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 at least one of a user device and a second device in communication with said user device, transaction information at said user device;   determining, by at least one of said user device and said second device, 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 at least one of said user device and said second device, 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 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 second device comprises at least one of a controller device, a web server, 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 user device to said second 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 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products. 
     
     
         8 . 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. 
     
     
         9 . 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. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by said user device, an indication of at least one business rule for scoring possible supplemental products; and   storing said indication of said at least one business rule.   
     
     
         11 . 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.   
     
     
         12 . 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.   
     
     
         13 . 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.   
     
     
         14 . 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.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining a transaction database;   maintaining a database of possible supplemental products; and   maintaining a user database.   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   a communication port connected to said processor, said communication port configured to enable communication between a user device and a second device; and   a storage device connected to said processor, said storage device storing instructions configured to direct said processor to perform:
 determining transaction information at said user device; 
 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 said user device, an indication of said one or more selected supplemental products. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , 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. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product having a respective score higher than each of said plurality of possible supplemental products. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said second device comprises at least one of a controller device, a web server, a point-of-sale terminal, and a retailer device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein providing said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products comprises:
 transmitting, by said user device to said second device, said indication of said one or more selected supplemental products.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , 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.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said one or more selected supplemental products for an offer amount during said transaction. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said transaction comprises a purchase of a product, said transaction being conducted by a user and a retailer via a web site. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , said instructions being further configured to direct said processor to perform:
 receiving, by said user device, an indication of at least one business rule for scoring possible supplemental products; and   storing said indication of said at least one business rule.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 16 , said instructions being further configured to direct said processor to perform 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.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 16 , said instructions being further configured to direct said processor to perform:
 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.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 16 , said instructions being further configured to direct said processor to perform:
 determining at least one potential replacement product; and   selecting said plurality of possible supplemental products based on said at least one potential replacement product.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 16 , 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.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 16 , said instructions being further configured to direct said processor to perform:
 maintaining a transaction database;   maintaining a database of possible supplemental products; and   maintaining a user database.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said user device comprises said processor. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said second device comprises said processor.