SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RETAIL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
First Claim
1. A data processing system for managing retail inventory, comprising:
- an inventory management platform, including a communication network linking a community of participating users, the inventory management platform including a server system coupled to user access devices over the communication network;
a database, the database storing market-based parameters related to pricing various types of merchandise offered for sale one or more store sites operated by at least some of the participating users; and
a pricing engine hosted by the server system, the pricing engine facilitating pricing of items of inventory based on information provided by one or more participating users.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for managing retail inventory are described, including automatically grading and pricing used or specialty goods (e.g., used clothing) based on market-based criteria. In one example, an employee at a thrift store can receive a shipment of donated used clothes. The employee can sort through each clothing item and enter information for each item, such as brand, type of item, condition, style and other desired information. Based on the information inputted by the employee, the system can accesses a database that stores information about similar items and corresponding market-based parameters, and automatically assign a price or other grading value for the clothing item currently being graded based on a predetermined pricing/grading algorithm. In this manner, a grading or price can be automatically calculated based on statistical market-based criteria. Advantageously, a relatively untrained employee need not have to speculate or guess a price for the used clothing item. Accordingly, exemplary systems can automatically price various types of merchandise based on statistical market-based criteria so that a relatively unskilled employee can sort and assign a price label for each item that more accurately reflects the true value of such an item in the market place.
19 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A data processing system for managing retail inventory, comprising:
-
an inventory management platform, including a communication network linking a community of participating users, the inventory management platform including a server system coupled to user access devices over the communication network; a database, the database storing market-based parameters related to pricing various types of merchandise offered for sale one or more store sites operated by at least some of the participating users; and a pricing engine hosted by the server system, the pricing engine facilitating pricing of items of inventory based on information provided by one or more participating users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for pricing an item of merchandise based on market-based criteria, comprising:
-
receiving and storing pricing points associated with various types of merchandise into a database; receiving input indicative of a selection of one of a plurality of pricing parameters associated with a particular item to be priced; and generating a market-based price of the particular item by associating a one of the pricing points with the selected pricing parameter. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification