METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PURCHASE AGREEMENTS WITH A RETAILER

• US 20080052188A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, Deirdre O'Shea, Jay S. Walker, Magdalena Fincham, Russel Sammon, Steven Santisi
• Original Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, Deirdre O'Shea, Jay S. Walker, Magdalena Fincham, Russel Sammon, Steven Santisi
• Inventors: Sammon, Russel, O'Shea, Deirdre, Van Luchene, Andrew, Santisi, Steven, WALKER, Jay, Fincham, Magdalena
• Application Number:
  US11/930,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating an agreement to purchase multiple units of a product are presented herein. The agreement may specify, for example, a period of time during which purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made and a minimum and/or maximum number of transactions in which the purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made. In some embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased by a customer in a brick-and-mortar retail establishment, wherein the customer takes possession of the product at the retail establishment. In other embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased remotely and delivered to a customer associated with the agreement in response to a request by the customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a customer of a retailer;

selecting, via a computing device, a product to be the subject of an offer for a purchase agreement;

defining the terms of the purchase agreement by;

setting a minimum number of units of the product to be bought;

setting a minimum number of purchases during which the minimum number of units are to be bought,

wherein a purchase may include other products not defined by the purchase agreement, which products were selected by the customer from the retail displays of the retailer;

setting a maximum time within which the minimum number of purchases from the retailer are to occur; and

causing an offer for the purchase agreement to be output to the customer.

2. A method, comprising:

identifying a customer;

selecting, via a computing device, a product to be the subject of a purchase agreement, wherein the purchase agreement defines a minimum number of units of the product to be purchased, a maximum amount of time within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased, and a minimum number of transactions within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased;

determining the customer'"'"'s past purchases of the product;

calculating an amount the customer would have saved if the customer had been committed to the purchase agreement at the time of the past purchases; and

outputting an offer for the purchase agreement to the customer, wherein the offer includes an indication of the amount the customer would have saved.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

displaying the offer for the purchase agreement to the customer via a website the customer is currently logged on to, wherein the offer includes an indication of the amount the customer would have saved.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

transmitting the offer for the purchase agreement to the customer via electronic mail, wherein the offer includes an indication of the amount the customer would have saved.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

identify a customer;

select a product to be the subject of a purchase agreement, wherein the purchase agreement defines a minimum number of units of the product to be purchased, a maximum amount of time within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased, and a minimum number of transactions within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased;

determine the customer'"'"'s past purchases of the product;

calculate an amount the customer would have saved if the customer had been committed to the purchase agreement at the time of the past purchases; and

output an offer for the purchase agreement to the customer, wherein the offer includes an indication of the amount the customer would have saved.

6. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor of a computing device to perform a method, said method comprising:

select a product to be the subject of a purchase agreement, wherein the purchase agreement defines a minimum number of units of the product to be purchased, a maximum amount of time within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased, and a minimum number of transactions within which the minimum number of units of the product are to be purchased;

determine the customer'"'"'s past purchases of the product;

calculate an amount the customer would have saved if the customer had been committed to the purchase agreement at the time of the past purchases; and

output an offer for the purchase agreement to the customer, wherein the offer includes an indication of the amount the customer would have saved.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

identify a customer of a retailer;

select a product to be the subject of an offer for a purchase agreement;

define the terms of the purchase agreement by;

set a minimum number of units of the product to be bought;

set a minimum number of purchases during which the minimum number of units are to be bought,

wherein a purchase may include other products not defined by the purchase agreement, which products were selected by the customer from the retail displays of the retailer;

set a maximum time within which the minimum number of purchases from the retailer are to occur; and

cause an offer for the purchase agreement to be output to the customer.