JP7357587B2 - Product sales system, product sales method, and product sales program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a product sales system, a product sales method, and a product sales program.

When products in the apparel industry (such as clothing) arrive at a store, they are initially sold at the standard price (list price), but unsold products or products with a large inventory may be discounted during store sales or bargains. It is often sold as
In addition, in recent years, outlet malls have been developed all over the country, and outlet shops of various famous brands are opening within the outlet malls. Outlet shops usually sell products that are not sold at regular stores (such as unsold items from sales) at a discounted price.

In order to make it difficult to understand the price difference of each product between regular stores and outlet shops, and to prevent price collapse at regular stores, the total price of a specified number of products or more is calculated based on the product combination, etc. A technique has been proposed in which a discount amount is determined and only the total price after discount is displayed without informing individual product prices (for example, see Patent Document 1).
However, in such conventional techniques, prices are changed based on the combination of products, and it is not possible to provide appropriate discounts according to various situations when customers purchase products.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-204787

The present invention is a product that allows a purchase candidate who is trying to purchase the product to present an appropriate discount price according to the situation when purchasing the product, suitable for both the purchase candidate and the store that sells the product. The purpose is to provide a sales system.

Means for solving the above problems are as follows. That is,
<1> Purchase candidate information acquisition means for acquiring information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product;
Purchase candidate product information acquisition means for acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presentation means for presenting the discounted price;
It is a product sales system with
<2> The product sales system according to <1>, wherein the presentation means includes a derivation unit that derives the discount value, and a display unit that displays the derived discount value.
<3> The product sales system according to <2>, wherein the information on the purchase candidate includes past purchase history information of the purchase candidate.
<4> Any of <2> to <3> above, wherein the display section displays the product name and unit price for each of the purchase candidate products, the total number and total amount of the purchase candidate products, and the discount price. This is a product sales system described in the above.
<5> The product sales system according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the presenting means is provided in a storage means that stores the purchase candidate products up to a cash register.
<6> The purchase candidate information acquisition means acquires ID information of the purchase candidate, and obtains information about the purchase candidate by comparing the ID information with a database of purchasers who have past purchase records. The product sales system according to any one of <1> to <5> above.
<7> The product sale according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information about the purchase candidate product from an information recording section attached to the purchase candidate product. It is a system.
<8> The product sales system according to any one of <5> to <7>, wherein the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is provided in a storage unit that stores the purchase candidate products up to a cash register.
<9> When the purchase candidate product is stored in the storage means before paying at the cash register,
The product sales system according to <8> above, wherein the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information on the purchase candidate products and updates inventory information of the purchase candidate products.
<10> The product sales system according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein updated information on inventory information by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is shared between a physical store and a store on the Internet. .
<11> A purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product;
a purchase candidate product information acquisition step of acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presenting step of presenting the discounted price;
This is a product sales method that includes
<12> A purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product;
a purchase candidate product information acquisition step of acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presenting step of presenting the discounted price;
This is a product sales program that causes a computer to perform processing including.

According to the present invention, it is possible to present an appropriate discount price to both the purchase candidate and the store selling the product, according to the situation when the purchase candidate is purchasing the product. It is possible to provide a product sales system for

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a score when the annual purchase amount, which is an example of purchase candidate information, is converted into a score for each amount. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a score when the number of items in stock, which is an example of information about a purchase candidate product, is converted into a score. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a score obtained by converting the day of the week when a product is to be purchased, which is an example of purchase date and time information, into a score. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of correspondence between the number of pieces of information whose score exceeds a threshold value when a threshold value is set for each piece of information included in the discount information and a discount value is derived. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between categories and discount rates when the total value of scores of each piece of information included in the discount information is categorized into a plurality of categories. FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store. FIG. 6B is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product sales system shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store. FIG. 8A is a block diagram showing another example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store. FIG. 8B is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product sales system shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which update information on inventory information obtained by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is shared between a physical store and a store on the Internet. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in the product sales system of the present invention. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of a shopping cart having the product sales system of the present invention. FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an example of a shopping cart having the product sales system of the present invention. FIG. 11C is a diagram showing an example of how the shopping carts shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B are stacked and stored.

(Product sales system)
The product sales system of the present invention is based on the inventor's knowledge that in the prior art, it is not possible to provide an appropriate discount according to the situation when a purchase candidate who intends to purchase the product purchases the product. It is. More specifically, in the conventional technology, for example, information about the customer itself (e.g., frequency of store visits, past purchase amount, etc.), information about the product itself (e.g., quantity in stock, expiration date, etc.), information about the purchase of the product, etc. There is a problem in that it is not possible to give appropriate discounts to each customer depending on various circumstances when the customer purchases the product, such as the circumstances at the time of purchase (for example, the date and time, weather, etc.).
For this reason, in the conventional technology, for example, customers who visit the store frequently, customers who purchase products that are in large quantities and unsold, customers who purchase products when it is difficult to attract customers such as during the daytime on weekdays, etc. There is a problem in that it is not possible to selectively give large discounts to the customers who are the best for the store (high-value customers), and it is not possible to provide services commensurate with the size of the customer's contribution to the store. .

In the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, for example, a predetermined number or more of products are sold in order to make it difficult to understand the price difference between each product and to suppress price collapse at authorized stores. The discount amount is determined based on the product combination, etc., and only the total price after discount is displayed without informing the individual product prices. Such conventional technology does not acquire the situation (information) when a customer who wants to purchase a product purchases the product, but rather acquires information about each customer according to the various situations when the customer purchases the product. It is not possible to give appropriate discounts to customers.
Furthermore, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, only the total price after discount is displayed. For this reason, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, when a customer purchases a product, it is difficult for the customer to understand how much of a discount has been given, and the customer himself/herself does not know how much of a discount has been given at the moment. Since it is not possible to ascertain whether the customer is at a stage (rank) where they can receive the discount, it is difficult to increase the customer's desire to purchase even if the store offers a discount.

Here, for stores that sell products, for example, customers who purchase products when it is difficult for the store to attract customers (for example, during the day on weekdays, during rainy days, etc.) or products that are not selling well (inventory Customers who purchase a large number of products) are considered to make a large contribution to the store.
However, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the discount price is not determined according to the date and time when the customer purchases the product or information about the selected product, but rather It is not possible to provide services commensurate with the size of the contribution made.

In this way, with conventional technology, it is not possible to give discounts tailored to each customer, so stores in the apparel industry try to attract customers by offering discounts for each product by holding sales and bargains. It is common to do so. However, customers acquired through sales and bargains are likely to visit the store only during sales and bargains, and are unlikely to become customers who continuously contribute to store sales. .
Also, for customers, when there are sales or bargains, stores are crowded and it takes time to purchase products, or sales or bargains have limited times and times, making it difficult to go to the store. It is thought that there are disadvantages such as:

In addition, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, for example, simply acquiring information such as the frequency of customers' visits to the store and providing discounts based on the acquired customer information would not be possible due to the various situations in which customers purchase products. It is not possible to give appropriate discounts according to the situation.
For example, when calculating and presenting to a customer a discount value (discount rate or discount amount) for each product purchased by the customer based on acquired customer information, etc., the discount value when the customer purchases the product is When comparing the product price with the discount price of the product at another store (for example, an outlet shop), if the discount price at the other store is larger, the customer's satisfaction level will be low. Conceivable. Furthermore, when calculating the discount value for each product and presenting it to the customer, the discount price at the time the customer purchased the product and the uniform discount price for the product at the time of the bargain at the store where the customer purchased the product Even if the uniform discount price of the product at the time of bargain sale is larger when compared to
Even if the discount value is determined based on customer information, for example, when calculating and presenting the discount value (discount rate and discount amount) for each product purchased by the customer, It is conceivable that there may be times when customer satisfaction levels become low. Therefore, for stores that sell products, there is a problem that they may lose customers even though they have discounted the product, or that they may have to cut prices excessively (a price collapse). There is.

