JP2010231629A - Store management device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a store management device for obtaining the moving situations of a customer in a store by using a card distributed to each customer. <P>SOLUTION: The store management device includes: a reading means installed at each of different positions in a store for reading customer identification information for identifying a customer from an information storage means carried by the customer near the installation position; a management means for managing customer identification information read by the reading means and terminal identification information for identifying the reading means and time information showing a time when the customer identification information has been read in association; a statistical information generation means for generating statistical information showing the moving situations of the customer at each installation position of the reading means on the basis of the plurality of terminal identification information and time information associated with the same customer identification information managed by the management means; and a presentation means for presenting the statistical information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a store management apparatus that presents the movement status of customers in a store.

  Conventionally, in stores such as supermarkets, each customer is given a card that records a customer code (customer identification information) for identifying the customer, and based on this card, the customer purchase history and sales amount It is done to manage the points. As a sales promotion method using a card, for example, in Patent Document 1, store introduction information such as a store name, bargain information, a discount code, and shopping point information is provided on a card (business card, member card, point card, etc.). A technique for providing the store introduction information to a customer by storing the information in a wireless tag is disclosed.

  By the way, sales analysis / order forecast of products is performed based on POS sales at the time of product purchase and data obtained by managing the shelf itself for displaying products. In this way, sales analysis and order forecasting are performed mainly based on the movement of the product itself, but customers can freely move and select products in the store. It is known to affect sales. For this reason, it is important to understand the movement status of customers in the store when managing the store. In the above conventional technique, it is possible to grasp the sales record using the card distributed for each customer, but it is difficult to grasp the movement situation of the customer.

  This invention is made in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the store management apparatus which can grasp | ascertain the movement condition of the customer in a store using the card distributed for every customer. .

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention is provided for identifying a customer from information storage means that are installed at different positions in the store and carried by customers near the installation position. Associating reading means for reading customer identification information, customer identification information read by the reading means, terminal identification information for identifying the reading means, and time information indicating the time when the customer identification information is read Management means for managing the movement status of the customer at each installation position of the reading means based on a plurality of terminal identification information and time information associated with the same customer identification information managed by the management means Statistical information generating means for generating the expressed statistical information and presentation means for presenting the statistical information are provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the store management apparatus which can grasp | ascertain the movement condition of the customer in a store using the card distributed for every customer can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a store information system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of the information acquisition device in the store. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the information acquisition apparatus. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the point card. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the mobile information processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a position information record of the arrangement position file. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a flow line information record of the movement information management file. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a sales record of the sales management file. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration related to statistical information presentation processing of the mobile information processing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the statistical information presentation process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure of statistical information generation processing. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the movement information management file. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a flow line of a customer in a store.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of a store management device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by embodiment described below.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a store information system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the store information system includes a plurality of information reading devices 10, a mobile information processing device 20, and a sales management server 30. Here, the information reading device 10 and the mobile information processing device 20 correspond to the store management device, and are communicably connected via a communication line N1 by wired or wireless communication. Further, the mobile information processing apparatus 20 and the sales management server 30 are communicably connected via a communication line N2 such as a LAN.

  The information reading device 10 is an RFID reader or the like that can communicate with the wireless tag included in the member card 40, and is installed in different places in the store. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the information reading device 10 installed in the store. In the figure, an example is shown in which the information reading devices 10 (10a to 10v) are arranged on the respective merchandise display shelves SE (SE1 to SE22) provided in the store. Here, reference numerals SE1 to SE22 are shelf IDs to be described later, and reference numerals 10a to 10v are terminal IDs to be described later. The location where the information reading device 10 is installed is not limited to the example in FIG. 2, but for example, customer flow line analysis such as each sales floor of each product type or each area divided into predetermined intervals. It is preferable to be installed at a position useful for making a sales floor.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the information reading apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the information reading device 10 includes a communication unit 11 for communicating with the mobile information processing device 20, a short-range wireless unit 12 capable of communicating with the wireless tag of the membership card 40, a non-volatile The memory | storage part 13 and the control part 14 which controls these are provided. The storage unit 13 stores and holds terminal IDs for identifying each information reading device 10. Under the control of the control unit 14, the information reading device 10 communicates with the member card 40 that is approached via the short-range wireless unit 12 and reads the customer code set in the member card 40. Along with the terminal ID stored and held in the storage unit 13, the information is output to the mobile information processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 11.

