JP2003177057A - Metering system with frequent shopper display, and related method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a more effective metering system which influences a purchasing action of shoppers. <P>SOLUTION: During weighing of food products associated with frequent shopper pricing, the food product metering system in a store displays frequent shopper pricing information such as a frequent shopper total price or a frequent shopper savings amount over a normal total price. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[Cross Reference] This application is 2
Preliminary application serial number 6 filed on August 17, 001
0 / 313,114.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to scales used in the delicatessen, produce, service meat and bakery departments of supermarkets, grocery stores and other stores, and more particularly to scales including a guest display. .

Background A food grocery store in a typical grocery store displays the unit price of delicatessen or produce purchased along with the total weight as the food is weighed toward the consumer. Includes display. Such scales also print labels and attach them to food products. Many grocery stores and supermarkets have a "closest visitor program"
And offer shoppers incentives (discounted prices) based on their participation in the program. Discount for the closest customers at the delicatessen and agricultural products counters /
The reduced price is typically printed on a label attached to the food product. However, the shopper does not see the nearest visitor price until the food is packed and delivered to the shopper, and it is unlikely that the shopper will change the purchasing behavior based on the closest visitor price at that time. Further, many shoppers, without even looking at the label, take for granted that the price they should pay at the cash register is the price shown on the balance display.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a more effective weighing system that influences the shopping behavior of shoppers.

The term "nearest customer" as used herein includes shopper incentive programs, sales or other promotions, and identifies customers who participate in the program from a store by a certain member ID such as a program card. This means giving a special price to some customers. A common alternative term used in the industry to refer to such programs is customer loyalty programs.

[Summary] [0006] One aspect is a food weighing system for applying a nearest customer incentive, the system comprising: at least one consumer display; a label printer; and said at least one consumer. A controller for controlling the information displayed on the display and the information printed on the label by the label printer, the controller comprising the consumption of food during a weighing operation with an associated customer pricing. Displaying at least the normal total price on the consumer display and the controller displaying at least one of the total guest price and the nearest guest savings on the at least one consumer display.

[0007] A further aspect is a food weighing system for applying in-store and closest customer incentives comprising: a weighing mechanism for weighing food and providing a weight-related signal; At least one consumer display facing the consumer ordering area; a label printer; and receiving a weight related signal, controlling the information displayed on the at least one consumer display and labeling by the label printer. A controller for controlling information printed on the controller, the controller determining whether a particular food item has an associated closest customer pricing during a weighing operation of a food having an associated closest customer pricing, and If a particular food item has an associated nearest-neighbor pricing, the controller The normal price per unit weight of the specific food and the closest visitor price per unit weight are specified, (2) the normal total price and the total visitor price of the specific food are determined, and (3) the normal total price and the above The difference between the total prices of the closest customers is determined as the savings amount of the closest guests, and (4) the normal total price is displayed in a specific portion on the consumer display, and another portion is displayed on the consumer display. Displaying one or both of the total value of the closest customers and the amount of savings of the closest visitor; if the particular food product does not have an associated closest customer pricing, (1) the unit weight of the food item Identifying a regular price per unit, (2) determining a regular total price based on the weight of the food product, (3) displaying the regular total price in the specific portion on the at least one consumer display, And the consumer device The said another part of the spray in displaying advertising words, the promotion wording for different food from the specific food product.

Another aspect controls a first consumer display, a label printer, and information displayed on the first consumer display and controls information printed on a label by the label printer. A sales promotion method comprising the following steps for use with a weighing machine including a controller for: (a) second.
Operably coupled to the second consumer display for communicating with the scale so that the information displayed by the consumer display is controlled by the controller, (b) during a weighing operation of a particular food item. (I) displaying on at least one of the first consumer display and the second consumer display a regular per unit price and a regular total price based on the weight of the particular food product; and (ii) ) A savings representing the sum of the total amount of visitor based on the weight of the particular product and the difference between the normal total price and the total price of the closest visitor on the other of the first consumer display and the second consumer display. Show both forehead.