Furthermore, if the discount value is calculated and presented to the customer, for example, when the customer pays for the product at the cash register, it may be difficult for the customer to consider the discount value of the product when shopping. , it is thought that stores that sell products may lose opportunities to sell products.

As described above, in the conventional technology, it is not possible to provide appropriate discounts to each customer depending on various situations when the customer purchases a product. For this reason, with conventional technology, it is not possible to selectively give large discounts to customers who should originally receive large discounts, and it is not possible to provide services commensurate with the size of the customer's contribution to the store. could not. Furthermore, with conventional technology, there are cases in which a discount value is calculated and presented for each product purchased by a customer, so that both the customer who is purchasing the product (purchase candidate) and the store that sells the product benefit from the discount value. The presentation method was not appropriate.

Therefore, the present inventor has made it possible to present an appropriate discount price to both the purchase candidate and the store selling the product, according to the situation when the purchase candidate is purchasing the product. The present invention was conceived after extensive research into product sales systems and the like.
That is, the present inventor provides a purchase candidate information acquisition means for acquiring information on a purchase candidate who is attempting to purchase a product, and information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate is attempting to purchase before making payment. Purchase candidate product information acquisition means, purchase candidate product information, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from purchase candidate product information, purchase candidate product information. A product sales system, etc., which has a presentation means that presents a discount price corresponding to the total amount, allows purchase candidates who are trying to purchase the product to receive a discount price appropriate for the situation when purchasing the product. We have discovered that it is possible to present products that are suitable for both the store and the store that sells the product.

Here, in the present invention, information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product is acquired. Next, in the present invention, information on the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase is obtained before making payment. Next, in the present invention, the total number of purchase candidate products is determined based on information on purchase candidates, purchase date and time information for purchasing candidate purchase products, and discount information including one or more selected from information on purchase candidate products. Present a discount price corresponding to the amount.
In other words, in the present invention, the total amount of the purchase candidate products is determined based on discount information that includes at least one of the purchase candidate information, the purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate products, and the purchase candidate product information. Present the corresponding discount price.

More specifically, in the present invention, when a purchase candidate purchases a product based on the above-mentioned discount information, for example, according to discount information including information on the purchase candidate (information on the purchase candidate itself), You can offer discounted prices.
For example, when using past purchase amount information as purchase candidate information, discount information is set so that the discount value will be larger for purchase candidates whose past purchase amount is more than a predetermined amount. However, a discount price based on the discount information may be presented to the purchase candidate.

Further, in the present invention, when a purchase candidate purchases a product based on the discount information described above, for example, a discount price corresponding to discount information including information on the situation when the purchase candidate purchases the product is provided. can be presented.
For example, when using the date and time information when a purchase candidate purchases a product as information about the situation when the purchase candidate purchases the product, if the purchase candidate purchases the product during the daytime on a weekday, a discount is given. Discount information may be set so that the value becomes large, and a discount price based on the discount information may be presented to purchase candidates.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when a purchase candidate purchases a product based on the above-mentioned discount information, for example, a discount price is presented in accordance with discount information including information on the purchase candidate product (information on the product itself). be able to.
For example, when using information on the number of products in stock for a candidate product to purchase, the discount information is set so that the discount value becomes larger when the number of products in stock for the candidate product is greater than or equal to a predetermined number. However, a discount price based on the discount information may be presented to the purchase candidate.

In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable to set discount information by combining the various types of information described above and derive the discount value to be presented. By doing so, it is possible to give more appropriate discounts to each customer by more appropriately considering various situations when customers purchase products.
In this case, for example, when the purchase candidate's past purchase amount is more than a predetermined amount, the time to purchase the purchase candidate product is during the daytime on a weekday, and the quantity of the purchase candidate product in stock is more than the predetermined number. Alternatively, discount information may be set to make the discount value particularly large, and a discount value based on the discount information may be presented.

By doing this, it is possible to provide discounts for each candidate purchaser (customer) according to the situation when purchasing the product, and for customers who should receive a large discount, Since it is possible to selectively give large discounts, it is possible to provide services according to the size of the customer's contribution to the store.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when presenting a discount price, a discount value (discount rate or discount amount) corresponding to the total amount of purchase candidate products is presented. That is, in the present invention, instead of presenting the discount value for each individual product among the purchase candidate products or the price after the discount, the total discount value for the total price of the purchase candidate products is presented.
In the present invention, since the discount value (discount rate and discount amount) is presented to the purchase candidate, the purchase candidate can easily understand the extent of the discount given to him/herself, and It is possible to easily grasp the stage (rank) at which a customer can receive a discount at the present time. Therefore, in the present invention, purchase candidates can easily understand that the price is discounted according to their own stage (rank), so that the purchase motivation of purchase candidates can be further improved. .
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to present an appropriate discount price to a purchase candidate (customer) while making it difficult for the purchase candidate (customer) to grasp the discount price for each product. Therefore, in the present invention, it is considered that, for example, a purchase candidate does not compare the discount value of an individual product with a discount price at a sale or a discount price at another store, and the purchase candidate This can prevent the level of satisfaction from becoming low.
In addition, by presenting a discount price that corresponds to the total price of the candidate product, the store that sells the product may lose customers due to a decrease in the satisfaction level of the candidate purchaser, or may have to reduce prices excessively. (price collapse) can be prevented.

Here, in the present invention, information on the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate is trying to purchase is obtained before paying for the purchase candidate product, and the discount value (discount rate and discount amount). By doing this, purchase candidates can check the discount value corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate product while selecting the product (while shopping), and can shop while taking the discount value into consideration. .

Further, since the purchase candidate is presented with an appropriate discount price based on discount information that includes the purchase candidate's own information, it becomes easier for the purchase candidate to understand that the price is discounted according to his or her status. Therefore, it is considered that the present invention can improve the purchase motivation of purchase candidates. Furthermore, it is considered that, for example, the more products a purchase candidate purchases, the greater the discount value, etc., thereby making it possible to further improve the purchase candidate's desire to purchase.

As described above, in the present invention, information on a purchase candidate who intends to purchase a product is obtained, information on the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate is attempting to purchase is obtained before payment, and the purchase candidate's information is obtained. By presenting a discount price corresponding to the total amount of the purchase candidate products based on discount information including one or more selected from information, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate products, and information on the purchase candidate products. , it is possible to present a discount price suitable for both the purchase candidate and the store selling the product, according to the situation when the purchase candidate is purchasing the product.

<Updating inventory information>
Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately update the inventory information of a product (candidate product for purchase). It is possible to share (synchronize) inventory numbers with real-time stores (e.g., online stores, etc.), making it possible to achieve a higher level of omnichannelization between physical stores and online stores.

Here, in the conventional technology, for example, when selling the same product at both a physical store and an online store, it is not possible to appropriately share product inventory information (for example, information on the number of items in stock). There is a problem.
For example, stores in the apparel industry often store and manage product inventory at each store, without storing products in a warehouse. In addition, in recent years, with the development of electronic commerce (EC), various distribution channels (channels) can be integrated and linked, such as by linking product data between physical stores and online stores. A sales strategy called ``omnichannel,'' which improves customer convenience by increasing points of contact with customers, is attracting attention.

In an omnichannel sales format, the same product may be sold at both physical stores and online stores, and there are times when it becomes necessary to share product inventory information between physical stores and online stores. be.
With conventional technology, for example, by setting a threshold for the number of products that can be sold at an online store compared to the actual inventory at a physical store (the number of products in the physical store), it is possible to determine whether there is actually no inventory. We are trying to prevent products from being sold at online stores (running out of stock). For example, if the actual number of items in stock at a physical store is 10, by setting the number that can be sold at an online store to 4, the number of items in stock may become insufficient (the number of items in stock may become negative). is prevented.

