Vehicle Desirability and Stocking Based on Live Markets

• US 20130030864A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: vAuto, Inc. (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Vauto Com Incorporated
• Inventors: Pollak, Dale, Chiovari, Michael A., Hawkins, David, Stutsman, Chris Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining one or more vehicles that are desirable for stocking an inventory of a dealer may include receiving one or more vehicle purchasing parameters from a dealer; receiving one or more behavior metrics associated with one or more consumers of at least one of the dealer, a vehicle wholesaler, or a vehicle retailer; determining, based at least in part on the vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, one or more vehicles; determining, based at least in part on the vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, a justifiable purchase price for the vehicles; determining a location of the vehicles; and determining, based at least in part on the justifiable purchase price and the location of the vehicles, at least a portion of the vehicles for restocking an inventory of the dealer.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive one or more vehicle purchasing parameters from a dealer;

receive one or more behavior metrics associated with one or more consumers of at least one of the dealer, a vehicle wholesaler, or a vehicle retailer;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the one or more behavior metrics, a desirability score of one or more vehicles for sale by the vehicle wholesaler, wherein the desirability score comprises one or more indicators of an average of an interest, a sales volume, a market day supply, a retail profitability, or an availability of the one or more vehicles;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the one or more behavior metrics, a justifiable purchase price for the one or more vehicles for sale by the vehicle wholesaler;

determine a location of the one or more vehicles for sale by the vehicle wholesaler;

determine, based at least in part on the desirability score, the justifiable purchase price, and the location of the one or more vehicles for sale by the vehicle wholesaler, at least a portion of the one or more vehicles for sale by the vehicle wholesaler to place on a buy list for restocking an inventory of the dealer;

determine, based at least in part on a past sales history of the dealer and a preferred dealer day supply of vehicles, a number vehicles on the buy list to bid on;

place a bid or bid range with the vehicle wholesaler for purchasing one or more of the vehicles on the buy list; and

place a listing with the vehicle retailer for selling one or more vehicles purchased from the buy list.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computers comprising one or more processors, one or more vehicle purchasing parameters from a dealer;

receiving, by the one or more computers, one or more behavior metrics associated with one or more consumers of at least one of a vehicle wholesaler or a vehicle retailer;

determining, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, a desirability score of one or more vehicles;

determining, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, a justifiable purchase price for the one or more vehicles;

determining, by the one or more computers, a location of the one or more vehicles; and

determining, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on the desirability score, the justifiable purchase price, and the location of the one or more vehicles, at least a portion of the one or more vehicles for restocking an inventory of the dealer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on a past sales history of the dealer and a preferred dealer day supply of vehicles, at least a portion of the one or more vehicles to place on a buy list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computers, an approval or veto from the dealer to place a bid on one or more of the vehicles on the buy list.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising placing, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on the dealer approval, a bid or bid range for purchasing one or more of the vehicles on the buy list.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising placing, by the one or more computers, a listing with the vehicle retailer for selling one or more vehicles purchased from the buy list.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the desirability score further comprises determining, by the one or more computers, an average of at least one of an interest, a sales volume, a market day supply, a retail profitability, or an availability of the one or more vehicles.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the desirability score is a weighted average of at least one of the interest, the sales volume, the market day supply, the retail profitability, or the availability of the one or more vehicles.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the weighted average is defined based at least in part on a selection associated with the dealer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the interest further comprises receiving, by the one or more computers, a number of online searches made for the one or more vehicles for sale in a first market relative to a number of online searches made for the one or more vehicles for sale in a second market.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the sales volume further comprises receiving, by the one or more computers, a number of sales of the one or more vehicles made based at least in part on at least one of a particular market or a predefined time period.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the market day supply further comprises receiving, by the one or more computers, a ratio of market quantity of the one or more vehicles to an average daily retail sales rate for the one or more vehicles for a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computer, the at least one of the market quantity or the average daily retail sales rate for the one or more vehicles from at least one of the vehicle wholesaler or the vehicle retailer.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the retail profitability further comprises receiving, by the one or more computers, a purchase price and a sales price for the one or more vehicles.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the availability further comprises receiving, by the one or more computers, a number of the particular vehicle for sale within at least one of a predefined distance or price.

16. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more vehicle purchasing parameters from a dealer;

receiving one or more behavior metrics associated with one or more consumers of at least one of the dealer, a vehicle wholesaler, or a vehicle retailer;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, one or more vehicles;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, a justifiable purchase price for the one or more vehicles;

determining a location of the one or more vehicles; and

determining, by the one or more computers and based at least in part on the justifiable purchase price and the location of the one or more vehicles, at least a portion of the one or more vehicles for restocking an inventory of the dealer.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determining, based at least in part on the one or more vehicle purchasing parameters and the behavior metrics, a desirability score of the one or more vehicles.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determining, based at least in part on a past sales history of the dealer and a preferred dealer day supply of vehicles, at least a portion of the one or more vehicles to place on a buy list.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises receiving an approval or veto from the dealer to place a bid on one or more of the vehicles on the buy list.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises placing, based at least in part on the dealer approval, a bid or bid range for purchasing one or more of the vehicles on the buy list.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises placing a listing with the vehicle retailer for selling one or more vehicles purchased from the buy list.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the desirability score further comprises determining an average of at least one of an interest, a sales volume, a market day supply, a retail profitability, or an availability of the one or more vehicles.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the desirability score is a weighted average of at least one of the interest, the sales volume, the market day supply, the retail profitability, or the availability of the one or more vehicles.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the weighted average is defined based at least in part on a selection associated with the dealer.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the interest further comprises determining a number of online searches made for the one or more vehicles for sale in a first market relative to a number of online searches made for the one or more vehicles for sale in a second market.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the sales volume further comprises determining a number of sales of the one or more vehicles made based at least in part on at least one of a particular market or a predefined time period.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the market day supply further comprises determining a ratio of market quantity of the one or more vehicles to an average daily retail sales rate for the one or more vehicles for a predetermined period of time.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises receiving the at least one of the market quantity or the average daily retail sales rate for the one or more vehicles from at least one of the vehicle wholesaler or the vehicle retailer.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the retail profitability further comprises determining a purchase price and a sales price for the one or more vehicles.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the availability further comprises determining a number of the particular vehicle for sale within at least one of a predefined distance or price.