[0009] Another aspect is a food metering system for applying nearest customer incentive promotions, the system comprising: a first consumer display; a second consumer display; a label printer; And a controller for controlling information displayed on the first consumer display and the second consumer display and for controlling information printed on a label by the label printer, the controller comprising:
Displaying at least a normal total price on one of the first consumer display and the second consumer display during a weighing operation of food products having an associated nearest-neighbor pricing, and the controller Displaying at least the nearest guest total price on the other of the consumer display and the second consumer display.

[0010] Another aspect is a method of modifying food weighing in a store, the food weighing comprising a first consumer display facing a consumer, a label printer; and the first consumer. A controller for controlling the information displayed on the display and controlling the information printed on the label by the label printer,
A method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a second consumer display, (b) operatively connecting the second consumer display to communicate with the food meter, and the second consumer. Arranging the display to face the consumer, and (c) modifying the controller configuration to further control the information displayed on the second consumer display, with associated guest pricing. The controller causes the second consumption display to display at least one or both of the total value of the nearest customers and the amount of savings of the nearest customers during the weighing operation of the food having the above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary counter / removable refrigerator for a supermarket delicatessen, service meat or bakery department is shown. Area 12 represents the store employee / weighing staff position behind unit 10, area 14 represents unit 1
Shows a typical consumer / shopper position in front of zero, where the consumer places an order. A food scale 16 is depicted located on top of the unit 10 and includes a consumer display facing the consumer area 12 for viewing by the consumer during weighing and labeling of food.

As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary food meter 16
Is a consumer display 18, a label printer 20
A user input device 22 (such as an input key to identify the food item to be weighed), a user display 24 (with the label and print head associated supply), on the opposite side of the consumer display to face the user. Located), and a weighing mechanism 26 (such as a load platform). A controller 28, such as a processor-based unit with associated interface circuitry
Is coupled to receive a metering signal from the metering mechanism 26 and an input signal from the user input device 22, and is also displayed on the label by the information displayed by the user display 24 and the consumer display 18 and the printing mechanism 20. It is linked to control the information printed on. Display 1
8 and 24 can be of any suitable type such as LED, LCD, CRT, plasma discharge, etc. In the illustrated weighing machine 6, the label
The printer 20 is integrated with other components, but other scales may be separate label printers 20 'but connected to other components. The scale controller 28 is typically coupled to a store computer 30 to receive pricing information about food items, the store computer 30 having one or more databases of such information. The communication link between controller 28 and computer 30 may be a hardline link, may be wireless such as RF or infrared, or may be a combination of the two. The computer 30 is not a store computer,
It may be a regional or chain-scale computer. The scale controller 28 may have its own database or a database for pricing and label information.

It will be understood that variations can be made in such a meter configuration. For example, as a weighing station often used in the agricultural sector, it has only a consumer display 18 on the same side of the scale.

In FIG. 3, during a weighing operation of a given food product, it is generally controlled to show the normal price per unit of food product 32, the total weight of food product 34, and the normal total price of food product 36. The name and / or brand of the food item may also be shown at 38.

With the introduction of the Nearest Customers program, certain merchandise at a given supermarket / general store / store will be discounted for consumers participating in the program. Participation in the program typically involves registration and receipt of a card that can be scanned at checkout for consumer purchasing behavior tracking. If the consumer participates in the Nearest Customers program and the card is scanned at checkout, the consumer will be presented with the closest applicable consumer price for any food.

