Adaptable retail pricing environment and electronic exchange, delivering customized mobile shopper rewards and discounts

• US 9,355,403 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Safeway Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, David Edward, Quinn, Jonathan G., Minasi, Michael Robert, Marian, Michelle, Aamir, Mir Mohammad, Pattison, Tamara Ruth
• Primary Examiner(s): Boveja, Namrata (Pinky)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US13/072,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

A mobile device including one or more linked memories to store a mobile application and customer data, the mobile application downloaded from a rewards server associated with a retailer, the customer data associated with a loyalty program of the retailer. The mobile device further includes a processor to display the mobile application via the user interface. The processor displays a log-in page permitting a customer to access at least one retailer account associated with the customer and displays a purchase price, via the mobile application, for at least one product associated with the retailer. The processor updates, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of a payment option, the at least one retailer account to indicate a deduction of the displayed purchase price from at least one payment account.

Claims

1. An individualized discount and reward system comprising:

a mobile device in communication with a rewards server;

the mobile device comprising;

one or more non-transitory computer readable memories to store a mobile application and customer data, the customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, the customer data including at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with a customer;

a communications interface that communicates with the rewards server over a wireless communication network, the mobile application downloaded from the rewards server to the mobile device over the wireless communication network;

a user interface to receive customer input; and

a processor configured to;

display the mobile application via the user interface,

display a log-in page permitting a customer to access the at least one retailer account associated with the customer,

receive, from the rewards server, a price point generated by the rewards server, for at least one customized offer for the customer generated by the rewards server,

display to the customer, via the mobile application, one or more display pages including a categorical display of a plurality of offers that includes the at least one customized offer and an offer selection option for individual selection of each offer included in the plurality of offers, the price point for the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment of at least one product in accordance with the at least one customized offer,

display to the customer, via the mobile application, a shopping list page including designated shopping list, each offer included in the customer designated shopping list being individually designated by the customer, and

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the at least one customized offer, the at least one retailer account associated with the customer to indicate selection of the at least one customized offer, wherein selection of the at least one customized offer is distinct from redemption of the at least one customized offer; and

the rewards server comprising;

a processor configured to;

allocate the at least one customized offer to the at least one retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a retail product to a purchase price at or below a competitor price offered for a competing product by a competitor of the retailer, the competitor located within a geographic location specified in the at least one retailer account, wherein the loyalty adjustment is based on at least the purchase history;

receive a purchase notification from a point of sale device, the purchase notification including the at least one retailer account associated with the customer;

upon reception of the purchase notification from the point of sale device,

i) divert the purchase notification to a second server which is operated by the retailer and separate from the rewards server, and

ii) distribute one or more functions to the second server to prevent the individualized discount and reward server from being slowed down, the one or more functions distributed to the second server including;

 

communicate with the mobile device to confirm a payment for the retailer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to:

display, via the mobile application, an option to check in at a store associated with the retailer according to a current location of the mobile device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to:

retrieve from the at least one retailer account, upon selection of the option to check-in at the store, the customer designated shopping list, and

display, via the mobile application, the retrieved customer designated shopping list and a corresponding location in the store for each product included in the customer designated shopping list.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a tablet device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the categorical display of the plurality of offers is sorted according to the purchase history associated with the customer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the customer designated shopping list includes at least one product that is not associated with the plurality of offers.

8. The system according to claim 1, the mobile device further comprising:

a barcode scanner configured to scan a barcode of the retail product, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to;

display the purchase price, is the mobile application, for the retail product upon identification of the barcode scanned by the barcode scanner,

display an option for payment, via the mobile application, of the retail product using at least one monetary payment account associated with the at least one retailer account, and

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the payment option, the at least one retailer account to indicate a deduction of the displayed purchase price from the at least one monetary payment account.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to display to the customer, via the mobile application, one or more offer acceptance pages including each offer from the plurality of offers individually selected by the customer and a shopping list selection option for individual selection of each individually selected offer to be added to the customer designated shopping list.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to update the display of the customer designated shopping list on the shopping list page upon reception of a notification from the reward server that the at least one customized offer has been redeemed.

