Centralized electronic sales using a consolidator

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronically accessible site that lists a product and associated distributors that distribute the product to customers. A customer purchases a product from the electronically accessible site, and during the purchasing chasing process, the customer selects the distributor he wants to receive the product from. The order is received by an agent, and transmitted to the selected distributor for eventual distribution of the product to the customer. In response to the purchase, the agent and electronically accessible site receive compensation based on the amount of the purchase.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of conducting electronic commerce, comprising a consolidator: 
 consolidating product information from a plurality of vendors;    utilizing a web site to display the information to potential consumers in a format such that ordering consumers from among the potential consumers can select from among the plurality of vendors to purchase desired products;    taking orders from the ordering consumers for the desired products, and passing the orders along to corresponding selected ones of the plurality of vendors;    receiving a commission as a function of a revenue generated from the orders;    allowing the individual consumers to purchase the desired products directly from the selected vendors; and    providing a subset of the consolidated product information to a third party that operates a second web site that competes with the consolidator's web site, and receiving a compensation as a function of the third party's revenues from same.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of the consolidator providing the consolidated product information to the third party in a standard format.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the consolidated product information provided to the third party includes product data from at least 100 of the plurality of vendors.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing technology to the third party to host the second web site.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of taking orders for the desired products comprises obtaining from a consumer: a name and address; a stock keepers unit (SKU); and an identification of a selected one of the plurality of vendors.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the selected vendors shipping the desired products to the ordering consumers.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the function comprises a percentage of the third party's revenues.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the consolidator collecting the revenue from the ordering consumers, and passing along at least a portion of the revenue to the selected vendors.  
     
     
         9 . An electronically accessible web site, programmed to: 
 display to potential consumers product information from a plurality of unrelated vendors, in a format such that individual ones of the potential consumers can select from among the plurality of vendors to purchase desired products;    take orders from ordering ones of the consumers for the desired products, and pass the orders along to corresponding selected ones of the plurality of vendors;    receive a commission as a function of a revenue associated with the orders; and    provide contact information to the potential consumers to purchase the desired products directly from the selected vendors, instead of purchasing from the web site.    
     
     
         10 . The web site of  claim 9 , wherein the web site is further programmed to provide contact information to an entity that sells a subset of the consolidated product information to a third party to operate a competing web site.  
     
     
         11 . The web site of  claim 9  further comprising the web site programmed to collect the revenue from the ordering consumers, and pass along at least a portion of the revenue to the selected vendors.