In addition, in other conventional technologies, for example, when a product is paid for at a cash register in a physical store, the number of products in stock at the store on the Internet is calculated according to the number of products purchased at the cash register at the physical store. Techniques have also been proposed that share product inventory information between physical stores and online stores by changing the inventory, thereby preventing inventory shortages.
With this technology, for example, when a product is paid for at a cash register in a physical store, the number of items in stock at the physical store and the number in stock at the online store are both reduced by one, thereby updating the inventory information of the product with that of the physical store. It is now possible to synchronize at online stores.

However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is not possible to share (synchronize) the inventory numbers between physical stores that sell products and online stores in real time, and it is difficult to make the physical stores and online stores omnichannel. It is considered that it cannot be realized at a higher level.
For example, in conventional technology that sets a threshold for the number of items that can be sold at an online store compared to the actual inventory at a physical store, the actual inventory at a physical store is accurately compared to the inventory at an online store. There is a problem in that physical stores may need to hold extra inventory to avoid running out of inventory.

Furthermore, in conventional technology, when a product is paid for at a cash register in a physical store, the number of products in stock at the store on the Internet is changed according to the number of products purchased at the cash register at the physical store. It is thought to be difficult to appropriately coordinate (synchronize) the number of items in stock at a store on the Internet with the number of items in stock at a store on the Internet. More specifically, for example, when a customer shops at a physical store, the customer places the selected product in a shopping cart, moves the product, and when the customer has decided on the product to purchase, pays for the product at the cash register. At this time, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, while the customer is moving with the products in the shopping cart, it is not possible to obtain information on the products in the shopping cart that are considered to have a high probability of being purchased.

Also, when purchasing products at an online store (EC site), you usually add the products to an online "cart" and pay for the products when you have decided on the product to purchase. . In this case, products placed in a "cart" on the Internet may be "locked" by the number of products added to the "cart" based on the number of products in stock. Here, the "locked" product is temporarily in a state where it cannot be purchased by other customers (the number of products in stock is temporarily reduced by one). Note that when a product is removed from the "cart", the "lock" of the product is released and the product becomes available for purchase by other customers (the stock quantity is restored to its original state).

In this way, in the conventional technology, it is possible to "lock" the products in the "cart" at an online store as needed, and in some cases it is possible to update inventory information appropriately. , Products in a shopping cart at a physical store cannot be reflected in inventory information and shared.
Therefore, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the same product is sold both at a physical store and a store on the Internet, it is not possible to appropriately share product inventory information (for example, information on the number of items in stock).

Here, in the product sales system of the present invention, for example, the purchase candidate product information acquisition means that acquires information on the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate wants to purchase before payment is an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) reader. , the information recording section that records information about the purchase candidate product can be an RF tag.
Further, in the product sales system of the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase candidate product information acquisition means described above is a storage device (for example, a shopping cart, a shopping cart, etc.) that stores the products (purchase candidate products) up to the cash register.
That is, in the product sales system of the present invention, for example, when a purchase candidate product is stored in the shopping cart using a shopping cart equipped with an RFID reader, information on the RF tag attached to the product is acquired (read). ) can be done like this.

Therefore, in an example of the product sales system of the present invention, information on products stored in a shopping cart at a physical store can be acquired at any time, and it is also possible to identify products stored in a shopping cart at a physical store. can. This makes it possible to "lock" the inventory of products stored in a shopping cart at a physical store, in the same way as products placed in a "cart" on the Internet.
That is, in the product sales system of the present invention, for example, when a purchase candidate product is stored in the storage means before payment is made at the cash register, the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information on the purchase candidate product, and You can update product inventory information. By doing so, in the product sales system of the present invention, product inventory information (for example, information on the number of items in stock) can be updated more appropriately.

Further, in the product sales system of the present invention, it is preferable that update information on inventory information by purchase candidate product information acquisition means (for example, an RFID reader) is shared between a physical store and a store on the Internet.
By doing so, the product sales system of the present invention can appropriately store product inventory information (for example, inventory quantity information) when selling the same product at both a physical store and an Internet store. Can be shared.
In other words, in the product sales system of the present invention, it is possible to integrate storage means at a physical store (for example, a real cart such as a shopping cart) and a "cart (virtual cart)" at a store on the Internet. Since it is possible to share (synchronize) inventory numbers with online stores in real time, it is possible to achieve a higher level of omnichannelization between physical stores and online stores.

As described above, in a preferred embodiment of the product sales system of the present invention, the system provides information to each purchase candidate who wants to purchase the product according to the situation when the purchase candidate purchases the product. To present an appropriate discount price using a presentation method suitable for both purchase candidates and stores selling products, and to achieve a higher level of omnichannelization between physical stores and online stores. I can do it.

The field (industry) to which the product sales system of the present invention can be applied is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. For example, it can be suitably applied to stores in the apparel industry. can. Furthermore, the product sales system of the present invention can be suitably used in stores such as supermarkets that handle fresh foods, which often offer discounts based on expiration dates and the like.

The product sales system of the present invention has a purchase candidate information acquisition means, a purchase candidate product information acquisition means, a presentation means, preferably has a payment means, and has other means as necessary.
Furthermore, in the product sales system of the present invention, the purchase candidate information acquisition means, the purchase candidate product information acquisition means, and the presentation means may be integrated or may be separate (separated from each other). good. When each means is separate, it is preferable to connect these means using a network such as an intranet or the Internet, for example.

Furthermore, the product sales system of the present invention is not limited to one that is realized using various types of actual equipment in a physical store. It may be realized as a function in the above stores (EC site, online mail order site, online shop, etc.).

Below, each means in the product sales system of the present invention will be explained.

<Method of acquiring purchase candidate information>
The purchase candidate information acquisition means is a means for acquiring information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product.
The purchase candidate information acquisition means is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire purchase candidate information, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Further, in the product sales system of the present invention, when a purchase candidate is acquired by the purchase candidate information acquisition means, the purchase candidate may be logged into the system.
Note that a purchase candidate refers to a customer who intends to purchase a product, and may be a customer who visits a physical store and purchases a product, or a customer who accesses a store on the Internet and purchases a product. It may be a customer trying to do so.

Here, the purchase candidate's information may be recorded on a recording medium capable of recording information, may be displayed on a terminal (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the purchase candidate, or may be displayed on a terminal (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the purchase candidate. The person himself/herself may input the information into the purchase candidate information acquisition means.
There are no particular restrictions on the recording medium that can record information, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include an IC card, a card that can record information on its surface, and a smartphone owned by a purchase candidate. It will be done.

For this reason, the means for acquiring purchase candidate information include, for example, well-known communication devices, sensors that can read barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks), and input forms (text boxes) on websites and apps on the Internet. ), etc.

There are no particular restrictions on the communication device as an example of the purchase candidate information acquisition means, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. It may be a device that performs long-distance wireless communication such as, for example, or a device that performs short-distance wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication).
For example, in the case where the information of the purchase candidate is recorded on an IC card or when the information of the purchase candidate can be transmitted using the NFC function of the smartphone (for example, Felica etc.), the purchase candidate information acquisition means As such, a communication device capable of short-range wireless communication can be suitably used.

The sensor as an example of the purchase candidate information acquisition means is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples thereof include a barcode scanner, a QR code scanner, a camera, and the like.
For example, when recording a purchase candidate's information on the front of the card as a barcode or QR code, or when displaying a barcode or QR code on a terminal (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the purchase candidate, These barcode scanners, QR code scanners, cameras, etc. can be suitably used as purchase candidate information acquisition means.

There is no particular restriction on the input form (text box) in a website or application on the Internet as an example of purchase candidate information acquisition means, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.
For example, when the purchase candidate inputs information about the purchase candidate into the purchase candidate information acquisition means, the input form as described above can be suitably used.

In a physical store, there are no particular restrictions on the location where the purchase candidate information acquisition means can be installed, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose, but it must be installed in the storage means that stores the purchase candidate products up to the cash register. is preferred.
Here, the storage means is not particularly limited as long as it can store the purchase candidate products up to the cash register, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples include a shopping cart, a shopping cart, a shopping bag, etc.