  Here, the membership card 40 is a contactless IC card issued to each customer contracted as a member, and records a unique customer code (customer identification information) for identifying each customer. Wireless tag. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the membership card 40. The membership card 40 includes a storage unit 41 and a short-range wireless unit 42 in a built-in IC chip. The short-range wireless unit 42 is specifically an RFID wireless or the like, and is assumed to have the same standard as the short-range wireless unit 12 of the information reading apparatus 10 described above. A customer code for identifying each customer is set in the storage unit 41 in advance. As the membership card 40, for example, a credit card, a prepaid card, a point card, or the like may be used.

  The mobile information processing device 20 is an information processing device for presenting a customer's movement status in the store based on the customer code read by each information reading device 10 and the terminal ID of each information reading device 10.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the mobile information processing apparatus 20. As shown in the figure, the mobile information processing device 20 can rewrite various data such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 that performs information processing, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22 that stores a BIOS, and the like. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 23 stored in the display, a display unit 24 such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying processing progress and results to the operator, and the operator gives instructions and information to the CPU 21. An input unit 25 that is a pointing device such as a keyboard or a mouse for inputting a memory, a storage unit 26 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that functions as various databases and stores various programs, and a storage medium M. A medium reader 27 such as a CD-ROM drive for storing, distributing information to the outside, or obtaining information from the outside. The communication control unit 28 is configured to transmit information by communication with other external devices via a communication line. These units are connected by a bus 29.

  In the mobile information processing apparatus 20, when the operator turns on the power, the CPU 21 activates a program called a loader in the ROM 22, and loads a program for managing computer hardware and software called OS (Operating System) from the storage unit 26 into the RAM 23. This OS is started. Such an OS activates a program, reads information, and stores information in response to an operator's operation. As a representative OS, Windows (registered trademark) and the like are known. These operation programs running on the OS are called application programs. The application program is not limited to one that runs on a predetermined OS, and may be one that causes the OS to execute some of the various processes described below, or constitutes predetermined application software, an OS, or the like. It may be included as part of a group of program files.

  In general, application programs installed in the storage unit 26 include various types of media such as various optical disks such as CD-ROM and DVD, various magnetic disks such as various magneto-optical disks and flexible disks, and semiconductor memories. And the operation program recorded in the storage medium M is installed in the storage unit 26. Therefore, a portable storage medium M such as an optical information recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a magnetic medium such as an FD can also be a storage medium for storing an application program. Further, the application program may be taken in from the outside via the communication control device 28 and installed in the storage unit 26, for example.

  In the mobile information processing apparatus 20, when an application program operating on the OS is started, the CPU 21 executes various arithmetic processes according to the application program, and controls each unit intensively.

  In addition, the storage unit 26 stores an arrangement position file 261 and a movement information management file 262. In the arrangement position file 261, as shown in FIG. 6, a position information record including data items of terminal IDs of the respective information reading devices 10 arranged in the store and position information representing the arrangement position is stored. ing. Here, the position information is not particularly limited as long as it is information that can represent the arrangement position of each information reading device 10 in the store. For example, the information reading device 10 is arranged for each product display shelf as shown in FIG. If it is, it is good also as a form which uses shelf ID (SE1-SE22) for identifying each merchandise display shelf as positional information. Moreover, when installing for every area divided into equal intervals, the information showing each area may be used as the position information, or the position information may be shown using coordinates showing each position in the store. In the position information record of the arrangement position file 261 used in the present embodiment, the shelf ID is used as the position information, and the relationship between the terminal ID and the shelf ID shown in FIG. 2 is defined.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the movement information management file 262 stores a flow line information record including data items of customer code, terminal ID, and time information. In the movement information management file 262, a customer code, a terminal ID, and time information are stored in association with each other during statistical information presentation processing described later.

  The sales management server 30 is a so-called POS (Point of Sales) server specialized in information management related to merchandise sales, and has a computer configuration such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and HDD. The HDD of the sales management server 30 is equipped with a sales management file 31 for managing information related to products purchased by customers.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the sales management file 31 stores a sales record including data items such as a product code, a product name, a unit price, a product classification code, a sales number, and a shelf ID. Here, the product code is identification information set in advance for each product in order to identify various product items sold in the store. The product name, unit price, and product classification code are information on the product specified by the product code of the same record. The sales number is the sales number of the product specified by the product code of the same record, and the shelf ID is identification information for identifying the product display shelf on which the product specified by the product code of the same record is displayed. is there.