[0016] In the past, the weighing machine 16 was printed with the most-customer price information on a label attached when food was packed.
The nearest customer information can be obtained from the store computer 30 by the weighing machine 16, or can be integrated in the database of the weighing machine. However, as described above, this labeling technology cannot correct consumer purchasing behavior.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in one advantageous arrangement, another consumer display 4
0 is added, which can be any suitable type such as LED, LCD, CRT plasma discharge. Therefore, the consumer display 40 shows the savings 4 when compared to the total price 42 of the nearest customers and the normal total price 36.
It is used to provide consumers with pricing information such as 4, for example. Particularly during the weighing operation of the food having the closest customer price, the controller 28 identifies the price per unit weight of the food and the price per unit weight of the visitor, and based on the weight of the food, the normal total price and the visitor. The total price is determined, the difference between the normal total price and the total price of the closest customers is determined as the savings amount for the closest visitor, the consumer display 18 displays at least the normal total price, and the consumer display 40 shows the closest visitor View total price and savings for closest guests. The price per unit weight and the price per unit weight of the closest customer are entered by the user 2
It is possible to identify by searching one or more databases based on a product identification number, such as a Price Lookup (PLU) entered by the weighing operator via 2, where the databases are stored in the weighing instrument. It can be internal or external to the meter. Printing regular price information and guest information on the label can also typically be performed by the controller 28, where the label is applied after packaging the food.

The technique used to calculate the total customer price is simply the weight of the food indicated by the weighing mechanism multiplied by the price per unit weight of the nearest customer. However, once the total guest price is determined in the controller 28, it can also be matched with the closest customer calculation algorithm used at the point of sale (eg customer checkout terminal in the store). The most commonly used point-of-sales nearest-neighbor total price calculation technique is the following IBM algorithm: Capture NTP from bar code ↓ NTPx100 = Results1 ↓ NPPUW / 2 = Results2 ↓ (Results1 + Rresults2) / NPPUW = Weight ↓ FSPPUW x Weight = Result3 ↓ Result3 / 100 = Result4 ↓ Result4 Remainder (2 digits to the right of the dec
imal) + ↓ Result4Remainder = Result5 ↓ If Result5> 100, Result4 is rounded up, if not Resul
t4 remains unchanged ↓ Result4 / 100 = FSTP The above NTP is the normal total price, NPPUW is the normal price per unit weight, FSPPUW is the price per unit weight of the nearest visitor, and FSTP is the total price of the closest visitor. In accordance with this algorithm, the scale controller 28 calculates the nearest guest total price by simply replacing the first "capture" step with the normal total price (NTP) calculation step. The rules for rounding numbers are Results2 and / or Weight
It is also used in the calculation step of.

Regardless of the calculation technique used, the total guest price calculation and the nearest customer savings calculation can be performed repeatedly during the weighing operation of a given food, depending on the weight of the given food. Thus, the display of the total price of the nearest customers and the savings amount of the nearest customers can be changed. In this way, consumers can visually see how the savings on their customers increase as the weight of the food is weighted, thus encouraging them to participate more in their program of customers. .

The consumer display 40 can be retrofitted to an existing scale 16 by simply connecting the display 40 to the available interface of the scale controller 28 by hardwire.
8 and the scale controller 28 can be adjusted (reprogrammed) to display the information about the nearest passenger rack on the display 40. Alternatively, consumer display 40 may be "direct" (coupled to RF transmitter or meter controller 28) or "indirect" (eg,
It can also be wirelessly linked to the scale 16 like a link (via an RF transmitter or a receiver coupled to the store computer system 30). Controller 2
8 can also receive and store the closest visitor price information from the store computer system 30 on a regular basis, and in order to check whether the closest visitor data of the item is available when weighing the item, Store computer system 30 each time
You can also communicate with.

The consumer display 40 can be mounted on the scale 16 in a marquee manner, as shown in FIG. 3, or as shown in FIG. 4, below the scale on the front of the unit 10. You can also do it. The consumer display 40 may also be mounted further away from the scale 16 (eg, above and below the product of Chun et al. 10, on the wall behind the counter 10).

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, the scale 16 'includes a further display 18', which includes regular price information (such as regular price 34 per unit weight and regular total price 36) and Incentive program price information (total price of the most visited customers 42 and savings of the most visited customers 4
Both (such as 4) can be displayed. As shown, the display 18 'is subdivided into an upper portion 50 and a lower portion 52. The scale also has a single marquee display for information display, as shown in FIG.
A type consumer display is also possible.