＜＜Purchase candidate information＞＞
There are no particular restrictions on the purchase candidate information acquired by the purchase candidate information acquisition means, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.For example, ID information, attribute information, past purchase history information, past store visits, etc. information, past login information, etc.
The ID information of purchase candidates may be, for example, a combination of codes (numbers and letters) assigned to each purchase candidate so that they are not duplicated. Furthermore, when managing (recording) information on purchase candidates, it is preferable to associate (link) information other than ID information with the ID information of the purchase candidate.
The attribute information of the purchase candidate includes, for example, age, gender, nationality, address, and rank of the purchase candidate (for example, whether the purchase candidate is a gold member, silver member, or general member).

Examples of past purchase history information of purchase candidates include purchase total amount, purchase date and time, purchased product name, and number of purchased products. In the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase candidate's information includes past purchase history information of the purchase candidate.
The total purchase amount (past purchase amount) may be, for example, the total amount of products purchased by the purchase candidate in the past year (annual purchase amount), or the total amount of products purchased by the purchase candidate in the past month. It may be the total amount of purchased products (monthly purchase amount).
Examples of the purchase candidate's past store visit information include the date and time of the store visit, weather information at the time of the store visit, and the like.
Examples of the purchase candidate's past login information include login date and time, average login time, and the like.

Further, in the present invention, the purchase candidate information acquisition means acquires the ID information of the purchase candidate, and compares the ID information with a database of purchasers who have purchased in the past (purchase record database). It is preferable to obtain information about the person.
As a purchase history database (purchase history database), for example, the ID information of purchase history people, the above attribute information, past purchase history information, past store visit information, past login information, etc. are correlated so that they can be collated. It can be a database in which the information is recorded.
In this way, in the present invention, for example, the acquired ID information of the purchase candidate is checked against the purchase history database, and if there is ID information that matches the ID information in the purchase history database, the purchase candidate is The information of the purchaser with matching ID information in the purchaser database is applied as the information of the purchaser. By doing this, the purchase candidate can easily obtain the purchase candidate's information by simply authenticating their ID information without having to enter their own information each time, improving convenience for the purchase candidate. can be done.

Furthermore, in the purchase history database, when a purchase candidate purchases a product, information (for example, past purchase It is preferable that the information (history information, past store visit information, past login information) be updated. That is, in the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase history database is updated as needed.
By doing so, in the present invention, since the latest information on the purchase candidate can be always obtained, it is possible to determine and present a discount price that is more suitable for the purchase candidate.
In addition, by updating the purchase candidate's information, it is possible, for example, to always present a discount amount based on the latest purchase history information. Therefore, for example, purchase candidates can understand that their own stage (rank) has been updated according to their past purchase history, which can further improve the purchase intention of purchase candidates. can. In this case, depending on the purchase candidate's past purchase history, for example, when the purchase candidate's past purchase amount increases, the discount value (discount rate and discount amount) to be presented to the purchase candidate may be adjusted. It is thought that by increasing the size, it is possible to further improve the purchase motivation of purchase candidates.

For example, if the ID information assigned to a purchase candidate does not exist (for example, if the customer is a new customer who has not yet purchased a product at a store), new ID information may be assigned to the purchase candidate. After the allocation process is performed and the purchase candidate purchases the product, the information may be added to the purchase history database.

Here, in the product sales system of the present invention, when a purchase candidate is acquired by the purchase candidate information acquisition means, the purchase candidate may be logged into the system.

<Method for acquiring purchase candidate product information>
The purchase candidate product information acquisition means is a means for acquiring information about the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment.
The purchase candidate product information acquisition means is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire information on purchase candidate products, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.

Further, a purchase candidate product means a product that a purchase candidate intends to purchase, and may be a product displayed at a physical store or a product sold at a store on the Internet.
Candidate products to purchase include, for example, there are no particular restrictions and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose, but examples include products that are replaced quickly, such as clothing, and foods that have a use-by or best-before date and have a limited shelf life. The present invention can be suitably applied to products that are frequently discounted, such as (particularly fresh foods).

Here, it is preferable that the information on the purchase candidate product is recorded, for example, in an information recording section attached to the purchase candidate product. In other words, in the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information on the purchase candidate product from an information recording section attached to the purchase candidate product.
Further, the information recording unit is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and examples thereof include an RF tag, an IC tag, a bar code, a QR code, and the like.

Therefore, examples of the purchase candidate product information acquisition means include known communication devices, sensors that can read barcodes, QR codes (registered trademark), and the like.

Examples of the communication device as an example of purchase candidate product information acquisition means include an RFID reader, an IC tag reader, and the like. Among these, RFID readers are preferred in the present invention. In other words, in the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is an RFID reader, and the information recording section that records information on the purchase candidate products is an RF tag.
By doing this, in order to obtain information on the purchase candidate product, the purchase candidate does not need to perform any operation to read the information on the purchase candidate product; for example, the purchase candidate can simply put the purchase candidate product into the storage means. You can obtain information about the purchase candidate product.

Examples of sensors as an example of purchase candidate product information acquisition means include a barcode scanner, a QR code scanner, and a camera.
For example, when recording information on a purchase candidate product using a barcode or QR code as an information recording section on a tag of the purchase candidate product, these barcode scanners or QR codes can be used as means for acquiring purchase candidate product information. A scanner, camera, etc. can be suitably used.
When recording a barcode or QR code as an information recording unit on a tag of a candidate product, for example, the candidate can perform an operation (scan) to read the information of the candidate product. Obtain information about purchase candidate products.

In a physical store, there are no particular restrictions on the location where the means for acquiring purchase candidate product information is provided, and the location can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Preferably, it is provided on a means (eg a shopping cart).
By doing so, it becomes possible to store the purchase candidate product in the storage means and acquire information from the information recording section, so that information on the purchase candidate product selected by the purchase candidate can be acquired in real time.

Further, in the present invention, as described above, when a purchase candidate product is stored in the storage means before paying for the purchase candidate product, the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information on the purchase candidate product and the purchase candidate product is purchased. It is preferable to update the inventory information of candidate products. By doing so, in the product sales system of the present invention, product inventory information (for example, information on the number of items in stock) can be updated more appropriately.
In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable to update the inventory information of the purchase candidate product even when the purchase candidate product is taken out from the storage means before paying for the purchase candidate product. By doing so, the product inventory information (for example, information on the number of items in stock) can be updated more appropriately.
Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to increase the frequency (number of times) of updating the inventory information of the purchase candidate product and update the inventory information in real time.

In addition, in the present invention, as described above, it is preferable that the inventory information update information by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means be shared between the physical store and the store on the Internet. By doing so, the product sales system of the present invention can appropriately store product inventory information (for example, inventory quantity information) when selling the same product at both a physical store and an Internet store. Can be shared.
Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to increase the frequency (number of times) of sharing updated information on inventory information between a physical store and a store on the Internet, and to share updated information on inventory information in real time. By doing this, it is possible to achieve a higher level of omnichannelization between physical stores and online stores.

＜＜Information about purchase candidate products＞＞
There is no particular restriction on the information on purchase candidate products acquired by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.For example, ID information, product name, regular price (list price, unit price), Examples include inventory information, sales information, number of days elapsed since the sales start date, expiration date, best-before date, etc.
The ID information of the purchase candidate products may be, for example, a combination of codes (numbers and letters) assigned to each purchase candidate product so as not to be duplicated. Furthermore, when managing (recording) information on purchase candidate products, it is preferable to manage the ID information of the purchase candidates in a manner that is associated with (linked to) information other than the ID information.
Examples of the sales information of the purchase candidate product include the number of sales in the most recent predetermined period and information on whether the product is advertised or not.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the purchase candidate product information acquisition means obtains the information on the purchase candidate products by acquiring ID information of the purchase candidate products and comparing the ID information with a product database (product database).
As a product database (product DB), for example, the product ID information and the above product name, regular price (regular price), inventory quantity, sales information, number of days elapsed from the sales start date, expiration date, best-before date, etc. are collated. It can be a database in which information is recorded in a possible correspondence.
As described above, in the present invention, for example, the ID information of the acquired purchase candidate product can be checked against the product database, and the information of the purchase candidate product in the product database can be applied. By doing so, it is sufficient to record the ID information of the product in the information recording section, so that the amount of information recorded in the information recording section can be reduced.

