product identifier information from the first store chain and the second store chain.

12. The promotion management system of claim 1 wherein the computerized system includes a database that relates both the first store selected identifier and the second store selected identifier to the promotion category.

13. A promotion management system for managing a promotion that is to be provided in at least first and second stores of a specific store chain, where the promotion is for a promoted product and is to be implemented in the first and second stores in connection with a promotion category, the system comprising:

a computerized system operable to carry out the following steps in connection with the promotion;

identify a store selected identifier used by the first store in connection with each product that is sold in the first store and is in the promotion category; and

identify a store selected identifier used by the second store in connection with each product that is sold in the second store and is in the promotion category.

14. The promotion management system of claim 13, wherein the computerized system is further operable to:

create at least a first promotion record for use in communicating the given promotion to the first store;

create at least a second promotion record for use in communicating the given promotion to the second store.

15. The promotion management system of claim 14 where the first promotion record is part of a first file of multiple promotion records for the first store and the second promotion record is part of a second file of multiple promotion records for the second store.

16. A computerized promotion management system comprising:

a database of store product information including a plurality of store selected identifiers associated with a respective plurality of products, the database also associating a multiplicity of the products with one or more promotion categories; and

a promotion set-up unit that accesses the database to identify one or more store selected identifiers associated with one or more respective products that are within a promotion category for a particular promotion being set-up.

17. The computerized promotion management system of claim 16 wherein, after identifying the one or more store selected identifiers, the computerized system operates to store such store selected identifiers in a promotion database.

18. The computerized promotion management system of claim 16 wherein the store selected identifiers are PLU numbers.

19. A computerized promotion management system comprising:

an interface for receiving PLU number file data;

a mapping unit that examines a plurality of PLU number records in the PLU number file data and, for at least some of the PLU number records, matches the PLU number record to one ore more specified promotion categories that apply to the product associated with the PLU number record; and

a database that receives and stores mapped PLU number data.

20. The computerized promotion management system of claim 19, further comprising:

a promotion set up unit that, for a given promotion having a particular promotion category, accesses the database of mapped PLU number data and identifies one or more PLU numbers matched to the particular promotion category.

21. A computerized promotion management system for managing promotions to be provided in multiple store chains for promoted products, where each promotion is to be made in connection with a promotion category that encompasses products other than promoted products, the system comprising:

a database storing mapped PLU number data for a first store chain and mapped PLU number data for a second store chain, the mapped PLU number data for each store relates PLU numbers with one or more promotion categories; and

a promotion control unit that accesses the database to identify PLU numbers of the first store chain and PLU numbers of the second store chain that are related to a given promotion category for a particular promotion.

22. A method for promotion monitoring in connection with the distribution of a particular promotion offer for a promoted product by one or more devices in a store in connection with one or more linking products, the method involving the steps of:

tracking a number of promotion offers distributed by the one or more devices in the store;

tracking a number of linking products that pass through a point-of-sale of the store;

comparing the tracked number of promotion offers with the tracked number of linking products.

23. The method of claim 22 including the further steps of:

based upon the comparing step;

initiating an error indication if the tracked number of promotion offers is greater than the tracked number of linking products by at least a certain amount.

24. The method of claim 22 including the further step of:

generating billing data if the tracked number of promotion offers is no more than a certain amount greater than the tracked number of linking products.

25. A computerized system operating to carry out the method of claim 22.

26-38. -38. (canceled)