As shown in FIG. 6, the environment in which the goods are weighed is not special to the nearest customers, and the weighing machine 16 'may not be used. The marketing information 60 can also be controlled to be displayed. For example, while purchasing a hot dog, the consumer may be made aware of special things about a particular brand of hot dog bread. In another example, while a hamburger is being weighed, consumers are informed that they are entitled to a certain percentage discount on foods such as Bake Beans when they spend more than £ 2. Many other examples are possible, but they are often used to focus on displaying advertising messages about foods that are different from the foods being weighed, in order to give consumers an incentive to buy different products. Be seen. It will be appreciated that the separate consumer display 40 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 can be readily used for advertising and cross marketing when not being used to display the closest guest price information.

It is also possible to integrate the logo of the store and / or the program incentive into the display of the price information of the nearest visitor.

While the above description of the present invention has been made with reference to embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, including variations that narrow or broaden the scope of the claims. Obviously, modifications are possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a typical delicatessen.

FIG. 2 represents a schematic diagram of a scale.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of one embodiment of a scale.

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of another embodiment of a scale.

FIG. 5 depicts a front view of another embodiment of a scale.

FIG. 6 depicts a front view of another embodiment of a scale.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 17/60 324 G06F 17/60 324 G07G 1/00 331 G07G 1/00 331C F term (reference) 3E042 AA01 EA01 3E095 CA02 DA62 EA22 EA24 EA34 FA06

