Merchant-Affiliated Direct Wholesale Marketing and Fulfillment System

Abstract

A merchant-affiliated direct wholesale marketing and fulfillment system. A computer server receives information from a consumer and from this information assigns the consumer to one of a plurality of independent retail merchants. The server then provides the consumer's remote computer with identifying information for the assigned retail merchant, to be displayed along with information regarding products for sale. Consumers may then purchase products directly from the organization operating the server, with a partial profit from the transaction delivered to the assigned retail merchant. Consumers may also purchase products at merchants' retail locations, in which case a transaction is consummated between the organization operating the server and the merchant, permitting the merchant to resell the purchased item to the consumer. The system may also be used for fulfillment by merchants.

1 . A system for merchant-affiliated direct marketing, comprising:
 a server maintaining an identification of products potentially for sale,   a remote computer system under control of a remote user at a place of business of a retail merchant, permitting the user to obtain information regarding products for retail sale from said server,   said server responding to the remote user's request to purchase a product by consummating a sale transaction for the product between two or more of a wholesale organization, the retail merchant, and the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing said remote computer to said retail merchant for free or at a price that is reduced compared to retail cost, to facilitate the merchant's participation in the method. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the server maintains an identification of products potentially for sale and an indication of current available inventory of said products, the server delivering to the remote computer system, information regarding products for retail sale in conjunction with said retail merchant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said computer server does not provide product information for products that are not currently available in inventory. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said server provides estimates of delivery dates for products without regard to backorders. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said server reduces the indication of available inventory for a product upon consummating a purchase of the product. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said server responds to a request from a user to purchase a product by checking the availability of the product before continuing to consummate the sale. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said user is a retail merchant, and said server also connects to said remote computer to consummate purchases of products by said retail merchant. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said server is responsive to information regarding orders that have been entered by a retail merchant, by fulfilling these orders by direct shipment to customers.