In addition, when implementing the present invention at a store on the Internet, when a product is added to a "cart" on the Internet, the product is set as a purchase candidate product and checked against a database of products. Information on candidate products may also be acquired.

<Presentation means>
The presentation means is means for presenting a discount price corresponding to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on discount information including information on the purchase candidate.
The presentation means is not particularly limited as long as it can present a discounted price, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, a device having a display (screen) can be used.
Here, the device having a display is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and includes a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a smartphone owned by the purchase candidate, and the like.

In addition, when implementing the present invention in a store on the Internet, the area near the area where the total price of the products is displayed on the web page for settling (settlement) the products in the "cart" on the Internet. Alternatively, a discount price corresponding to the total price of the candidate products for purchase may be presented.

Here, the presentation means presents a discount price corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products, as described above. That is, in the present invention, instead of presenting the discount value for each individual product among the purchase candidate products or the price after the discount, the total discount value for the total price of the purchase candidate products is presented.
By doing so, in the present invention, it is possible to present an appropriate discount price to a purchase candidate (customer) while making it difficult for the purchase candidate (customer) to grasp the discount price for each product.
There are no particular restrictions on the discount value as long as the value of the discount can be grasped by the purchase candidate, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.For example, discount rate, discount amount, etc. It will be done.

Further, in the present invention, for example, when there is only one purchase candidate product stored in the storage means, in order to make it difficult for the purchase candidate (customer) to grasp the discount price of each individual product, It is preferable not to offer discounts. Further, in the present invention, if the number of purchase candidate products stored in the storage means is one, the discount may not be given.

Further, it is preferable that the presenting means has a deriving section for deriving the discount value and a display section for displaying the derived discount value.

<<Derivation part>>
The derivation unit is not particularly limited as long as it can derive the discount value, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. For example, it may be a control unit in a device having a display.
Although an example in which the presentation means has a derivation section will be described here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, means other than the presentation means in a product sales system may have a derivation section, and the presentation means may have a derivation section. It is also possible to simply present the discount price corresponding to the total amount of purchase candidate products on the display section.

<<<Discount information>>>
The derivation unit derives a discount value corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products, for example, based on the discount information.
The discount information includes one or more selected from purchase candidate information, purchase candidate product information, and purchase date and time information for purchasing the product, and includes other information as necessary.

-Purchase date and time information-
The purchase date and time information is not particularly limited as long as it is information about the date and time when the product is to be purchased, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose.For example, information on the day of the week, information on the time when the product is to be purchased, etc. , weather information at the date and time when the product is to be purchased.
Weather information for the date and time when the product is to be purchased can be obtained, for example, by comparing the date and time information to be purchased with a weather database.
In addition, the "time of attempting to purchase a product" may be, for example, when information on a purchase candidate is acquired, information on a purchase candidate product is acquired, or when a purchase candidate product is paid for. .

Here, the means for acquiring the purchase date and time information is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose, such as a clock in a product sales system.

For example, the derivation unit determines, based on past purchase history information as information about the purchase candidate, that if the purchase candidate's past purchase amount is more than a predetermined value, the store is in a situation where it is difficult to attract customers. (For example, during the day on weekdays, during rainy days, etc.) If the number of times a product is purchased exceeds a predetermined value, or if the number of times a product is purchased that is not selling well (product with large inventory) is greater than a predetermined value, etc. It is preferable that the discount information is set so as to derive a discount value with a large discount.
By doing this, in the present invention, it is possible to selectively give large discounts to customers who are good customers for the store (high-value customers), and provide services according to the size of the customer's contribution to the store. be able to.
Note that the discount information may include multiple types of purchase candidate information, such as information selected from the above-mentioned ID information, attribute information, past purchase history information, past store visit information, and past login information. may contain multiple pieces of information.

In addition, the derivation unit may, for example, based on the information on the purchase candidate product, if the purchase candidate product has a stock quantity greater than or equal to a predetermined number, or if the number of days until the expiration date is less than a predetermined value, It is preferable to set the discount information so as to derive a discount value with a discount.
By doing so, in the present invention, it is possible to derive and present an appropriate discount price in accordance with the situation of the purchase candidate product.
Note that the discount information may include multiple types of information about purchase candidate products, such as the above-mentioned product name, regular price (list price, unit price), inventory information, sales information, and progress since the sales start date. The information may include a plurality of pieces of information selected from the number of days, expiration date, and best-before date.

Here, when deriving a discount value based on discount information that includes information on purchase candidate products (when the discount information includes information on purchase candidate products), the discount value itself must be derived for each purchase candidate product. Good too. In this case, instead of presenting the discount value for each individual product or the price after the discount, for example, by summing up the discount values of each product, a discount price corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products is presented. do.

Furthermore, the derivation unit determines, for example, based on the purchase date and time information, that the time when the purchase candidate attempts to purchase the purchase candidate product is at a time when it is difficult for the store to attract customers (for example, during the daytime on weekdays). In this case, if it is determined that the weather is such that it is difficult for the store to attract customers (for example, rainy weather), it is preferable to set the discount information so that a discount price with a large discount is derived.
By doing so, in the present invention, it is possible to derive and present an appropriate discount price in accordance with the situation when a purchase candidate attempts to purchase a purchase candidate product.
Note that the discount information may include multiple types of purchase date and time information, for example, the information selected from the above-mentioned day of the week information, information on the time of day when the product is to be purchased, and weather information at the time and date when the product is to be purchased. may contain multiple pieces of information.

Here, when the derivation unit derives the discount value, for example, it scores at least one of purchase candidate information, purchase candidate product information, and purchase date and time information included in the discount information, and The discount value may be derived by individually determining the scores for each piece of information, or the discount value may be derived according to the total value of the scores for each piece of information.

In the following, discount information is an example of past purchase history information as purchase candidate information, ``total amount of products purchased by purchase candidates in the past year (annual purchase amount)'', and purchase candidate information. In cases where the candidate product information includes the "inventory quantity" and the "day of the week when the product is to be purchased", which is an example of purchase date and time information, the discount value can be determined by scoring and evaluating each piece of information. An example to be derived will be specifically explained.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a score when the annual purchase amount, which is an example of purchase candidate information, is converted into a score for each amount.
The example shown in Figure 1 is an example in which the annual purchase amount is divided into four groups of 10,000 yen and scored. If the annual purchase amount is less than 10,000 yen, the score is set to "1"; If the amount is 20,000 yen or more and less than 20,000 yen, the score is ``2'', if the amount is 20,000 yen or more and less than 30,000 yen, the score is ``3'', and if it is 30,000 yen or more, the score is ``4''.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a score when the number of items in stock, which is an example of information about a purchase candidate product, is converted into a score.
The example shown in Figure 2 is an example in which the number of items in stock is classified into four groups of 10 items and scored. If the number of items in stock is less than 10 items, the score is set as "1," and if the number of items in stock is less than 10 items, the score is set as "1." If the number is less than 20, the score is set to "2," if the number is 20 or more and less than 30, the score is set to "3," and if the number is 30 or more, the score is set to "4."

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a score obtained by converting the day of the week when a product is to be purchased, which is an example of purchase date and time information, into a score.
The example shown in Figure 3 is an example in which the day of the week (sometimes simply referred to as "day of the week") when attempting to purchase a product is classified into four groups and scored. If the day of the week is Saturday or Sunday, The score is "1" for Wednesday or Friday, the score is "2" for Wednesday or Friday, the score is "3" for Tuesday or Thursday, and the score is "4" for Monday.

