Generating targeted group based offers to increase sales

• US 9,208,518 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jacob Sushil, George T., Mankar, Vinod V., Mukherjea, Sougata, Pingali, Gopal S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US14/149,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for increasing the sales of a retailer. A unit, referred to herein as the “retailer promotions device,” generates a group offer for a set of users/customers to purchase a product based on intelligent analytics (e.g., real-time attributes/dynamics such as the strategy in selling the remaining inventory). A group offer refers to an offer to sell a product at a promotional price if a number of users (e.g., users of mobile devices and/or customers online and/or customers in a physical store) agree to purchase the product at the promotional price within a time period. The group offer is sent to targeted users/customers via online and mobile devices as well as via electronic displays and kiosks in the physical store. By using real-time attributes/dynamics to generate group offers that can be sent to targeted users/customers, the sales of the retailer are likely to be increased.

Claims

1. A method for increasing sales of a retailer, the method comprising:

receiving a request to partake in a group offer for a product via one of online, a mobile device, an electronic display and a kiosk, wherein said group offer is an offer to sell said product at a promotional price in response to a number of a set of users agreeing to purchase said product at said promotional price within a time period;

providing a listing of users to receive said group offer who are currently viewing said product via one or more of online, on mobile devices, and in a physical store;

providing, by a processor of a retailer promotions device, a listing of friends who are currently online on a social network of a user who initiated said request;

receiving a selection of users from said listing of users and said listing of friends to receive said group offer; and

sending said group offer to said selection of users across channels comprising one or more of online, on said mobile devices, in said physical store and on said social network of said user who initiated said request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said request to partake in said group offer occurs by a user of said mobile device swiping said mobile device against said group offer being displayed at one of said electronic display and said kiosk.

3. A computer program product for increasing sales of a retailer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:

receiving a request to partake in a group offer for a product via one of online, a mobile device, an electronic display and a kiosk, wherein said group offer is an offer to sell said product at a promotional price in response to a number of a set of users agreeing to purchase said product at said promotional price within a time period;

providing a listing of users to receive said group offer who are currently viewing said product via one or more of online, on mobile devices, and in a physical store;

providing a listing of friends who are currently online on a social network of a user who initiated said request;

receiving a selection of users from said listing of users and said listing of friends to receive said group offer; and

sending said group offer to said selection of users across channels comprising one or more of online, on said mobile devices, in said physical store and on said social network of said user who initiated said request.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 3, wherein said request to partake in said group offer occurs by a user of said mobile device swiping said mobile device against said group offer being displayed at one of said electronic display and said kiosk.

5. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for increasing sales of a retailer; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising;

receiving a request to partake in a group offer for a product via one of online, a mobile device, an electronic display and a kiosk, wherein said group offer is an offer to sell said product at a promotional price in response to a number of a set of users agreeing to purchase said product at said promotional price within a time period;

providing a listing of users to receive said group offer who are currently viewing said product via one or more of online, on mobile devices, and in a physical store;

providing a listing of friends who are currently online on a social network of a user who initiated said request;

receiving a selection of users from said listing of users and said listing of friends to receive said group offer; and

sending said group offer to said selection of users across channels comprising one or more of online, on said mobile devices, in said physical store and on said social network of said user who initiated said request.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said request to partake in said group offer occurs by a user of said mobile device swiping said mobile device against said group offer being displayed at one of said electronic display and said kiosk.