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System and method for using sales patterns with markdown profiles

  • US 8,219,444 B2
  • Filed: 09/01/2004
  • Issued: 07/10/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Machine-readable media for planning sales of products using an automated process, the machine-readable media comprising program code stored therein executable by one or more processors to perform the automated process, the automated process comprising:

  • selecting by the one or more processors based on the program code a first markdown profile associated with the products of a particular type, the products of the particular type comprising a first product and a second product, the first markdown profile comprising a plurality of posting periods, a plurality of target sales quota ranges each corresponding to one of the posting periods, and a plurality of actual sales quota ranges, the plurality of target sales quota ranges relating to a product life cycle, wherein the first markdown profile further comprises a proposed markdown for at least some intersecting pairs of actual sales quota ranges and posting periods;

    selecting by the one or more processors based on the program code a second markdown profile for the first product;

    assigning by the one or more processors based on the program code the first markdown profile associated with the products of particular type to the second product based on a specific markdown profile not being selected for the second product;

    selecting by the one or more processors based on the program code a first sales pattern associated with the first markdown profile from a plurality of sales patterns associated with the first markdown profile, wherein the first sales pattern comprises a plurality of planned sales quota ranges, wherein each planned sales quota range in the plurality of planned sales quota ranges corresponding to a posting period from the plurality of posting periods, wherein the first sales pattern further comprises a planned markdown for each posting period in the plurality of posting periods, wherein each planned markdown is determined based on the first markdown profile and a planned sales quota range;

    selecting by the one or more processors based on the program code a second sales pattern associated with the second markdown profile from a plurality of sales patterns associated with the second markdown profile;

    determining a first product available markdown budget by adding a first product planned markdown budget to a first product cumulative markdown budget, and subtracting an exhausted markdown budget, wherein the first product planned markdown budget being a budget for markdowns for the first product for a current posting period, the first product cumulative markdown budget being a budget amount remaining for the first product from a previous posting period, and the exhausted markdown budget being a total amount of markdown applied for the first product during the current period;

    determining that a first product markdown cost does not exceed the first product available markdown budget by more than a first tolerance and adjusting a first product price by the first product markdown cost;

    determining whether a second markdown cost exceeds a second markdown budget by more than a second tolerance and upon determining that the second markdown cost exceeds a sum of the second markdown budget and the second tolerance, determining a second product price adjustment by dividing a second product available budget by a quantity of the second product, and adjusting a second product price by the second product price adjustment;

    distributing sales quantities of the first product using the first markdown profile and the first sales pattern; and

    distributing sales quantities of the second product using the second markdown profile and the second sales pattern.

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