Systems, methods and computer program products for implementing processes relating to retail sales

• US 8,540,153 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lowe's Companies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lowe's Companies, Inc.
• Inventors: Stone, Steven M., Bhasker, Santosh E, Panzano, Alex C, Mitchell, John P
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/930,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.25, 705/7.31, 705/7.32, 705/26.1, 705/26.5, 705/26.8, 705/28, 705/7.21, 705/26.43, 705/26.61, 705/26.64, 705/26.7, 705/26.81, 235/376, 235/383, 235/375, 235/385, 706/47, 709/203, 709/217, 715/202
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/165 Land development

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that facilitates the selection of purchasable items for use in an environs defined by the customer. In one aspect, the system includes a processing element capable of proposing a plurality of purchasable items to the customer for selection by the customer. The processing element also is capable of receiving data representing the environs and data representing at least one purchasable item selected by the customer. The processing element is further capable of generating and displaying a three-dimensional graphical representation of the environs and each purchasable item or items selected by the customer so that the customer can visualize the items in the environs.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the management of sales opportunities for purchasable items offered to customers, the system comprising:

a processing element capable of proposing a plurality of purchasable items to a plurality of customers for selection by the customers, said processing element being capable of receiving and storing data representing at least one purchasable item selected by each customer and data representing at least one sales variable for each customer, and wherein said processing element is further capable of comparing the at least one sales variable for at least two customers.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the purchasable items comprise products selected from the group consisting of furniture, appliances, flooring, decking, lighting, countertops, millwork, doorframes, window frames, doors, windows, paint, wall coverings, cabinetry, and shelving.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the purchasable items comprise services selected from the group consisting of design services, measuring services, installation services, maintenance services and warranty services.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying habits.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying preferences.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer brand preferences.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of inventory of purchasable items.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of marketing efforts regarding the purchasable items.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of selection of purchasable items to be offered to customers.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail placement of purchasable items offered to customers.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail organization of purchasable items offered to customers.

12. A computer program product for facilitating the management of sales opportunities for purchasable items offered to customers, computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program portions comprising:

an executable portion for proposing a plurality of purchasable items to a plurality of customers for selection by the customers, said executable portion capable of receiving data representing at least one purchasable item selected by each customer and data representing at least one sales variable for each customer, and wherein said executable portion capable of comparing the at least one sales variable for at least two customers.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the purchasable items comprise products selected from the group consisting of furniture, appliances, flooring, decking, lighting, countertops, millwork, doorframes, window frames, doors, windows, paint, wall coverings, cabinetry, and shelving.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the purchasable items comprise services selected from the group consisting of design services, measuring services, installation services, maintenance services and warranty services.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying habits.

16. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying preferences.

17. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer brand preferences.

18. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of inventory of purchasable items.

19. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of marketing efforts regarding the purchasable items.

20. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of selection of purchasable items to be offered to customers.

21. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail placement of purchasable items offered to customers.

22. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail organization of purchasable items offered to customers.

23. A method for facilitating the management of sales opportunities for purchasable items offered to customers, the method comprising:

proposing a plurality of purchasable items to a plurality of customers for selection by the customers;

receiving electronically data representing at least one purchasable item selected by each customer and data representing at least one sales variable for each customer;

storing electronically data representing at least one purchasable item selected by each customer and data representing at least one sales variable for each customer; and

comparing the at least one sales variable for at least two customers.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the purchasable items comprise products selected from the group consisting of furniture, appliances, flooring, decking, lighting, countertops, millwork, doorframes, window frames, doors, windows, paint, wall coverings, cabinetry, and shelving.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein the purchasable items comprise services selected from the group consisting of design services, measuring services, installation services, maintenance services and warranty services.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying habits.

27. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer buying preferences.

28. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data representing customer brand preferences.

29. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of inventory of purchasable items.

30. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of marketing efforts regarding the purchasable items.

31. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of selection of purchasable items to be offered to customers.

32. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail placement of purchasable items offered to customers.

33. A method according to claim 23 wherein the data representing at least one sales variable for each customer comprises data indicative of effective management of retail organization of purchasable items offered to customers.