ADAPTABLE RETAIL PRICING ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE, DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED SHOPPER REWARDS

• US 20110288924A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Aamir, Mir Mohammad, Thomas, David Edward, Marian, Michelle, Minasi, Michael Robert, Quinn, Jonathan G., Pattison, Tamara Ruth
• Granted Patent: US 10,275,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

An individualized discount and reward server includes one or more linked databases to store customer data, where the customer data includes at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with the customer. The server includes a processor to allocate at least one customized offer to the retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, where the at least one customized offer includes a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a product in accordance with the customized offer. The processor redeems the customized offer upon receiving a purchase notification. The customized offer is redeemed by associating the product with the loyalty adjustment independent of the general market price point associated with the product at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

Claims

1. An individualized discount and reward server, the server comprising:

one or more linked databases to store customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, the customer data including at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with the customer;

an interface to receive customer input;

a processor configured to;

allocate at least one customized offer to the retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a product in accordance with the customized offer;

display to the customer, via the interface, a display page including the at least one customized offer and an option for selection of the at least one customized offer;

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the at least one customized offer, the retailer account associated with the customer to indicate selection of the at least one customized offer; and

redeem the customized offer upon receiving a purchase notification specifying the retailer account associated with the customer and the product, the customized offer redeemed by associating the product with the loyalty adjustment independent of the general market price point associated with the product at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a discount price and changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at the discount price point.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a reward for at least one additional service offered by the retailer or changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at a discount price or for free.

4. The server according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

prepare and send an email to the customer upon allocation of the at least one customized offer to the customer, the email including indication of the at least one customized offer; and

generate a reminder upon reception of the purchase notification and upon determination that the customer has not viewed one or more customized offers indicated in the email, the reminder displayed on a point of sale device of the retailer.

5. The server according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the discount price point using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the discount price point set to be equal to or lower than a specific price point upon indication from the purchase history that the customer did not previously purchase the product at a price higher than the specific price point.

6. The server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customized offer further includes an offer limit specifying that the customer can purchase an unlimited amount of the product through a predetermined expiration date.

7. The server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to one or more product preferences specified by the customer.

8. The server according to claim 7, wherein the one or more product preferences are specified in one or more surveys associated with the at least one customer account.

9. The server according to claim 7, wherein the one or more product preferences are selected from a predetermined list of nutrition based categories.

10. The server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to selection of the product from a predetermined list of products displayed to the customer.

11. The server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated upon indication from the purchase history associated with the customer that the customer previously purchased an affinity product.

12. The server according to claim 1, wherein upon customer sign-in using a loyalty medium associated with the customer, the processor is further configured to transmit a reminder notification to a point of sale device associated with the retailer upon determination that the customer has not selected one or more offers allocated to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

13. An individualized discount and reward system comprising:

a server including;

one or more linked databases to store customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, the customer data including at least one retailer account purchase history associated with the customer;

an interface to receive customer input;

a processor configured to;

allocate at least one customized offer to the retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a product in accordance with the customized offer;

display to the customer, via the interface, a display page including the at least one customized offer and an option for selection of the at least one customized offer;

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the at least one customized offer, the retailer account associated with the customer to indicate selection of the at least one customized offer; and

a point of sale device to transmit a purchase notification to the server, the purchase notification specifying the retailer account associated with the customer and the product, the customized offer redeemed by associating the product with the loyalty adjustment independent of the general market price point associated with the product at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a discount price point and changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at the discount price point.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a reward for at least one additional service provided by the retailer or changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at a discount price or for free.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

prepare and send an email to the customer upon allocation of the at least one customized offer to the customer, the email including indication of the at least one customized offer; and

generate a reminder upon reception of the purchase notification and upon determination that the customer has not viewed one or more customized offers indicated in the email, the reminder displayed on a point of sale device.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the discount price point using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the discount price point set to be equal to or lower than a specific price point upon indication from the purchase history that the customer did not previously purchase the product at a price higher than the specific price point.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one customized offer further includes an offer limit specifying that the customer can purchase an unlimited amount of the product through a predetermined expiration date.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to one or more product preferences specified by the customer.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more product preferences are specified in one or more surveys associated with the at least one customer account.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more product preferences are selected from a predetermined list of nutrition based categories.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to selection of the product from a predetermined list of products displayed to the customer.

23. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated upon indication from the purchase history associated with the customer that the customer previously purchased an affinity product.

24. The system according to claim 13, wherein upon customer sign-in using a loyalty medium associated with the customer, the server is further configured to transmit a reminder notification to the point of sale device upon determination that the customer has not selected one or more offers allocated to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor in an individualized discount and reward server causes the server to:

store, in one or more linked databases, customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, the customer data including at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with the customer;

receive customer input via an interface;

allocate at least one customized offer to the retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a product in accordance with the customized offer;

display to the customer, via the interface, a display page including the at least one customized offer and an option for selection of the at least one customized offer;

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the at least one customized offer, the retailer account associated with the customer to indicate selection of the at least one customized offer; and

redeem the customized offer upon receiving a purchase notification specifying the retailer account associated with the customer and the product, the customized offer redeemed by associating the product with the loyalty adjustment independent of the general market price point associated with the product at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a discount price and changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at the discount price point.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the loyalty adjustment is a reward for at least one additional service provided by the retailer or changes the general market price point of the product by allocating the product to the customer at a discount price or for free.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the executable instructions further cause the server to:

prepare and send an email to the customer upon allocation of the at least one customized offer to the customer, the email including indication of the at least one customized offer; and

generate a reminder upon reception of the purchase notification and upon determination that the customer has not viewed one or more customized offers indicated in the email, the reminder displayed on a point of sale device of the retailer.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 26, wherein the executable instructions further cause the server to:

determine the discount price point using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the discount price point set to be equal to or lower than a specific price point upon indication from the purchase history that the customer did not previously purchase the product at a price higher than the specific price point.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the at least one customized offer further includes an offer limit specifying that the customer can purchase an unlimited amount of the product through a predetermined expiration date.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to one or more product preferences specified by the customer.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the one or more product preferences are specified in one or more surveys associated with the at least one customer account.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the one or more product preferences are selected from a predetermined list of nutrition based categories.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated to the customer according to selection of the product from a predetermined list of products displayed to the customer.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the at least one customized offer is further allocated upon indication from the purchase history associated with the customer that the customer previously purchased an affinity product.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein upon customer sign-in using a loyalty medium associated with the customer, the processor is further configured to transmit a reminder notification to a point of sale device associated with the retailer upon determination that the customer has not selected one or more offers allocated to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.