When deriving a discount value based on the above three pieces of scored information, for example, as described above, the discount value may be derived by individually evaluating (determining) the score of each piece of information. In this case, for example, a threshold value may be set for the score of each piece of information, and a discount value may be derived according to the number of pieces of information whose score exceeds the threshold value.

Here, as an example of the process of deriving a discount value, for the three pieces of scored information mentioned above, the score threshold to be reflected in the discount value is set to "3", and the discount is reduced according to the number of pieces of information whose score is equal to or higher than the threshold. The case of deriving the value will be explained.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of correspondence between the number of pieces of information whose score exceeds a threshold value when a threshold value is set for each piece of information included in the discount information and a discount value is derived. In this example, as shown in Figure 4, if the number of pieces of information whose score exceeds the threshold value is ``0'', the discount rate for the total price of the product is set to ``0%'', and the discount rate of the information whose score exceeds the threshold value is set to ``0%''. If the number is "1", the discount rate for the total price of the product is "5%", and if the number of information whose score exceeds the threshold is "2", the discount rate for the total price of the product is "10%". If the number of pieces of information whose score exceeds the threshold is "3", the discount rate for the total price of the product is set to "20%".

An example of a method for deriving a discount value will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
For example, if the "annual purchase amount" is 25,000 yen, the "number of items in stock" is 13, and the "day of the week" is Saturday, the score for the "annual purchase amount" is "3" and " The score for ``Quantity in stock'' is ``2,'' and the score for ``Day of the week'' is ``1.'' In this case, the information with a score of ``3'' or higher, which is the threshold value, is one type of ``annual purchase amount'', so based on Figure 4, the discount rate for the total price of the product is ``5%''. Become. Here, if the total price (before discount) of the purchase candidate products is 10,000 yen, the discount amount corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products is 500 yen.
For example, if the "annual purchase amount" is 5,000 yen, the "number of items in stock" is 40, and the "day of the week" is Tuesday, the score for the "annual purchase amount" will be "1". , the score for "inventory quantity" is "4", and the score for "day of the week" is "3". In this case, there are two pieces of information that have a score of 3 or higher, which is the threshold value, ``inventory quantity'' and ``day of the week.'' Based on Figure 4, the discount rate for the total price of the product is ``10''. %”. Here, if the total amount of purchase candidate products (before discount) is 10,000 yen, the discount amount corresponding to the total amount of purchase candidate products is 1,000 yen.

Further, when deriving a discount value based on the above three pieces of scored information, for example, as described above, the discount value may be derived according to the total value of the scores for each piece of information. In this case, for example, the total score of each piece of information may be classified into a plurality of categories, and the discount value may be derived according to the category of the total score.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between categories and discount rates when the total value of scores of each piece of information included in the discount information is categorized into a plurality of categories. In this example, as shown in Figure 5, when the total score is "3 to 4 (3 or 4)", the discount rate for the total price of the product is set to "0%", and the total score is "0%". If the score is 5 to 7 (5 or more and 7 or less), the discount rate on the total price of the product is 10%, and if the total score is 8 to 10 (8 or more and 10 or less), the total price of the product is The discount rate for the total price of the product is ``10%'', and when the total score is ``11-12 (11 or 12)'', the discount rate for the total price of the product is ``20%''.

An example of a method for deriving a specific discount value will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5.
For example, if the "annual purchase amount" is 5,000 yen, the "number of items in stock" is 17, and the "day of the week" is Sunday, the score of "annual purchase amount" is "1", and " The score for ``Quantity in stock'' is ``2,'' and the score for ``Day of the week'' is ``1.'' In this case, the total score of each piece of information in the discount information is "4", so based on FIG. 5, the discount rate with respect to the total price of the product is "0%". Therefore, in this example, no discount is given, so the discount amount corresponding to the total amount of purchase candidate products is 0 yen.
For example, if the "annual purchase amount" is 40,000 yen, the "number of items in stock" is 25, and the "day of the week" is Monday, the score for the "annual purchase amount" will be "4". , the score for "inventory quantity" is "3", and the score for "day of the week" is "4". In this case, the total value of the scores of each piece of information in the discount information is "11", so based on FIG. 5, the discount rate with respect to the total price of the product is "20%". Here, if the total price (before discount) of the purchase candidate products is 10,000 yen, the discount amount corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products is 2,000 yen.

In addition, the derivation unit determines whether the purchase candidate is a customer who visits a physical store and attempts to purchase a product, or a customer who accesses a store on the Internet and attempts to purchase a product. You may change the discount value.
For example, when purchasing a product by accessing a store on the Internet, the time of day and weather at the time the purchase candidate attempts to purchase the purchase candidate product in the purchase date and time information may be influenced by the purchase candidate's desire to purchase. Since it is thought to have little impact, it is also thought to have little effect on the size of the customer's contribution to the store. Therefore, when a purchase candidate accesses a store on the Internet and purchases a product, the purchase date and time information may not be included in the discount information.

<<Display section>>
The display section is not particularly limited as long as it can display a discount price corresponding to the total price of the candidate products to be purchased, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include a display. Note that the display unit may display other information.

Here, the display unit may display information other than the discount price corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products, for example, the product name and unit price of each purchase candidate product, the total number and total price of purchase candidate products. It is preferable to further display the following. In other words, in the present invention, it is preferable that the display section displays the product name and unit price for each candidate product, the total number and total amount of candidate products, and the discount price.
By doing so, it is possible to display and present information that purchase candidates may need when shopping.
Furthermore, when the discount information is updated, the display section is configured to present both a discount value derived based on past discount information and a discount value derived based on current discount information, for example. It's okay. In other words, in the present invention, changes in discount prices may be presented to purchase candidates by presenting past discount prices and current discount prices. For example, when a purchase candidate's purchase history information is updated, the display section displays a discount value derived based on past purchase history information and a discount value derived based on current purchase history information. You can. By doing this, when a purchase candidate purchases a product, for example, they can easily understand that their own stage (rank) has been updated according to their purchase history. It is thought that it is possible to further improve the purchasing motivation of customers.
Here, there is no particular restriction on the display format for presenting both the discount value derived based on past discount information and the discount value derived based on current discount information, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. For example, trends in changes in discount values (discount rates and discount amounts) may be presented (displayed in a graph), or the discount prices themselves may be presented side by side.

In a physical store, there is no particular restriction on the location where the presentation means is installed, and the location can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. It is preferable that the storage device is provided in a shopping cart (shopping cart).
By doing so, it is possible to easily check the discount value corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products while selecting the product (while shopping), and it is possible to shop while taking the discount price into consideration.

Further, in the present invention, the display of a smartphone owned by a purchase candidate can also be used as the display section. That is, in the present invention, for example, the purchase candidate information acquisition means and the purchase candidate product information acquisition means are connected to the smartphone owned by the purchase candidate through a network, and the smartphone owned by the purchase candidate is used as the presentation means. can do.
By doing this, discount prices can be presented on a terminal that purchase candidates are familiar with, which improves convenience for purchase candidates.In addition, it eliminates the need for a display specific to the product sales system, making it easier to use the product sales system. The cost of construction can be reduced.

<Payment method>
It is preferable that the product sales system of the present invention has a payment means for payment of purchase candidate products.
The payment means performs payment by subtracting the discount value presented by the presentation means from the total amount obtained by adding up the unit prices of the purchase candidate products.
There are no particular restrictions on the method of payment, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include "PayPay" (registered trademark), etc.) and payment systems available on the Internet.

It is preferable that the payment unit updates the inventory information of the purchase candidate product when the purchase candidate product is paid for. More specifically, for example, in the present invention, when the purchase candidate product is paid for, the payment unit may reduce the inventory quantity of the purchase candidate product by the number of purchase candidate products that have been paid for. preferable.

