ADAPTABLE RETAIL PRICING ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE, DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED BRAND SWITCHING REWARDS AND DISCOUNTS

• US 20110295671A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Aamir, Mir Mohammad, Marian, Michelle, THOMAS, David Edward, Minasi, Michael Robert, Quinn, Jonathan G., Pattison, Tamara Ruth
• Application Number:
  US13/072,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295671A1
• 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 including one or more linked databases to store customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, where the customer data including at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with a customer. The server further includes a processor to select a brand associated with an allocation category and determine an amount the customer spends on the allocation category. The processor determines a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the selected brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer. The processor also allocates one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer for the selected brand based on at least the amount the customer spends on the allocation category and the likelihood of brand switching.

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 a customer, the one or more linked databases indicating a predetermined number of top selling brands;

a processor configured to;

select a brand from a plurality of brands associated with an allocation category;

determine an amount the customer spends on the allocation category according to the purchase history associated with the customer;

determine a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the selected brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer, the likelihood of brand switching being one of high and low; and

allocate one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer for the selected brand based on at least the amount the customer spends on the allocation category and the likelihood of brand switching, the one or more brand switching offers including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of the selected brand.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the customer is one of

a low category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is below a category purchase threshold, and

a medium category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is above the category purchase threshold.

3. The server according to claim 2, wherein the likelihood of brand switching is high upon determination from the customer purchase history that a percentage of an amount spent of each other brand from the plurality brands excluding the selected brand is below a brand purchase threshold.

4. The server according to claim 3, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the customer purchase history indicates that the customer previously purchased the selected brand at least once, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands.

5. The server according to claim 3, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, and the selected brand is not associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the brand switching potential is high, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands

6. The server according to claim 3, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, the selected brand is associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a general market price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, and the likelihood of brand switching is high, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

7. The server according to claim 6, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand at risk of decreased profit to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

8. The server according to claim 3, wherein upon determination that the customer is the medium category buyer, the brand switching potential is high, and the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers to the retailer account associated with the customer.

9. The server according to claim 8, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand at risk of decreased profit to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

10. The server according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to redeem the one or more brand switching offers upon receiving a purchase notification specifying the at least one retailer account associated with the customer and the selected brand, the one or more brand switching offers redeemed by associating the selected brand with the loyalty adjustment independent of a general market price point associated with the selected brand at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

11. An individualized discount and reward system, the 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 and purchase history associated with a customer, the one or more linked databases indicating a predetermined number of top selling brands;

a processor configured to;

select a brand from a plurality of brands associated with an allocation category;

determine an amount the customer spends on the allocation category according to the purchase history associated with the customer;

determine a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the selected brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer, the likelihood of brand switching being one of high and low;

allocate one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer for the selected brand based on at least the amount the customer spends on the allocation category and the likelihood of brand switching, the one or more brand switching offers including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of the selected brand; 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 selected brand.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the customer is one of

a low category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is below a category purchase threshold, and

a medium category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is above the category purchase threshold.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the likelihood of brand switching is high upon determination from the customer purchase history that a percentage of an amount spent of each other brand from the plurality brands excluding the selected brand is below a brand purchase threshold.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the customer purchase history indicates that the customer previously purchased the selected brand at least once, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, and the selected brand is not associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the brand switching potential is high, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands.

16. The server according to claim 13, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, the selected brand is associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, and the likelihood of brand switching is high, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand at risk of decreased profits to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

18. The server according to claim 13, wherein upon determination that the customer is the medium category buyer, the brand switching potential is high, and the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers to the retailer account associated with the customer.

19. The server according to claim 18, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand at risk of decreased profit to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more brand switching offers are redeemed by associating the selected brand with the loyalty adjustment independent of the general market price point associated with the selected brand at a time of reception of the purchase notification.

21. 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 a customer, the one or more linked databases indicating a predetermined number of top selling brands;

select a brand from a plurality of brands associated with an allocation category;

determine an amount the customer spends on the allocation category according to the purchase history associated with the customer;

determine a likelihood of brand switching indicating a likelihood of the customer purchasing the selected brand according to the purchase history associated with the customer, the likelihood of brand switching being one of high and low; and

allocate one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer for the selected brand based on at least the amount the customer spends on the allocation category and the likelihood of brand switching, the one or more brand switching offers including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of the selected brand.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the customer is one of

a low category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is below a category purchase threshold, and

a medium category buyer upon determination that the customer'"'"'s purchase history indicates the amount the customer spends on the allocation category is above the category purchase threshold.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the likelihood of brand switching is high upon determination from the customer purchase history that a percentage of an amount spent of each other brand from the plurality brands excluding the selected brand is below a brand purchase threshold.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer and the likelihood of brand switching is low, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the customer purchase history indicates that the customer previously purchased the selected brand at least once, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, and the selected brand is not associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer upon further determination that

the brand switching potential is high, and

the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein, upon determination that the customer is the low category buyer, the selected brand is associated with at least one entity that compensates for at least a partial reduction in a general market price point associated with the one or more brand switching offers, and the likelihood of brand switching is high, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers for the selected brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 26, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein upon determination that the customer is the medium category buyer, the brand switching potential is high, and the selected brand is included in the predetermined number of top selling brands, the processor allocates the one or more brand switching offers to the retailer account associated with the customer.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 28, wherein upon determination that at least one brand from the plurality of brands excluding the selected brand is at risk of decreased profit upon allocation of the one or more brand switching offers, the processor allocates at least one offer for the at least one brand at risk of decreased profit to the at least one retailer account associated with the customer.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to redeem the one or more brand switching offers upon receiving a purchase notification specifying the at least one retailer account associated with the customer and the selected brand, the one or more brand switching offers redeemed by associating the selected brand with the loyalty adjustment independent of a general market price point associated with the selected brand at a time of reception of the purchase notification.