System For Individualized Customer Interaction

Abstract

A method and system for using individualized customer models when operating a retail establishment is provided. The individualized customer models may be generated using statistical analysis of transaction data for the customer, thereby generating sub-models and attributes tailored to customer. The individualized customer models may be used in any aspect of a retail establishment's operations, ranging from supply chain management issues, inventory control, promotion planning (such as selecting parameters for a promotion or simulating results of a promotion), to customer interaction (such as providing a shopping list or providing individualized promotions).

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method of promotion planning, the method comprising:
 determining, by one or more computers, a customer model comprising a plurality of promotion attributes comprising at least one of (i) a price sensitivity attribute indicative of sensitivity of a customer to a product price, or (ii) a brand loyalty attribute indicative of loyalty of the customer to a product brand, the promotion attributes being derived from customer data comprising transaction data associated with the customer;   predicting, by the one or more computers, a product of interest to the customer, and   generating, by the one or more computers, a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining the price sensitivity attribute based on a number of times the customer bought the product of interest in a particular store when the product of interest was priced at a particular price.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the price sensitivity attribute is further indicative of sensitivity of the customer to prices of a plurality of products belonging to a product category that includes the product of interest. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein generating, by the one or more computers, a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer comprises:
 accessing the price sensitivity attribute for the product of interest; and   determining, based on the price sensitivity attribute, an amount of discount to be offered for the product of interest as part of the promotional offer.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining the brand loyalty attribute based on a brand loyalty score indicative of a propensity of the customer to buy a specific brand given the availability of that brand in a product category that includes the product of interest.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 modifying the brand loyalty score based on a popularity of the specific brand to other customers or based on a price of the specific brand relative to other brands.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein modifying the brand loyalty score based on a popularity of the specific brand to other customers comprises:
 reducing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be popular among other customers, and increasing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be unpopular among other customers.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein modifying the brand loyalty score based on a price of the specific brand relative to other brands comprises:
 reducing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be less expensive than the other brands, and increasing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be more expensive than the other brands.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 determining a customer model comprising a plurality of promotion attributes comprising at least one of (i) a price sensitivity attribute indicative of sensitivity of a customer to a product price, or (ii) a brand loyalty attribute indicative of loyalty of the customer to a product brand, the promotion attributes being derived from customer data comprising transaction data associated with the customer,   predicting a product of interest to the customer; and   generating a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 determining the price sensitivity attribute based on a number of times the customer bought the product of interest in a particular store when the product of interest was priced at a particular price.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the price sensitivity attribute is further indicative of sensitivity of the customer to prices of a plurality of products belonging to a product category that includes the product of interest. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein generating, by the one or more computers, a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer comprises:
 accessing the price sensitivity attribute for the product of interest; and   determining, based on the price sensitivity attribute, an amount of discount to be offered for the product of interest as part of the promotional offer.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 determining the brand loyalty attribute based on a brand loyalty score indicative of a propensity of the customer to buy a specific brand given the availability of that brand in a product category that includes the product of interest.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 modifying the brand loyalty score based on a popularity of the specific brand to other customers or based on a price of the specific brand relative to other brands.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein modifying the brand loyalty score based on a popularity of the specific brand to other customers comprises:
 reducing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be popular among other customers, and increasing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be unpopular among other customers.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein modifying the brand loyalty score based on a price of the specific brand relative to other brands comprises:
 reducing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be less expensive than the other brands, and increasing the brand loyalty score if the specific brand is determined to be more expensive than the other brands.   
     
     
         18 . A computer program product encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the computer program product comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 determining a customer model comprising a plurality of promotion attributes comprising at least one of (i) a price sensitivity attribute indicative of sensitivity of a customer to a product price, or (ii) a brand loyalty attribute indicative of loyalty of the customer to a product brand, the promotion attributes being derived from customer data comprising transaction data associated with the customer,   predicting a product of interest to the customer; and   generating a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , the operations further comprising:
 determining the price sensitivity attribute based on a number of times the customer bought the product of interest in a particular store when the product of interest was priced at a particular price.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the price sensitivity attribute is further indicative of sensitivity of the customer to prices of a plurality of products belonging to a product category that includes the product of interest. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein generating, by the one or more computers, a promotional offer based on at least one of the promotion attributes and the product of interest to the customer comprises:
 accessing the price sensitivity attribute for the product of interest; and   determining, based on the price sensitivity attribute, an amount of discount to be offered for the product of interest as part of the promotional offer.