Method and system for building a database for use with selective incentive marketing in response to customer shopping histories

• US 6,307,958 B1
• Filed: 07/18/1997
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing International Incorporated (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Inventors: Deaton, David W., Gabriel, Rodney G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US08/896,840
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/173, 382/182, 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 235/487, 364/401, 364/405, 364/408, 379/91, 902/4, 902/5, 902/6
• US Class Current: 382/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for retail store marketing. A memory stores a database of existing customers of the retail store. The database includes a unique customer identification code for each customer. A memory stores a list of unique identification codes for prospective customers of the store who reside in a predetermined geographical area relative to the store. Circuitry compares the unique identification codes in the stored database of existing customers with the stored list of unique identification codes of prospective customers. Circuitry eliminates data from the list of prospective customers relating to the store'"'"'s existing customers, such that a non-customer database is produced for use in marketing.

Claims

1. A system for generating an incentive signal for an individual customer at the point-of-sale in a retail establishment comprising:

a first apparatus for receiving unique customer identification codes from a plurality of customers at the point-of-sale in retail transactions;

a second apparatus for detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the plurality of customers;

a processor coupled to the first apparatus and to the second apparatus for creating a database containing product information for the plurality of customers relating to the universal product codes of products previously purchased by the plurality of customers, the product information stored in association with the unique customer identification codes for the plurality of customers; and

circuitry coupled to the processor and to the database for generating an incentive signal at the point-of-sale during the individual customer'"'"'s retail transaction, in response to receiving the unique identification code of the individual customer, if the product information relating to previously purchased products for the individual customer satisfies a predetermined criteria.

2. The system of claim 1 and further comprising apparatus for dispensing a sales promotion to the individual customer at the point-of-sale in response to the incentive signal.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the apparatus for dispensing comprises a printer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first apparatus comprises a reader.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the second apparatus comprises a bar code reader.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product information for the individual customer represents a product purchasing history for the individual customer over a selected time period.

7. A system for generating an incentive signal for an individual customer at the point-of-sale in a retail establishment comprising:

a terminal for entering a customer identification code for the individual customer during a retail transaction;

a bar code reader for detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the individual customer in shopping visits;

a processor and memory coupled to the terminal for storing a plurality of universal product codes detected in a plurality of prior shopping visits for a plurality of customers, the universal product codes for the individual customer being stored in association with the customer identification code of the individual customer and representing a prior product purchasing history for the individual customer; and

circuitry operable to access the memory in response to the entering of the customer identification code for the individual customer during the retail transaction, the circuitry further operable to generate the incentive signal at the point-of-sale according to the prior product purchasing history for the individual customer.

8. The system of claim 7 and further comprising apparatus for dispensing a sales promotion to the customer at the point-of-sale in response to the incentive signal.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the apparatus for dispensing comprises a printer.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the terminal comprises a reader.

11. A method of generating an incentive signal for an individual customer at the point-of-sale in a retail establishment comprising:

receiving unique customer identification codes from a plurality of customers at the point-of-sale in retail transactions;

detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the plurality of customers;

creating a database containing product information relating to the universal product codes of products previously purchased by the plurality of customers, the product information stored in association with the unique customer identification codes for the plurality of customers;

receiving the unique identification code of the individual customer; and

generating an incentive signal at the point-of-sale during the individual customer'"'"'s retail transaction if the product information from prior retail transactions for the individual customer satisfies a predetermined criteria.

12. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of dispensing a sales promotion to the customer at the point-of-sale in response to the incentive signal.

13. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of entering the unique customer identification code of the individual customer using a reader.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the customers using a bar code reader.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the product information for the individual customer represents a product purchasing history for the individual customer over a selected time period.

16. A method of generating an incentive signal for an individual customer at the point-of-sale in a retail establishment comprising:

entering customer identification codes for a plurality of customers during retail transactions;

detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the plurality of customers in prior shopping visits;

storing the universal product codes detected in prior shopping visits for the plurality of customers, the universal product codes for the individual customer being stored in association with the customer identification code of the individual customer and representing a prior product purchasing history for the individual customer;

entering the customer identification code for the individual customer; and

generating the incentive signal at the point-of-sale according to the prior product purchasing history for the individual customer.

17. The method of claim 16 and further comprising the step of dispensing a sales promotion to the customer at the point-of-sale in response to the incentive signal.

18. The method of claim 16 and further comprising the step of entering the unique customer identification code of the individual customer using a reader.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting universal product codes associated with products purchased by the customers using a bar code reader.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the prior product purchasing history for the individual customer is limited to a selected time period.