MERCHANDISE PICKUP SYSTEM, METHOD, AND MEDIA FOR ALLIED MERCHANTS

• US 20150339625A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sears Brands LLC (Sears Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Agasti, Varun Reddy, Munjal, Leena
• Granted Patent: US 10,380,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed that provide a pickup process for items purchased from stores of allied merchants. In some embodiments, a customer may place an order via an e-commerce storefront that includes products from multiple merchants in a geographic region. In response to receiving the order, a merchandise pickup system may assign associates to collect the ordered products from the allied merchants and return the collected products to a pickup location. The merchandise pickup system may send a pickup notification to the customer indicating the products are ready for pickup from the pickup location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a customer, an order comprising products from multiple allied merchants within a predetermined geographic region;

assigning one or more associates to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants and return the collected products to a pickup location; and

sending a pickup notification to the customer that indicates the products of the order are ready for pickup from the pickup location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the order via a storefront provided by an e-commerce system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning comprises assigning products from multiple orders to an associate for collection from an allied merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning comprises assigning a single associate to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the order is ready for pickup based upon received updates from the one or more associates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending a pickup notification occurs after determining that the order is ready for pickup from the pickup location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an amount to be collected based on products purchased in lieu of unavailable products of the order.

8. A computer readable media, comprising a plurality of instructions, that in response to being executed, result in a computing device:

receiving, from a customer, an order comprising products from multiple allied merchants within a predetermined geographic region;

assigning one or more associates to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants and return the collected products to a pickup location; and

sending a pickup notification to the customer that indicates the products of the order are ready for pickup from the pickup location.

9. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device receiving the order via a storefront provided by an e-commerce system.

10. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device assigning products from multiple orders to an associate for collection from an allied merchant.

11. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device assigning a single associate to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants.

12. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device determining whether the order is ready for pickup based upon received updates from the one or more associates.

13. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device sending the pickup notification after determining that the order is ready for pickup from the pickup location.

14. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the computing device adjusting an amount to be collected based on products purchased in lieu of unavailable products of the order.

15. A merchandise pickup system, comprising:

an e-commerce system configured to provide one or more storefronts for a plurality of allied merchants and receive, from a customer, an order that comprise products from multiple allied merchants of the plurality of allied merchants; and

a local pickup system configured to receive the order from the e-commerce system, assign one or more associates to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants and return the collected products to a pickup location, and send a pickup notification to the customer that indicates the products of the order are ready for pickup from the pickup location.

16. The merchandise pickup system of claim 15, wherein said local pickup system is further configured to assign products from multiple orders to an associate for collection from an allied merchant.

17. The merchandise pickup system of claim 15, wherein said local pickup system is further configured to assign a single associate to collect the products from the multiple allied merchants.

18. The merchandise pickup system of claim 15, wherein said local pickup system is further configured to determine whether the order is ready for pickup based upon received updates from the one or more associates.

19. The merchandise pickup system of claim 15, wherein said local pickup system is further configured to send a pickup notification after determining that the order is ready for pickup from the pickup location.

20. The merchandise pickup system of claim 15, wherein said local pickup system is further configured to adjust an amount to be collected based on products purchased in lieu of unavailable products of the order.