Concurrent dynamic pricing marketing and selling system

ABSTRACT :-

A system for liquidating excess, returned, inventory of slow moving products to maximize gross profit. The system has a variable pricing strategy for enabling quick liquidation of unsold or returned inventory items. The system is Web based. The pricing strategy is interactive, and includes a flexible current price, an open order mechanism, a facility for a demand price and a buyer auction scheme. Sellers interact with the system to set minimum prices and permitted increments of changes in price when prices vary. Buyers can choose to acquire a certain amount of a product at the current price, or set an amount they are willing to pay after a particular period of time. Sellers can adjust prices based on buyer responses and arrive at an optimal pricing strategy over a given period of time to meet their requirements for inventory liquidation. The system can be used in on-line shopping forums and is available through a number of access points including affiliated websites, distributor and manufacturer websites and portal type websites. The system permits the liquidation of excess or returned inventory in a desired amount of time with an improved recovery price.

CLAIMS :-

What is claimed is:

1. A concurrent dynamic pricing marketing and sales system for providing buyer access to inventory items of a seller, comprising:

an inventory sales tool accessible to a plurality of buyers through at least one medium;

said inventory sales tool being effective to provide an indication of an available quantity of an item and a plurality of pricing schemes;

at least one of said pricing schemes permits at least one of said buyers to request an immediate purchase at an immediate purchase price; and

at least another of said pricing schemes permits said at least one of said buyers to request a deferred purchase at a deferred purchase price.

2. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said at least one medium is a worldwide network of interconnected computers.

3. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

buyer selectable shopping channels; and

each of said shopping channels permits buyer access to said inventory items based on a type of merchandise.

4. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said immediate purchase price decreases over a specified time period when no purchase requests are made.

5. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said immediate purchase price increases a specified amount when an immediate purchase is made.

6. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said indication is effective to provide information related to purchases by all of said buyers.

7. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said item is made available for a limited duration of time.

8. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said immediate purchase price can fluctuate;

said deferred purchase request includes an open order purchase request made by a first buyer;

said open order purchase request includes an open price;

said open order purchase request being fillable if said open price matches said immediate purchase price; and

said open order purchase request being accessible to no others of said buyers except said first buyer.

9. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said inventory sales tool includes a lot price for a lot containing a specified quantity of said items;

said lot price and said specified quantity determine an average price for each of said items in said lot;

said deferred purchase request includes a demand purchase request made by said at least one of said buyers;

said demand purchase request includes a demand price;

said demand purchase request being fillable after a prescribed amount of time has passed if said demand price is not less than said average price; and

said demand purchase request being accessible to no others of said buyers except said at least one of said buyers.

10. A marketing system according to

claim 9

, wherein:

said at least one of said buyers includes at least another buyer;

said deferred purchase request includes at least another demand purchase request made by said at least another buyer;

said at least another demand purchase request includes another demand price;

said demand purchase request and said at least another demand purchase request being both fillable after said prescribed amount of time has passed if a sum of said demand price and said another demand price is not less than a total number of said items requested multiplied by said average price;

said demand purchase request being accessible to no others of said buyers except said at least one of said buyers; and

said at least another demand purchase request being accessible to no others of said buyers except said at least another buyer.

11. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein a filled immediate purchase decreases said available quantity of said item for said deferred purchase.

12. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein:

said inventory sales tool includes a minimum auction price;

said deferred purchase request includes an auction purchase request including a bid purchase price;

said auction purchase request being fillable if said bid purchase price is not less than said minimum auction price and said bid purchase price is greater or equal to any other bid purchase price submitted for a like quantity of items.

13. A marketing system according to

claim 10

, wherein said seller sets said lot price.

14. A marketing system according to

claim 12

, wherein said seller sets said minimum auction price and a bid purchase price increment by which said bid purchase price is permitted to change.

15. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said sell sets a minimum immediate purchase price.

16. A marketing system according to

claim 8

, wherein:

said inventory sales tool includes a lot price for a lot containing a specified quantity of said items;

said lot price and said specified quantity determine an average price for each of said items in said lot;

said deferred purchase request includes a demand purchase request made by said at least one of said buyers;

said demand purchase request includes a demand price;

said demand purchase request being fillable after a prescribed amount of time has passed if said demand price is not less than said average price; and

said demand purchase request being accessible to no others of said buyers except said at least one of said buyers.

17. A marketing system according to

claim 16

, wherein:

said inventory sales tool includes a minimum auction price;

said deferred purchase request includes an auction purchase request including a bid purchase price;

said auction purchase request being fillable if said bid purchase price is not less than said minimum auction price and said bid purchase price is greater or equal to any other bid purchase price submitted for a like quantity of items.

18. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said inventory items are composed of excess inventory.

19. A marketing system according to

claim 17

, wherein said inventory items are composed of excess inventory.

20. A marketing system according to

claim 2

, wherein said inventory sales tool is accessible on a web site.

21. A marketing system according to

claim 20

, wherein said web site is related to a general buyer interest.

22. A marketing system according to

claim 20

, wherein said web site is related to a manufacturer of said inventory items.

23. A marketing system according to

claim 20

, wherein said web site is related to a distributor of said inventory items.

24. A marketing system according to

claim 20

, wherein said web site is a general purpose web site including at least a search engine.

25. A marketing system according to

claim 1

, further including an indication showing for a first buyer at least any immediate purchase selections with immediate purchase prices and any deferred purchase selections with deferred purchase prices.

26. A marketing system according to

claim 25

, wherein said indication is effective to permit said first buyer to complete a sales transaction based on said selections.

27. A marketing system according to

claim 25

, further including:

a storage medium;

said indication being storable on said storage medium; and

a profile describing purchase trends of said first buyer contains information related to all of said indications stored on said storage medium.

28. A marketing system according to

claim 25

, further including:

a first buyer notification; and

said first buyer notification containing information related to offers for sale of said inventory items.

29. A marketing system according to

claim 28

, wherein said first buyer notification operates on an electronic mailing system.

30. A marketing system according to

claim 27

, further including:

a first buyer notification; and

said first buyer notification containing information related to offers for sale of said inventory items.

31. A system providing buyer purchase choices, comprising:

an inventory content indication effective to provide information about at least a portion of an inventory content including at least one saleable item;

a communication network effective to provide access to said indication for a plurality of users;

a plurality of buying options including at least one of a current purchase option and a deferred purchase option related to said at least one saleable item; and

said communication network effective to provide access to said plurality of buying options for said plurality of users, whereby said plurality of users may modify at least one parameter of any one of said plurality of buying options.

32. A system according to

claim 31

, wherein said modification of said at least one parameter includes submission of a buy request.

33. A system for providing buyer and seller purchase feedback, comprising:

an inventory content indication effective to provide information about at least a portion of an inventory content including a plurality of saleable items;

a plurality of variable prices related to each of said saleable items;

a communication network effective to provide access to at least one of said indication and said prices for a plurality of buyers and at least one seller;

a plurality of buying options including at least one of a current purchase option and a deferred purchase option related to said at least one of said indication and said prices;

said buying options permit said buyers to submit purchase requests; and

said at least one seller can modify parameters of said buying options.

34. A method of offering inventory items for sale, comprising:

providing to a buyer an indication of available quantities for inventory items of a seller;

providing to said buyer a plurality of pricing schemes for said inventory items;

at least one of said pricing schemes permitting said buyer to request an immediate purchase at an immediate purchase price;

at least another of said pricing schemes permitting said buyer to request a deferred purchase at a deferred purchase price; and filling said purchase requests if said purchase prices meet specific criterion.

35. A method according to

claim 34

, wherein:

said deferred purchase includes at least one of an open order; a demand order and an auction bid order;

filling said open order if a related open order purchase price is not less than said immediate purchase price;

filling said demand order within a specified period of time if a related demand order price is not less than an average lot price for an inventory lot including said inventory items; and

filling said auction bid order if a related auction bid order price is greater than any other auction bid order price.

36. A method according to

claim 35

, wherein said method is operable over a network of interconnected computers.

37. A method according to

claim 34

, wherein said inventory items comprise excess inventory including at least one of excess items, returned items and repaired items.

38. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium in which is stored a computer program for offering inventory items for sale, the computer program comprising:

a first code segment executable to provide to a buyer an indication of available quantities for inventory items of a seller;

a second code segment executable to permit said buyer to request an immediate purchase at an immediate purchase price;

a third code segment executable to permit said buyer to request a deferred purchase at a deferred purchase price; and

a fourth code segment executable to fill said purchase requests if said purchase prices meet specific criterion.

39. A tool for providing a buyer and seller access to an inventory, comprising:

an indication of quantities of inventory items;

a current price associated with each of said inventory items;

a deferred price associated with each of said inventory items;

an offer facility which permits said seller to set parameters associated with said prices;

a purchase facility which permits said buyer to select purchases from among said inventory items for purchase; and

said selected purchases can be made at either a current price or a deferred price.

40. A tool according to

claim 39

, wherein said tool can be provided on a web site accessible to said buyer.