  Hereinafter, the statistical information presentation process, which is a characteristic process of the present embodiment, among various types of arithmetic processes executed by the CPU 21 of the mobile information processing apparatus 20 described above will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration related to statistical information presentation processing of the mobile information processing device 20. As shown in FIG. 9, the mobile information processing device 20 uses the cooperation of the CPU 21 and the application program to determine the customer code and terminal ID input from each information reading device 10 as the time when this customer code was acquired. Based on each piece of information stored in the movement information management file 262 in association with the time information to be expressed and generated in the movement information management file 262, statistical information representing the movement status of the customer in the store is generated Each function part of the statistical information generation part 202 to perform and the statistical information presentation part 203 which displays statistical information on the display part 24 is implement | achieved.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of statistical information presentation processing executed by the mobile information processing device 20. First, when the customer carrying the membership card 40 moves in the store, the customer code is read by any of the information reading devices 10 arranged at each place in the store. When the movement information management unit 201 receives the customer code and the terminal ID transmitted from the information reading device 10 (step S11), the movement information management unit 201 represents the current time as the time when the customer code and the terminal ID were read. The time information is associated and stored in the movement information management file 262 (step S12). Note that the time information is generated by a time measuring device such as an RTC (Real Time Clock) mounted on the mobile information processing device 20.

  Subsequently, the statistical information generation unit 202 determines whether or not an instruction to start generation of statistical information is input from the operator via the input unit 25 (step S13). Here, when it is determined that the generation start is not instructed (step S13; No), the process returns to step S11, and the acquisition of the customer code and the terminal ID is continued.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the generation start is instructed (step S13; Yes), the statistical information generation unit 202 generates statistical information based on information stored in the movement information management file 262. Information generation processing is executed (step S14). Hereinafter, the statistical information generation processing in step S14 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of statistical information generation processing. First, the statistical information generation unit 202 extracts records relating to the same customer code from the movement information management file 262 (step S141). Next, the statistical information generation unit 202 sets one of the extracted records as a processing target (step S142). Note that the order of records to be processed follows the time-series order of time information included in each record.

  Subsequently, the statistical information generation unit 202 calculates the difference between the time information included in the record to be processed and the time information included in the next record that is in chronological order with this time information. Is calculated as the residence time at the position (shelf ID) of the information reading apparatus 10 corresponding to the terminal ID included in the terminal ID (step S143). Note that the conversion from the terminal ID to the arrangement position of the terminal ID, that is, the shelf ID, is performed based on a record defined in the arrangement position file 261.

  Next, the statistical information generation unit 202 determines whether or not the processing of step S142 and step S143 has been executed for all the records extracted in step S141 (step S144). If it is determined that there is an unprocessed record (step S144; No), the process returns to step S142, and the next record is set as a processing target.

  If it is determined in step S144 that all records have been processed (step S144; Yes), the statistical information generation unit 202 accumulates the residence time calculated in step S143 for each shelf ID (step S145). Next, the statistical information generation unit 202 determines whether or not the processes of steps S141 to S144 have been executed for all customer codes stored in the movement information management file 262 (step S146). If it is determined that there is an unprocessed customer code (step S146; No), the process returns to step S141, and a record relating to the unprocessed customer code is extracted from the movement information management file 262.

  When it is determined in step S146 that all customer codes have been processed (step S146; Yes), the statistical information generation unit 202 acquires the sales amount for each shelf ID from the sales management file 31 of the sales management server 30. (Step S147). Then, the statistical information generation unit 202 generates statistical information in which the total residence time in each shelf ID is associated with the sales amount (step S148), and the process proceeds to step S15 in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 12, assuming that records for customer codes A and B are stored in the movement information management file 262, each of the customer codes A and B is assigned to each terminal ID in the process of step S143. The time spent at the position (shelf ID) is calculated. Here, assuming that the arrangement positions of the information reading devices 10 are in the state shown in FIG. 2, the customer code A is 1 minute at the position of the shelf code (SE1), 9 minutes at the position of the shelf code (SE2), Four minutes is calculated as the residence time at the position of the code (SE3). For customer code B, the residence time is calculated as 2 minutes at the position of the shelf code (SE1), 7 minutes at the position of the shelf code (SE7), and 1 minute at the position of the shelf code (SE11). Then, the residence time at each position calculated by the customer codes A and B is accumulated, so that the shelf code (SE1) has a position of 3 minutes and the shelf code (SE2) has a position of 9 minutes. In step S145, the position of SE3) is derived for 4 minutes, the position of shelf code (SE7) is 7 minutes, and the position of shelf code (SE11) is 1 minute.

  Returning to FIG. 10, the statistical information presentation unit 203 displays the statistical information generated in step S14 on the display unit 24 (step S15), and ends the present process. In this process, the statistical information is displayed on the display unit 24 and presented to the operator of the mobile information processing apparatus 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the mobile information processing device 20 includes a printing device, the statistical information may be printed out using this printing device and presented to the operator of the mobile information processing device 20.

