Co-branded internet service provider and retailer internet service site with retailer-offered incentives for member use

• US 7,308,420 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Storch, Gerald, Giampietro, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger, R
• Application Number:
  US09/865,893
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for a retailer to sell merchandise over the Internet in affiliation with an Internet service provider. The co-branded Internet site is accessible through the Internet service site of the Internet service provider. The co-branded Internet site includes designations of both the retailer and the Internet service provider. The co-branded Internet site including one or more links to the Internet shopping site of the retailer. Client software for accessing the co-branded Internet site is distributed at retailer locations. Members of the co-branded Internet site are provided with incentives to access and shop on the Internet shopping site of the retailer through the co-branded Internet site.

Claims

1. A method for a retailer of the type having an Internet shopping site to sell merchandise over the Internet in affiliation with an Internet service provider of the type having an Internet service site with a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

distributing client software that allows members access to a co-branded Internet site including the graphical user interface of the Internet service provider accessed through the Internet service site and one or more links to the Internet shopping site of the retailer; and

linking the co-branded Internet site with the Internet shopping site of the retailer to effectuate incentives to access and shop on the Internet shopping site of the retailer through the co-branded Internet site;

wherein effectuating incentives comprises discounting subscription fees for access to the co-branded Internet site based upon an actual quantity of merchandise purchased from the retailer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein linking the co-branded Internet site with the Internet shopping site of the retailer includes setting up one or more hyperlinks to the Internet shopping site of the retailer on all pages of the Internet service site.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the one or more hyperlinks to the Internet shopping site of the retailer is an icon comprising one or more trademark logos of the retailer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface of the co-branded Internet site includes a tool bar;

and the method further comprises locating a link to the Internet shopping site of the retailer on the tool bar.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein effectuating incentives includes discounting merchandise purchased on the Internet shopping site of the retailer accessed through the co-branded Internet site.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein effectuating incentives comprises notifying members of store-based clearances, promotional events and/or special events through the co-branded Internet site before publishing notices for such special events to non-members.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the retailer operates retail stores and wherein distributing client software that allows members access to the co-branded Internet site comprises distributing client software at the retail stores.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing client software that allows members access to the co-branded Internet site comprises distributing client software on the Internet shopping site of the retailer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing client software that allows members access to the co-branded Internet site comprises distributing client software on the Internet service site of the Internet service provider.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising co-branding the client software that allows members access to the co-branded Internet site with designations of the retailer and the Internet service provider.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising co-branding the client software that allows members access to the co-branded Internet site.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising advertising the co-branded Internet site on the Internet service site of the Internet service provider.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface of the co-branded Internet site includes a tool bar having a link to a menu list of a member'"'"'s regularly used links;

and further includes an icon on the tool bar that is linked to the Internet shopping site of the retailer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the icon comprises one or more logos of the retailer.

15. The method of claim 1 comprising creating one or more hyperlinks on the co-branded Internet site to ISP channel page content of interest to one or more demographic groups of members.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising creating one or more hyperlinks on the Internet shopping site of the retailer to ISP channel page content of interest to one or more demographic groups of members.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising creating one or more hyperlinks on the Internet shopping site of the retailer to non-ISP channel page content.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the co-branded Internet site includes a link to an application for a proprietary credit card issued by the retailer.

19. The method of claim 1 comprising creating one or more hyperlinks on the co-branded Internet site to departments within stores operated by the retailer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the hyperlinks to the departments within the stores include order requests.

21. The method of claim 1 comprising creating one or more hyperlinks on the co-branded Internet site to affiliates of the retailer.

22. A method for a retailer of the type having an Internet shopping site to sell merchandise over the Internet in affiliation with an Internet service provider of the type having an Internet service site, comprising the steps of:

establishing a co-branded Internet site accessible through the Internet service site of the Internet service provider, the co-branded Internet site comprising designations of both the retailer and the Internet service provider, the co-branded Internet site including one or more links to the Internet shopping site of the retailer, wherein the Internet service provider offers a news channel featuring news articles of interest to a demographic group of members;

distributing at retailer locations client software for accessing the co-branded Internet site;

linking the co-branded Internet site with the Internet shopping site of the retailer to effectuate incentives to access and shop on the Internet shopping site of the retailer through the co-branded Internet site; and

creating on the co-branded Internet site a hyperlink to a news article and a hyperlink to a page on the Internet shopping site of the retailer offering for sale a product featured in the news article.

23. A method for a retailer of the type having an Internet shopping site to sell merchandise over the Internet in affiliation with an Internet service provider of the type having an Internet service site with a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

distributing client software that allows members access to a co-branded Internet site including the graphical user interface of the Internet service provider accessed through the Internet service site and one or more links to the Internet shopping site of the retailer; and

linking the co-branded Internet site with the Internet shopping site of the retailer to effectuate incentives to access and shop on the Internet shopping site of the retailer through the co-branded Internet site;

wherein effectuating incentives comprises discounting subscription fees for access to the co-branded Internet site based upon an actual quantity of merchandise purchased from the retailer through the co-branded Internet site.

24. A method for a retailer of the type having an Internet shopping site to sell merchandise over the Internet in affiliation with an Internet service provider of the type having an Internet service site with a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

distributing client software that allows members access to a co-branded Internet site including the graphical user interface of the Internet service provider accessed through the Internet service site and one or more links to the Internet shopping site of the retailer; and

linking the co-branded Internet site with the Internet shopping site of the retailer to effectuate incentives to access and shop on the Internet shopping site of the retailer through the co-branded Internet site;

wherein effectuating incentives comprises discounting subscription fees for access to the co-branded Internet site based upon an actual quantity of merchandise purchased from the retailer, and further discounting merchandise purchased on the Internet shopping site of the retailer accessed through the co-branded Internet site, wherein a rate of the merchandise discount and a period of time over which the merchandise discount is available varies on the basis of the length of a member'"'"'s subscription to the Internet service provider.