System and methods for discount retailing

• US 8,903,733 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Mason, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/617,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system and methods to mutually satisfy a consumer with a discount and a vendor with a minimum number of sales by establishing a tipping point associated with an offer for a good or service. If the tipping point is met, the sale of the good or service is executed and the consumer is charged and receives an indication of the discounted sale, such as a certificate. If the tipping point is not met, the discount offer is abandoned and the consumer is not charged. Once the tipping point is established, the vendor receives a payment, even before the consumer uses the certificate. The system and methods also include a reward or loyalty program, an exchange or secondary market for the purchased deals, and a matching algorithm that matches customers to relevant goods or services.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory having computer code stored therein, the computer code configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

receive consent from a merchant to advertise a good or service to consumers;

determine a discount offer associated with the good or service for exploiting via a global communication network;

determine a tipping point at which the discount offer becomes valid;

generate an advertisement comprising the discount offer and the tipping point;

determine a group of consumers to receive the advertisement based on consumer information;

transmit the advertisement to the group of consumers via the global communication network;

receive consumer acceptances associated with the advertisement;

determine whether the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and

receive consumer charges if the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer information comprises historical consumer action information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer information comprises consumer demographic information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer information comprises consumer likes or dislikes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer information comprises acceptable price range information received from consumers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer information comprises deal enjoyment information received from consumers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

determine, based on the consumer information, a second group of consumers to receive a second advertisement; and

transmit the second advertisement to the second group of consumers via the global communication network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second group of consumers is further determined based on a number of received consumer acceptances.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the apparatus, to:

cause the apparatus to determine a discount offer duration,

wherein the step of determining whether the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point occurs following termination of the discount offer duration.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the apparatus, to cause the apparatus to:

store consumer information to a customer profile based on the received consumer acceptances.

11. A method comprising:

receiving consent from a merchant to advertise a good or service to consumers;

determining a discount offer associated with the good or service for exploiting via a global communication network;

determining a tipping point at which the discount offer becomes valid;

generating an advertisement comprising the discount offer and the tipping point;

determining a group of consumers to receive the advertisement based on consumer information;

transmitting the advertisement to the group of consumers via the global communication network;

receiving consumer acceptances associated with the advertisement;

determining, by a processor, whether the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and

receiving consumer charges if the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the consumer information comprises historical consumer action information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the consumer information comprises consumer demographic information or consumer likes or dislikes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the consumer information comprises acceptable price range information received from consumers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the consumer information comprises deal enjoyment information received from consumers.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, based on the consumer information, a second group of consumers to receive a second advertisement; and

transmitting the second advertisement to the second group of consumers via the global communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second group of consumers is further determined based on a number of received consumer acceptances.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a discount offer duration,

wherein the step of determining whether the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point occurs following termination of the discount offer duration.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing consumer information to a customer profile based on the received consumer acceptances.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium storing computer code stored that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to:

receive consent from a merchant to advertise a good or service to consumers;

determine a discount offer associated with the good or service for exploiting via a global communication network;

determine a tipping point at which the discount offer becomes valid;

generate an advertisement comprising the discount offer and the tipping point;

determine a group of consumers to receive the advertisement based on consumer information;

transmit the advertisement to the group of consumers via the global communication network;

receive consumer acceptances associated with the advertisement;

determine whether the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and

receive consumer charges if the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point.