Method and apparatus for selecting a supplemental product to offer for sale during a transaction

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a supplemental product or service may be offered to a user during a transaction, either in addition to products and/or services the user is purchasing, or as a replacement to one or more of the products and/or services that the user is purchasing. The functionality may be implemented, for example, in a retail embodiment where a user is purchasing products and/or services at a cash register or other point-of-sale terminal. One or more embodiments may be implemented online where a user is purchasing products and/or services using a computer, terminal, telephone or other client or user device and accessing a World Wide Web site, online catalog, interactive voice response unit or system, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a web server in communication with a user device, transaction information;   determining, by said web server, one or more respective scores for one or more of a plurality of possible supplemental products based on said transaction information and one or more of the following:
 a respective profitability of at least one of said possible supplemental products, 
 a respective popularity of said at least one possible supplemental products, 
 one or more preferences of a user of said user device, 
 a respective number of said at least one possible supplemental products in inventory, 
 a business rule for scoring said plurality of possible supplemental products, and 
 a purchase history of said user of said user device; and 
   selecting, by said web server, said one or more supplemental products based on said one or more respective scores of said one or more possible supplemental products; and   providing, by said web server via said user device, an indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product that has a respective score higher than at least one other supplemental product of said plurality of possible supplemental products. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product having a respective score higher than each of said plurality of possible supplemental products. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said web server further is in communication with at least one of a controller device, a point-of-sale terminal, and a retailer device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products comprises:
 transmitting, by said web server to said user device, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products comprises:
 outputting, by said user device, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by said web server, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products to at least one of a retailer device, a controller device, and a point-of-sale terminal.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products for an offer amount during said transaction. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transaction comprises a purchase of a product, said transaction being conducted by a user and a retailer via a web site. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by said web server, an indication of at least one business rule for scoring possible supplemental products; and   storing said indication of said at least one business rule.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising one of the following:
 receiving an indication of an acceptance of an offer to purchase said selected one or more supplemental products; or   receiving an indication of a rejection of an offer to purchase said selected one or more supplemental products.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying at least one product category involved in said transaction;   determining at least one complementary product category for said at least one product category; and   selecting said plurality of possible supplemental products based on said at least one complementary product category.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining at least one potential replacement product; and   selecting said plurality of possible supplemental products based on said at least one potential replacement product.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transaction information includes at least one of the following:
 a transaction subtotal amount;   a user identifier;   a user device identifier;   a payment identifier;   a destination identifier;   a location identifier;   a point-of-sale terminal location identifier;   an employee identifier;   a transaction identifier;   a product identifier;   a retailer identifier;   a point-of-sale terminal identifier;   a retailer identifier;   a time for said transaction;   a date for said transaction;   credit history of a user;   characteristics of a user;   weather information;   time of day information;   day of week information;   holiday information;   competitor information;   user demographic information;   information regarding a user's brand loyalty;   information regarding a user's brand indifference;   product quantity information;   product inventory information; and   a price for a product being purchased during said transaction.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining a transaction database;   maintaining a database of possible supplemental products; and   maintaining a user database.   
     
     
         17 . A web server comprising:
 a processor;   a communication port connected to said processor, said communication port configured to enable communication by the processor with at least one user device; and   a storage device connected to said processor, said storage device storing instructions configured to direct said processor to perform:
 determining transaction information; 
 determining one or more respective scores for one or more of a plurality of possible supplemental products based on said transaction information and one or more of the following:
 a respective profitability of at least one of said possible supplemental products, 
 a respective popularity of said at least one possible supplemental products, 
 one or more preferences of a user of said user device, 
 a respective number of said at least one possible supplemental products in inventory, 
 a business rule for scoring said plurality of possible supplemental products, and 
 a purchase history of said user of said user device; and 
 
 selecting said one or more supplemental products based on said one or more respective scores of said one or more possible supplemental products; and 
 providing, via a user device, an indication of said one or more selected supplemental products. 
   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a web server in communication with a user device, transaction information;   determining, by said web server, one or more respective scores for one or more of a plurality of possible supplemental products based on said transaction information and one or more of the following:
 a respective profitability of at least one of said possible supplemental products, 
 a respective popularity of said at least one possible supplemental products, 
 one or more preferences of a user of said user device, 
 a respective number of said at least one possible supplemental products in inventory, 
 a business rule for scoring said plurality of possible supplemental products, and 
 a purchase history of said user of said user device; and 
   selecting, by said web server, said one or more supplemental products based on said one or more respective scores of said one or more possible supplemental products; and   providing, by said web server via said user device, an indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product that has a respective score higher than at least one other supplemental product of said plurality of possible supplemental products. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product having a respective score higher than each of said plurality of possible supplemental products. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said web server further is in communication with at least one of a controller device, a point-of-sale terminal, and a retailer device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein providing said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products comprises:
 transmitting, by said web server to said user device, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein providing said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products comprises:
 outputting, by said user device, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing, by said web server, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products to at least one of a retailer device, a controller device, and a point-of-sale terminal.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products for an offer amount during said transaction. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said transaction comprises a purchase of a product, said transaction being conducted by a user and a retailer via a web site. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising one of the following:
 receiving an indication of an acceptance of an offer to purchase said selected one or more supplemental products; or   receiving an indication of a rejection of an offer to purchase said selected one or more supplemental products.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 identifying at least one product category involved in said transaction;   determining at least one complementary product category for said at least one product category; and   selecting said plurality of possible supplemental products based on said at least one complementary product category.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 determining at least one potential replacement product; and   selecting said plurality of possible supplemental products based on said at least one potential replacement product.   
     
     
         31 . A web server comprising:
 a processor;   a communication port connected to said processor, said communication port configured to enable communication by the processor with at least one user device; and   a storage device connected to said processor, said storage device storing instructions configured to direct said processor to perform:
 receiving transaction information; 
 determining one or more respective scores for one or more of a plurality of possible supplemental products based on said transaction information and one or more of the following:
 a respective profitability of at least one of said possible supplemental products, 
 a respective popularity of said at least one possible supplemental products, 
 one or more preferences of a user of said user device, 
 a respective number of said at least one possible supplemental products in inventory, 
 a business rule for scoring said plurality of possible supplemental products, and 
 a purchase history of said user of said user device; and 
 
 selecting said one or more supplemental products based on said one or more respective scores of said one or more possible supplemental products; and 
 providing, via a user device, an indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.