11. An individualized discount and reward system comprising:

a mobile device in communication with a rewards server;

the mobile device comprising;

one or more non-transitory computer readable memories to store a mobile application an customer data, the customer data associated with a loyalty program of a retailer, the customer data including at least one retailer account and purchase history associated with a customer;

a communications interface that communicates with the rewards server over a wireless communication network, the mobile application downloaded from the rewards server to the mobile device over the wireless communication network;

a user interface to receive customer input; and

a processor configured to;

display a log-in page permitting a customer to access the at least one retailer account associated with the customer,

receive, from the rewards server, a price point generated by the rewards server, for at least one customized offer for the customer generated by the rewards server,

display to the customer, via the mobile application, one or more display pages including a categorical display of a plurality of offers that includes the at least one customized offer and an offer selection option for individual selection of each offer included in the plurality of offers, the price point from the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment of at least one product in accordance with the at least one customized offer,

the rewards server including;

one or more linked databases to store the mobile application and the customer data associated with the loyalty program of the retailer, the customer data including the at least one retailer account and the purchase history associated with the customer,

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer readable memory which stores instructions, the processor of the rewards server processing the instructions so as to cause the rewards server to;

generate at least one customized offer for the customer,

generate a price point for the at least one customized offer for the customer,

allocate the at least one customized offer to the at least one retailer account using at least the purchase history associated with the customer, the at least one customized offer including a loyalty adjustment changing a general market price point of a retail product to a purchase price at or below a competitor price offered for a competing product by a competitor of the retailer, the competitor located within a geographic location specified in the at least one retailer account, wherein the loyalty adjustment is based on at least the purchase history,

receive a purchase notification from a point of sale device, the purchase notification including the at least one retailer account associated with the customer;

upon reception of the purchase notification from the point of sale device,

i) divert the purchase notification to a second server which is operated by the retailer and separate from the rewards server, and

ii) distribute one or more functions to the second server to prevent the individualized discount and reward server from being slowed down, the one or more functions distributed to the second server including;

 

communicate with the mobile device to confirm a payment for the retailer.

12. The system according to claim 11,

the processor of the mobile device further configured to:

display the mobile application via the user interface,

display to the customer, via the mobile application, a shopping list page including a customer designated shopping list, each offer included in the customer designated shopping list being individually designated by the customer, and

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the at least one customized offer, the retailer account associated with the customer to indicate selection of the at least one customized offer, wherein selection of the at least one customized offer is distinct from redemption of the at least one customized offer.

13. The system according to claim 12, the processor of the mobile device further configured to:

retrieve from the at least one retailer account, upon selection of an option to check-in at store, the customer designated shopping list, and

display, via the mobile application, the retrieved customer designated shopping list and a corresponding location in the store for each product included in the customer designated shopping list.

14. The system according to claim 12, the processor of the mobile device further configured to:

display, via the mobile application, an option to check-in at a store associated with the retailer according to a current location of the mobile device.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone or tablet device.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the categorical display of a plurality of offers is sorted according to the purchase history associated with the customer.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the customer designated shopping list includes at least one product that is not associated with a plurality of offers.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the mobile device further includes:

a barcode scanner configured to scan a barcode of the retail product, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to;

display the purchase price, via the mobile application, for the retail product upon identification of the barcode scanned by the barcode scanner,

display an option for payment, via the mobile application, of the retail product using at least one monetary payment account associated with the at least one retailer account, and

update, upon reception of the customer input indicating selection of the payment option, the at least one retailer account to indicate a deduction of the displayed purchase price from the at least one monetary payment account.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to display to the customer, via the mobile application, one or more offer acceptance pages including each offer from a plurality of offers individually selected by the customer and a shopping list selection option for individual selection of each individually selected offer to be added to the customer designated shopping list.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor of the mobile device is further configured to update the display of a customer designated shopping list on a shopping list page upon reception of a notification from the reward server that the at least one customized offer has been redeemed.