System and method for providing shopping aids and incentives to customers through a computer network

Abstract

A system and method for delivering purchasing incentives and a variety of other retail shopping aids through a computer network, such as by E-mail over the Interne or the World Wide Web. Customers ( 10 ) of retail stores can establish a bi-directional communication link with the system, log in ( 16 ) to the system, and then elect to browse among available purchasing incentive offers ( 18, 22 ), or elect to explore other shopping aids, such as a shopping list generator ( 26 ), a recipe center ( 30 ), or simply elect to claim a product rebate or to receive product information. If the customer elects to have product information or rebate information delivered, only minimal customer identification is required. For purchase incentives redeemable at retail stores, the customer must provide identification information and must also designate a retailer ( 12 ) at which the purchasing incentive can be exercised. For receipt of focused incentives based the customer's past shopping behavior, the customer must also supply a unique customer id., such as a check cashing card number or credit card number, used for in-store purchases. For delivery of a product sample, the customer's name and address must be supplied. The system merges this customer-supplied information ( 270 ) with other purchase incentive data ( 272 ) and creates a printable graphical image of the purchasing incentive ( 282 ) for transmission to the customer. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the purchase incentive is not transmitted directly to the customer. Instead, the terms of the incentive are transmitted electronically to the retail store ( 310 ) designated by the customer, who receives either a token ( 316 ) to present at the store or an advisory message. In yet another embodiment of the invention, incentives may be targeted to specific consumers based on a consumer purchase history ( 502 ), and transmitted to consumers' computers ( 510 ) using electronic mail addresses stored in a consumer database ( 506 ), or using a “personal page” in the computer network, established for each consenting consumer.

1 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A computer method for generating a web page, said method comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a prompt for personal information from a main computer to a personal computer;    receiving at said main computer personal information data for a consumer transmitted from said personal computer; and    transmitting from said main computer to said personal computer web page data from displaying a personalized web page, said personalized web page based upon said personal information data such that contents of said personalized web page are based upon at least some of said personal information data such that said contents are specific to said consumer.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said web page data contains consumer specific data, specific to a consumer.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  where in said consumer specific data includes a name of said consumer.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page an offer targeted to said consumer.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page an offer targeted to said consumer.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page an incentive targeted to said consumer.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said consumer specific data includes data indicating preferences selected by said consumer.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's shopping activities.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's past purchasing history.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's online shopping activity.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's prior selection of incentives.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's recency of Web site visits.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 33  where (1) said web page data includes data for displaying in said personalized web page offers targeted to said consumer and (2) said offers depend upon said consumer's redemption of online incentive.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 33  wherein (1) said web page data includes shopping list data for displaying in said personalized web page a shopping list.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein said shopping list data is data for a shopping list generated by said consumer during an online session.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein said online session is the consumer's current online session.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said offer targeted to said consumer depends upon a personal preference of said consumer.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said incentive targeted to said consumer depends upon a personal preference of said consumer.