  As described above, the statistical information generated by the above processing represents the relationship between the residence time of each customer in each product display shelf (sale floor) in the store and the sales amount. An operator who operates the mobile information processing device 20 can grasp unpopular sales floors (product display shelves), blind sales floors, and the like by referring to the statistical information presented by this processing. Therefore, by making a sales floor based on the result of this statistical information, it becomes possible to perform store management in consideration of the customer's operation status.

  For example, if there is a sales floor where the stay period is long and the sales are low, improvement in sales can be expected by taking measures such as price reduction or cross-selling. In addition, for unpopular sales floors that are simply passed through, it is possible to improve the efficiency of store operations by taking measures such as reducing the sales floor area. In addition, blind spots that are not passed through or unpopular sales floors can be activated by moving sales floors or introducing popular products.

  The embodiment of the invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, and the like can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the mobile information processing apparatus 20 generates time information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the time information indicating the time when the customer code is read is read together with the customer code and the terminal ID. It is good also as a form which transmits to the mobile information processing apparatus 20 from the apparatus 10. In this embodiment, it is assumed that time synchronization is performed between the information reading apparatuses 10.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was set as the form which produces | generates the residence time in each position in a shop as statistical information, it is good also as producing | generating not only this but statistical information with another characteristic. For example, for each identical customer code stored in the movement information management file 262, an arrangement position (shelf ID) corresponding to the terminal ID associated with the customer code is specified from the arrangement position file 261, and each of these arrangement positions is specified. It is good also as a form which produces | generates as a statistical information the flow line of each customer obtained by connecting along the time series which time information represents.

  For example, assuming that the state of the movement information management file 262 at the time when the analysis instruction in step S13 is input is that in FIG. 12, the statistical information generation unit 202 determines the customer code A and B in step S14. The flow line is derived as statistical information. Specifically, the flow line for the customer code A is 10a → 10b → 10c → 10i, and the flow line for the customer code B is 10a → 10g → 10k → 10u. In this case, the statistical information presentation unit 203 displays the flow lines for the customer codes A and B on the display unit 24 in association with the layout in the store (see FIG. 13). Here, FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a customer's flow line in the store, where the solid line indicated by the symbol A indicates the flow line of the customer code A and indicated by the symbol B The wavy line indicates the flow line of the customer code B.

  Note that the flow line presentation form is not limited to the example of FIG. 13, for example, the line type or color tone for drawing the flow line according to the residence time at the arrangement position (shelf ID) of each information reading apparatus 10. It is good also as a form which expresses the magnitude relationship of residence time explicitly by changing.

  As described above, the store management apparatus according to the present invention is useful for investigating the movement status of customers in the store, and is particularly suitable for investigating the residence time of customers at each location in the store. Yes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information reader 11 Communication part 12 Short-range radio | wireless part 13 Memory | storage part 14 Control part 20 Mobile information processing apparatus 21 CPU
22 ROM
23 RAM
24 Display Unit 25 Input Unit 26 Storage Unit 261 Arrangement Position File 262 Movement Information Management File 27 Medium Reading Device 28 Communication Control Device 29 Bus 201 Movement Information Management Unit 202 Statistical Information Generation Unit 203 Statistical Information Presentation Unit 30 Sales Management Server 31 Sales Management File 40 Member card 41 Storage unit 42 Short-range wireless unit

JP 2004-208097 A

Claims (4)

Reading means for reading customer identification information for identifying the customer from information storage means that are installed at different positions in the store and carried by customers near the installation position,
Management means for associating and managing customer identification information read by the reading means, terminal identification information for identifying the reading means, and time information indicating the time when the customer identification information was read;
Based on a plurality of the terminal identification information and time information associated with the same customer identification information managed by the management means, statistical information representing the movement status of the customer at each installation position of the reading means is generated. Statistical information generating means;
Presenting means for presenting the statistical information;
A store management apparatus comprising:   The statistical information generation means associates, for each of the same customer identification information, a difference between time information that is chronologically related to a plurality of time information associated with the customer identification information. The store management according to claim 1, wherein the staying time at the installation position of the reading unit corresponding to the terminal identification information is calculated, and the accumulated staying time at each of the installation positions is generated as the statistical information. apparatus.   The statistical information generating means, for each of the same customer identification information, the installation position of the reading means corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the customer identification information, the time information associated with the terminal identification information The store management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a flow line connected in time series is generated as the statistical information. The information storage means is a non-contact type IC card provided with a wireless tag that records the customer identification information,
The store management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit reads the customer identification information by communicating with the wireless tag.

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