Product recall using customer prior shopping history data

Abstract

A system for determining customer identifiers (CIDs) associated with purchase of product items which are recalled includes a computer database management system ( 10, 20 ) and network ( 30 ). Consumers associated with the determined CIDs are notified of the recall of the products.

1 . A computer network implemented method for recalling products, comprising:
 determining CIDs associated with purchase of product items associated with a recall; and   notifying consumers associated with the determined CIDs of the recall.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining comprises determining products previously purchased in association with a CID. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining comprises determining if products previously purchased meet a rebate specification. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining comprises determining whether data indicating a product previously purchased in association with a CID meets a recall specification. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining comprises determining a UPC associated with the recall. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprising transmitting a recall notification to a POS terminal or kiosk when a determined CID is entered at the POS terminal or kiosk. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprises transmitting a recall notification via postal mail to an address associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprises transmitting a recall notification via email to an email address associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprises transmitting from a web site to a user's computer a recall notification in response to a prompt received for the user's computer for a personal web page associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprises transmitting a refund, a rebate, on an incentive along with the recall notification. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of notifying comprises transmitting to a consumer encoded indicia identifying a CID associated with the consumer and recall instructions along with the notification. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a central server computer system performs said step of determining based at least in part on a recall specification and CIDs stored in association with data indicating prior product purchases. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of notifying comprising a central server computer system transmitting said determined CIDs to another computer system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of transmitting determined CIDs associated with one retail computer system to that retailer computer system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of generating bar coded documents containing a determined CID and recall specification. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of accounting for return of recalled goods. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  comprising entering into a computer system a CID associated with returned goods. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said accounting occurs at a POS terminal in a retail store. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said accounting occurs at a postal mail service provider facility. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining the efficacy of said step of notifying. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising accounting for costs associated with said recall. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising target marketing to consumers associated with said determined CIDs. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising further target re-marketing to said consumers associated with said determined CIDs depending upon consumer responses to said target marketing. 
     
     
         24 . A computer network implemented method for recalling products, comprising:
 receiving at a central server computer system a recall specification;   determining, at the central computer system, retailer stores that received product items subject to recall, and specification of product received by each retail store; and   notifying retailers whose stores received recalled product of the product items and associated recall specification.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of notifying a consumer associated with a CID associated with purchase of a product item meeting said recall specification. 
     
     
         26 . A computer network programmed for recalling products, comprising:
 a computer system for determining CIDs associated with purchase of product items associated with a recall; and   means for notifying consumers associated with the determined CIDs of the recall.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said computer system comprises means for determining products previously purchased in association with a CID. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said computer system comprises means for determining if products previously purchased meet a rebate specification. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said computer system comprises means for determining whether data indicating a product previously purchased in association with a CID meets a recall specification. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said computer system comprises means for determining a UPC associated with the recall. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said means for notifying comprises a network hardware for transmitting a recall notification to a POS terminal or kiosk when a determined CID is entered at the POS terminal or kiosk. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said means for notifying comprises a postal mail system for transmitting a recall notification via postal mail to an address associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said means for notifying comprises an email program for transmitting a recall notification via email to an email address associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the means for notifying comprises a web site for transmitting to a users computer a recall notification in response to a prompt received for the user's computer for a personal web page associated with a determined CID. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said means for notifying comprises a mechanism to transmit a notification of a refund, a rebate, on an incentive along with the recall notification. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said means for notifying comprises a data transmission device for transmitting to a computer associated with a consumer encoded indicia identifying a CID associated with the consumer and recall instructions along with the notification. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said computer system is a central server computer system that determines CIDs associated with said recall based at least in part on a recall specification and CIDs stored in association with data indicating prior product purchases. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said central server computer system is programmed to transmit said determined CIDs to another computer system. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising the step of transmitting determined CIDs associated with one retail computer system to that retailer computer system. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 26  further comprising programming to generate data defining a bar coded documents containing a determined CID and recall specification. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 26  further comprising programming for accounting for return of recalled goods. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41  further comprising programming for storing a CID associated with returned goods. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 41  further comprising a POS terminal in a retail store. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 41  further comprising a data entry terminal at a postal mail service provider facility. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 26  ether comprising programming for determining the efficacy of said recall. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 26  further comprising programming for accounting for costs associated with said recall. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 26  further comprising programming for target marketing to consumers associated with said determined CIDs. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47  further comprising programming for further target re-marketing to said consumers associated with said determined CIDs depending upon consumer responses to said target marketing. 
     
     
         49 . A computer network system for recalling products, comprising:
 a central server computer system, wherein:   said system is programmed to receive a recall specification;   said system is programmed to determine retailer stores that received product items subject to recall, and specification of product received by each retail store that is subject to recall;   said system is programmed to notify retailers whose stores received recalled product of the product items and associated recall specification.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49  further comprising means for notifying a consumer associated with a CID associated with purchase of a product item meeting said recall specification. 
     
     
         51 . A database management system comprising;
 a database storing CIDs in association with prior purchase of product items;   programming for determining, based upon a recall specification, which prior purchase of product items stored in the database are for product items associated with a recall;   means for determining CIDs associated with purchase of product items associated with said recall; and   means for transmitting or storing said CIDs associated with purchase of product items associated with said recall.