<Other means>
Other means are not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

(Product sales method)
The product sales method of the present invention includes a purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information on a purchase candidate who intends to purchase the product, and a purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information on the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate attempts to purchase before making payment. a purchase candidate product information acquisition step, and a purchase candidate product information acquisition step based on purchase candidate information, purchase date and time information for purchasing the product, and discount information including one or more selected from the purchase candidate product information. and a presenting step of presenting a discount price corresponding to the total amount.
The product sales method of the present invention can be realized, for example, by the above product sales system. Therefore, a preferred form of the product sales method of the present invention can be the same as the above product sales system.

(product sales program)
The product sales program of the present invention includes a purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information of a purchase candidate who intends to purchase the product, and information about the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate attempts to purchase before making the payment. The purchase candidate product information acquisition step is performed based on the purchase candidate information, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from purchase candidate product information. A computer is caused to perform a process including a presenting step of presenting a discount price corresponding to the total price of candidate products.
The product sales program of the present invention can be, for example, a program for realizing the above product sales method on a computer. In other words, by executing the product sales program of the present invention on a computer, the computer can function as the above product sales system. Therefore, a preferred form of the product sales program of the present invention can be the same as the product sales system and method described above.

The product sales program of the present invention can be created using various programming languages depending on the configuration of the computer used and the type and version of the operating system.

The product sales program of the present invention may be recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk, or may be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, MO disk, or USB memory.
Further, the product sales program of the present invention may be recorded in an external storage area (such as another computer) that can be accessed from the computer through an information communication network. In this case, the product sales program of the present invention recorded in the external storage area can be installed and used on the hard disk from the external storage area via the information communication network, if necessary.
Note that the product sales program of the present invention may be divided and recorded on a plurality of recording media for each arbitrary process.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the product sales system 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an input means 104, a communication interface 105, and a purchase candidate information acquisition means 106. , purchase candidate product information acquisition means 107 , and presentation means 108 . These are connected to each other via a bus 109.

The CPU 101 is a processing device that performs various controls and calculations. The CPU 101 implements various functions by executing programs and the like loaded into the main storage device 102 and the like. That is, the CPU 101 executes various programs (for example, a product sales program) in the product sales system 100.
Further, the CPU 101 can control the operation of the entire product sales system 100. In this embodiment, the CPU 101 is used as the device that controls the operation of the entire product sales system 100, but the device is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The main storage device 102 stores various programs, as well as data and the like necessary for executing the various programs.
The main storage device 102 includes, for example, at least one of ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).
The ROM stores, for example, a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and various programs such as a product sales program. There are no particular restrictions on the ROM, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples of the ROM include a mask ROM and a PROM (programmable ROM).
The RAM functions as a work area in which various programs stored in the ROM, auxiliary storage, etc. are expanded when executed by the CPU 101. There is no particular restriction on the RAM, and it can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples of the RAM include DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory).

The auxiliary storage device 103 is not particularly limited as long as it can store various information, and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), and the like. Further, the auxiliary storage device 303 may be a portable storage device such as a CD (Compact Disc) drive, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive, or a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc) drive.

The input means 104 is not particularly limited as long as it can accept various requests for the product sales system 100, and any publicly known means can be used as appropriate, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, etc. Further, when the input means 104 is a touch panel, the input means 104 can also serve as the presentation means 108.

The communication interface 105 is not particularly limited, and any publicly known interface may be used as appropriate, such as a wireless or wired communication device.

As described above, the purchase candidate information acquisition means 106 includes, for example, a known communication device, a sensor capable of reading a bar code or a QR code, and the like.

As described above, the purchase candidate product information acquisition means 107 includes, for example, a known communication device, a sensor capable of reading a bar code or a QR code, and the like.

The presentation means 108 is not particularly limited, and any known means can be used as appropriate, such as a display. The display used in the presentation means 108 is not particularly limited, and any known display can be used as appropriate, such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and the like.

Note that the product sales system 100 may be part of a cloud that is a group of computers on a network.

FIG. 6B is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product sales system shown in FIG. 6A.
As shown in FIG. 6B, the product sales system 100 includes a communication section 110, a storage section 120, a control section 130, a purchase candidate information acquisition section 140, a purchase candidate product information acquisition section 150, and a display section 160. , and an input section 170.

The communication unit 110, for example, transmits and receives various data to and from an external device (for example, a cloud server).
The storage unit 120 stores various programs, for example, and includes a purchase history person DB 121 and a product DB 122.
For example, the control unit 130 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 120 and controls the overall operation of the product sales system 100. The control unit 130 also includes a derivation unit 131 that derives a discount value, and a calculation unit 132 that calculates the total amount of purchase candidate products after the discount.

The purchase candidate information acquisition unit 140 acquires information about purchase candidates who intend to purchase a product.
The purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150 acquires information about the purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment.
The display unit 160 displays information about the candidate product, which is derived based on information on the candidate for purchase, information on the purchase date and time when the candidate product is to be purchased, and discount information including one or more items selected from the information on the candidate product. Display the discount value corresponding to the total amount.
The input unit 170 receives various instructions for the product sales system 100, for example.

Note that although FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example in which each element is integrated, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, some elements may be made independent, and each may be connected to the communication interface 105. It may also be a form of network connection. More specifically, for example, the storage unit 120 having the purchase history person DB 121 and the product DB 122 may be implemented using an area on a cloud server.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store.
FIG. 7 shows an example in which a smartphone owned by a purchase candidate is used as the presentation means 108 in the example shown in FIG. 6A.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, unlike the example shown in FIG. 6A, the presentation means 108 is realized by the smartphone 200 owned by the purchase candidate. At this time, the smartphone 200 is connected to elements other than the presentation means 108 in the product sales system 100a via the network 201.

FIG. 8A is a block diagram showing another example of the hardware configuration of a product sales system used in a physical store. FIG. 8B is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product sales system shown in FIG. 8A.
In FIG. 8A, unlike the example shown in FIG. 6A, the product sales system 100b further includes a payment means 202. The payment method 202 is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate depending on the purpose, such as a cash register, a payment system using electronic money that allows payment with a smartphone owned by the purchase candidate, etc. Can be mentioned.
The settlement means 202 is connected to elements other than the settlement means 202 in the product sales system 100b through the network 201.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the product sales system 100b, the control unit 130 further includes a settlement unit 133 and an inventory information update unit 134.
The payment unit 133 makes payment for the group of purchase candidate products by subtracting the discount value displayed by the display unit 160 from the total amount obtained by adding up the unit prices of the purchase candidate products.
The inventory information update unit 134 updates the purchase candidate products when the purchase candidate products are stored in the storage means (when the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150 acquires information about the purchase candidate products) before paying for the purchase candidate products. Update product inventory information. Furthermore, when the purchase candidate product is paid for, the inventory information updating unit 134 also updates the inventory information of the purchase candidate product.
Furthermore, in the product sales system 100b, updated inventory information is shared in real time between a physical store and a store on the Internet.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which update information on inventory information obtained by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is shared between a physical store and a store on the Internet. In the example of FIG. 9, purchase candidate products 400a and 400b are products having the same ID information (products of the same type).
As shown in FIG. 9, by attaching the product sales system 100b to a shopping cart 300a in a physical store, information about a purchase candidate product 400a attached with an information recording section is stored in the shopping cart 300a. can be obtained when This makes it possible to "lock" the inventory of the purchase candidate product 400a stored in the shopping cart 300a at the physical store.
In addition, in an online store (EC), when the purchase candidate product 400b is added to (registered) in the cart 300b, information on the purchase candidate product 400b can be acquired, and the cart 300b in the Internet store Regarding the purchase candidate products stored in the purchase candidate product 400b, the inventory of the purchase candidate product 400b can be “locked”.

