Computer supported retail shopping systems and methods

• US 20070284440A1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Container Store Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Container Store Incorporated
• Inventors: Birmingham, Thomas, Dadgar, Cyrus
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A computer assisted shopping system includes a hand-held scanner for customer scanning of information associated with a product in a retailing facility and a networked system. The networked system stores customer delivery preference information and downloads information from the hand-held scanner, as scanned by a customer, to a register. A product order is generated at the register from the information downloaded from the scanner and the customer delivery preference information, and available delivery dates and times based on inventory availability are determined. Delivery options are provided for the customer based on the available delivery dates and times. A delivery option selection and commitment from the customer close the order.

Claims

1. A computer assisted shopping system comprising:

a hand-held scanner for customer scanning of information associated with a product in a retailing facility;

a networked system operable to;

store customer delivery preference information;

download information from the hand-held scanner scanned by a customer to a register;

generate a product order at the register from the information downloaded from the scanner and the customer delivery preference information;

determine available delivery date and time windows based on inventory availability;

provide delivery options for the customer based on available delivery date and time windows; and

accept a delivery option selection and commitment from the customer to close the order.

2. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the networked system is further operable to calculate a fulfillment strategy to meet the selected delivery option based on available inventory including local inventory at the retailing facility.

3. The shopping system of claim 2, wherein the networked system calculates a fulfillment strategy based on local inventory at the retailing facility and inventory in transit to the retailing facility.

4. The shopping system of claim 2, wherein the networked system calculates a fulfillment strategy based on available inventory at a plurality of facilities, and which maximizes remaining available inventory local to the retailing facility.

5. The shopping system of claim 2, wherein the networked system calculates a fulfillment strategy based on minimizing freight charges.

6. The shopping system of claim 2, wherein the networked system calculates a fulfillment strategy based on available inventory at a plurality of facilities and overstock of at least one of the plurality of facilities such that overstock is reduced.

7. The shopping system of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the product is affixed to the product.

8. A method of computer assisted shopping comprising:

providing a hand-held scanner to a customer for scanning information associated with a product within a retailing facility;

storing customer delivery preference information;

downloading information scanned by the customer from the hand-held scanner to the information processing system;

generating a product order from the downloaded information with the information processing system and the customer delivery preference information;

determining with the information processing system;

available delivery date and time windows based on inventory availability

providing delivery options to the customer based on available delivery date and time windows; and

accepting a delivery option selection and commitment from the customer to close to the order.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising developing an order fulfillment strategy to meet the delivery option selection comprising:

determining whether the order can be fulfilled from local inventory at the retail facility;

fulfilling the order from the local inventory when the desired product quantity is available in the local inventory;

when the desired product quantity is unavailable in local inventory, determining whether sufficient additional product is available in inventory in-transit to the retail facility; and

fulfilling the order at least in part from the inventory in-transit upon arrival at the retail facility when sufficient additional product is available in the inventory in-transit.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising developing an order fulfillment strategy to meet the delivery option selection comprising:

determining that the order can be fulfilled from a plurality of available facilities; and

fulfilling the order at least in part from a selected one of the plurality of facilities to maximize product shelve availability for another one of the plurality of facilities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a first one of the facilities comprises a retailing facility closest to a delivery address provided as a customer delivery preference and second one of the facilities comprises a distribution facility and wherein fulfilling the order comprises fulfilling the order from a shipment from the second facility to the first facility to maximize product shelf availability at the first facility.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising developing an order fulfillment strategy to meet the delivery option selection comprising:

determining that the order can be fulfilled from a plurality of available facilities; and

fulfilling the order from a selected one of the plurality of facilities to minimize freight charges.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein fulfilling the order from the selected one of the facilities comprises shipping the product from one facility to the retail facility and fulfilling the order from the retail facility.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein fulfilling the order from the selected one of the facilities comprises shipping the product to the customer directly from the selected one of the facilities.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein fulfilling the order comprises:

determining that a plurality of facilities are available to fulfill the order;

determining that a selected one of the facilities is overstocked with the product; and

fulfilling the order from the overstocked facility.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing product information on the hand-held scanner for a product having associated information scanned by the customer, the product information selected from the group consisting of:

an image of the product;

a unit price of the product; and

an amount of the product currently available at the retailing facility.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing shopping cart information on the hand-held scanner, the shopping cart information selected from the group consisting of:

a list of all products having associated information scanned by the customer; and

a running total cost for the products having associated information scanned by the customer.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising

monitoring the battery power on the hand-held scanner with the information processing system;

and

signaling the customer through the hand-held scanner to return to a central location to receive a replacement scanner.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising periodically refreshing the shopping cart information on the hand-held scanner from the information processing system as the scanner is moved through areas of the retailing facility with differing wireless network powers.

20. A computer assisted shopping system including:

a set of hand-held scanners for providing to customers for scanning information associated with merchandise available for purchase;

a networked system including at least one register and a wireless network for establishing communications between the register and the hand-held scanners, wherein the networked system is operable to;

store customer delivery preference information for a plurality of registered customers;

assign a selected scanner to a registered customer;

monitor the selected hand-held scanner as the customer shops the available merchandise;

download information from the selected hand-held scanner and associated with merchandise scanned by the customer to the register;

generate a product order at the register from the information downloaded from the scanner and the corresponding customer preference information;

determine available delivery date and time windows based on inventory availability and the customer preference information;

provide delivery options for the customer based on available delivery date and time windows and the customer delivery preference information;

accept a delivery option selection and commitment from the customer to close the order; and

calculate a fulfillment strategy to meet the selected delivery option and reserve the corresponding merchandise.