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A food weighing system for applying in-store and closest customer incentives, comprising: a weighing mechanism for weighing food and providing a weight-related signal; a consumer order within the store. At least one consumer display facing the area; a label printer; and receiving a weight-related signal, controlling the information displayed on the at least one consumer display and printed on the label by the label printer A controller for controlling information, the controller comprising: (i) determining a normal price per unit weight and a nearest visitor price per unit weight of the food during a weighing operation of the food having an associated closest guest pricing. Identify,
(Ii) judging the normal total price and the total price of the closest guests based on the weight of the food, (iii) judging the difference between the normal total price and the total price of the closest visitor as the savings amount for the closest visitor, (I
v) displaying at least each of the normal total price, the nearest guest total price and the nearest guest savings on the at least one consumer display. 2. The at least one consumer display comprises a first consumer display and a second consumer display, and the controller displays the normal total price on the first consumer display. , And displaying the total price of the closest customers and the amount of savings of the closest customers on a second consumer display.
Food weighing system described in. 3. The normal price per unit weight and the closest visitor price per unit weight are measured by a weighing mechanism, a label,
The food weighing system according to claim 1, wherein the food weighing system receives data from a database in a food weighing machine in which a printer and a controller are integrated. 4. The controller repeatedly determines each of the normal total price, the most total guest price, and the most saved guest price in order to reflect the change in the food weight during the weighing operation.
2. The food weighing system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further performs an operation of repeatedly updating the display of the normal total price, the total price of the closest customers, and the amount of savings of the closest customers. 5. A food weighing system for applying in-store and closest customer incentives, comprising: a weighing mechanism for weighing food and providing a weight-related signal; a consumer order within the store. At least one consumer display facing the area; a label printer; and receiving a weight-related signal, controlling the information displayed on the at least one consumer display and printed on the label by the label printer A controller for controlling information, the controller determining (i) whether a particular food item has an associated closest guest pricing during a weighing operation of a food having an associated closest customer pricing, and ( a) If the particular food product has an associated guest pricing, then the controller: The normal price per unit weight of food and the closest visitor price per unit weight are specified, (2) the normal total price and the total visitor price of the specified food are judged, and (3) the normal total price and the closest visitor price are determined. The difference in the total customer price is determined as the savings for the nearest guest, and (4) the normal total price is displayed on a specific portion of the consumer display, and the normal total price is displayed on another portion of the consumer display. Displaying one or both of the total nearest guest price and the total savings of the nearest guest; (b) if the particular food product does not have an associated nearest guest pricing, then the controller: (1) a unit of the food product; Identifying a regular price per weight, (2) determining a regular total price based on the weight of the food product, and (3) displaying the regular total price in the specific portion on the at least one consumer display. , And the consumer In it the other part on the playing to view the advertising phrase, the promotion wording for different food from the specific food product. 6. The at least one consumer display comprises both a first consumer display and a second consumer display, and the east low portion of the at least one consumer display is the first consumer display. 6. The food metering system of claim 5, comprising: a consumer display, and said another portion of said at least one consumer display comprises said second consumer display. 7. A first consumer display, a label printer, and a controller for controlling the information displayed on the first consumer display and for controlling the information printed on the label by the label printer. A promotional method comprising the following steps for use with a scale: (a) Operationally for communicating with the scale such that the information displayed by a second consumer display is controlled by the controller. Connected to a second consumer display, (b) during a weighing operation of a particular food product, (i) at least per unit in one of the first consumer display and the second consumer display Display a price and a normal total price based on the weight of the particular food item, and (ii) the first consumer display Lee and the other of the second consumer display (1) shopper total amount, based on the weight of the particular product, and (2)
Both the savings amount, which represents the difference between the regular total price and the total price of the nearest guests, are displayed. 8. A food weighing system for applying nearest customer incentive promotions, the system comprising:
A first consumer display; a second consumer display; a label printer; and controlling the information displayed on the first consumer display and the second consumer display and on the label by the label printer. A controller for controlling printed information, wherein the controller is in one of the first consumer display and the second consumer display during a weighing operation of food having an associated guest pricing, At least the normal total price is displayed, and the controller displays at least the nearest guest total price on the other of the first consumer display and the second consumer display. 9. The second consumer display displays the nearest visitor total price, and the second consumer display is a marquee type display mounted on a weighing frame. The food weighing system according to claim 8, characterized in that 10. The food metering system of claim 8, wherein the controller is operably coupled to a store computer for receiving normal and guest pricing information therefrom. 11. The second consumer display displays the total value of the nearest customers, and the second consumer display comprises a display mounted under a weighing frame. 8. The food weighing system described in 8. 12. The second consumer display displays the total guest price and also a savings amount defined by the difference between the normal total price and the total guest price. The food weighing system according to claim 8. 13. The controller advertises on the second consumer display if a particular food product does not have an associated nearest-neighbor pricing during a weighing operation of foods having an associated closest-neighbor pricing. The food weighing system according to claim 8, wherein, in displaying a wording, the advertising wording relates to a product different from the specific food. 14. A method of modifying a food metric in a store, the food metric being displayed on a first consumer-facing consumer display, a label printer; and the first consumer display. A controller that controls the information that is printed on the label by the label printer and that includes the steps of: (a) providing a second consumer display; and (b) providing the food product. Operably coupled to a second consumer display for communicating with the metering, and arranging the second consumer display to face the consumer, (c) being displayed on the second consumer display. Modifying the controller configuration to further control the information provided, and weighing food with an associated customer pricing In addition, the controller causes the second consumption display to display at least one or both of the total price of the nearest customers and the savings amount of the nearest customers. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second consumer display is mounted on the marquee style food scale. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second consumer display is mounted below the food scale. 17. A food weighing system for applying a guest incentive system comprising: at least one consumer display; a label printer; and controlling information displayed on the at least one consumer display. And a controller for controlling the information printed on the label by the label printer, the controller displaying at least a normal sum on the consumer display during a weighing operation of food having an associated guest pricing. A price is displayed and the controller displays at least one of a total guest price and a nearest guest savings on the at least one consumer display. 18. The at least one consumer display comprises a first consumer display and a second consumer display integrated within a scale frame, and the controller comprises the first consumer display. 18. The normal total price is displayed on the guest display, and at least one of the total guest price and the saved guest price is displayed on the second consumer display. Food weighing system. 19. The food weighing system according to claim 17, wherein the controller displays both the total value of the closest customers and the amount of savings of the closest customer.