In this way, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the inventory information (for example, the number of items in stock) of the purchase candidate products 400a and 400b in the physical store and the Internet store can be shared in real time. As a result, the shopping cart 300a at the physical store and the cart 300b at the Internet store can be integrated, and the inventory numbers between the physical store and the Internet store can be shared (synchronized) in real time. It is possible to achieve a higher level of omnichannelization between physical stores and online stores.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in the product sales system of the present invention. Here, the flow of the above processing will be explained according to the steps indicated by S in the flowchart shown in FIG. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 is an example in which the product sales system 100b (excluding the payment means 202) is placed in a shopping cart 300a in a physical store, as shown in FIG.

First, in step S101, the purchase candidate information acquisition unit 106 (purchase candidate information acquisition unit 140) in the product sales system 100b reads, for example, a QR code displayed on a smartphone owned by a purchase candidate, and information (for example, ID information) of the person.
Further, regarding the information on the purchase candidate, for example, the control unit 130 may check the purchase candidate's ID information obtained from the QR code displayed on the smartphone owned by the purchase candidate against the purchase record person DB 121. , information on the purchase candidate other than ID information is acquired.

Next, in step S102, the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 107 (purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150) in the product sales system 100b stores the new product (purchase candidate product 400a) in the storage unit (shopping cart 300a). Determine whether or not. To determine whether a new product has been stored in the shopping cart 300a, for example, the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150 is an RFID reader, and the information recording unit that records information on the purchase candidate product is an RFID tag. This can be done by determining whether the number of RF tags detected by the reader has increased.
Further, in step S102, if it is determined that a new product is stored in the shopping cart 300a, the process moves to step S103, and if it is determined that a new product is not stored in the shopping cart 300a, the process moves to step S105. Move.

Subsequently, in step S103, the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 107 (purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150) in the product sales system 100b, for example, adds information to the new product (purchase candidate product 400a) stored in the shopping cart 300a. Information (for example, ID information) of the purchase candidate product 400a is obtained by reading the information of the RF tag with an RFID reader.
Further, regarding the information on the purchase candidate product 400a, for example, the ID information of the purchase candidate product 400a obtained from the RF tag attached to the obtained purchase candidate product 400a is collated with the product DB 122 by the control unit 130. Information about purchase candidate products other than ID information is acquired. The product DB 122 also includes inventory information such as the number of purchase candidate products 400a in stock.

Next, in step S104, the control unit 130 in the product sales system 100b "locks" the inventory of the purchase candidate product 400a stored in the shopping cart 300a at the physical store. Also, at this time, inventory information (for example, the number of items in stock) of the purchase candidate products 400a and 400b in the physical store and the store on the Internet is shared in real time.

Next, in step S105, the presentation means 108 (deriving unit 131) in the product sales system 100b uses the acquired purchase candidate information, the information on the purchase candidate product 400a, and the purchase information acquired by the clock in the control unit 130. Based on discount information including date and time information, a discount value corresponding to the total price of purchase candidate products is derived.
Subsequently, in step S106, the presentation means 108 (display unit 160) in the product sales system 100b displays the discount price corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products derived in step S105. Further, in step S106, in addition to the discount value corresponding to the total amount of purchase candidate products, the product name and unit price of each purchase candidate product, and the total number and total amount of purchase candidate products are displayed.

Next, in step S107, the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 107 (purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150) in the product sales system 100b determines whether the purchase candidate product 400a has been taken out from the storage unit (shopping cart 300a). . To determine whether the purchase candidate product 400a has been taken out from the shopping cart 300a, for example, the purchase candidate product information acquisition unit 150 is an RFID reader, and the information recording unit that records information on the purchase candidate product is an RF tag. This can be done by determining whether the number of RF tags detected by the RFID reader has decreased.
Further, in step S107, if it is determined that the purchase candidate product 400a has been taken out from the shopping cart 300a, the process moves to step S108, and if it is determined that the purchase candidate product 400a has not been taken out from the shopping cart 300a, the process moves to step S107. Move to S110.

In step S108, the control unit 130 in the product sales system 100b releases (unlocks) the inventory of the purchase candidate product 400a taken out from the shopping cart 300a at the physical store. Also, at this time, inventory information (for example, the number of items in stock) of the purchase candidate products 400a and 400b in the physical store and the store on the Internet is shared in real time.

Next, in step S109, the control unit 130 in the product sales system 100b updates the discount price corresponding to the total amount of the purchase candidate products based on the information on the purchase candidate products 400a taken out from the shopping cart 300a, and presents the discount value. The information is displayed on the means 108 (display section 160).

Subsequently, in step S110, the control unit 130 in the product sales system 100b determines whether or not it has been confirmed to purchase the group of purchase candidate products 400a stored in the shopping cart 300a. For example, it may be determined whether or not the purchase of the group of purchase candidate products 400a stored in the shopping cart 300a is confirmed is based on an operation from the payment means 202 (for example, a cash register). The determination may be made based on whether or not the purchase candidate himself/herself has inputted information indicating that the purchase has been confirmed into the product sales system 100b.
In addition, in step S110, if it is determined that it is confirmed to purchase the group of purchase candidate products 400a stored in the shopping cart 300a, the process moves to step S111, and the purchase candidates stored in the shopping cart 300a are If it is determined that the purchase of the group of products 400a has not been confirmed, the process returns to step S102.

Then, in step S111, the settlement unit 202 in the product sales system 100b settles the discount amount displayed by the display unit 160 by subtracting it from the total amount obtained by adding up the unit prices of the group of purchase candidate products, and processes. end. Further, at this time, the inventory information of the purchase candidate product 400a may be updated, and the inventory information of the purchase candidate products 400a and 400b may be shared between the physical store and the store on the Internet.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of a shopping cart having the product sales system of the present invention. In the example shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a lid that can be opened and closed is attached to the part of the shopping cart that accommodates products (basket part), and the antenna of the RFID reader is built into this lid. In the example shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, when the lid is closed after the candidate product is placed in the product storage area, information from the RF tag attached to the candidate product is read and acquired. ing.
Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a device having a display and integrating purchase candidate information acquisition means and presentation means is attached to the top of the shopping cart.
Although the handle portion of the shopping cart is not shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the handle portion may be attached if necessary.

FIG. 11C is a diagram showing an example of how the shopping carts shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B are stacked and stored.
As shown in FIG. 11C, in the shopping cart shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the part (basket part) that stores the products is removable, and when the shopping cart is stored, the part that stores the products is removable. Portions can be removed to store shopping carts stacked on top of each other.

As described above, the product sales system of the present invention includes a purchase candidate information acquisition means for acquiring information on purchase candidates who are attempting to purchase a product, and a purchase candidate information acquisition unit that acquires information on purchase candidates who are attempting to purchase a product; a purchase candidate product information acquisition means for acquiring information before payment; information on the purchase candidate; information on the purchase date and time at which the purchase candidate product is to be purchased; and information on the purchase candidate product. and presenting means for presenting a discount price corresponding to the total price of the purchase candidate products based on the discount information including the above.
By doing so, the product sales system of the present invention can provide both the purchase candidate and the store selling the product with an appropriate discount price according to the situation when the purchase candidate is purchasing the product. Enables presentation suitable for

100, 100a, 100b Product sales system 106 Purchase candidate information acquisition means 107 Purchase candidate product information acquisition means 108 Presentation means 121 Purchase record person database 131 Derivation section 160 Display section

Claims (12)

a purchase candidate information acquisition means for acquiring information on purchase candidates who intend to purchase the product;
a purchase candidate product information acquisition means for acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate intends to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presentation means for presenting the discounted price;
has
A product sales system characterized in that the presentation means is provided in a storage means that stores the purchase candidate products up to a cash register . The discount information includes the purchase date and time information,
The purchase date and time information includes information regarding the day of the week, time, or weather.
The product sales system according to claim 1. 3. The product sales system according to claim 2 , wherein the presentation means includes a derivation unit that derives the discount value, and a display unit that displays the derived discount value. The product sales system according to claim 3 , wherein the information on the purchase candidate includes past purchase history information of the purchase candidate. 5. The product sales system according to claim 3, wherein the display unit displays the product name and unit price of each of the purchase candidate products, the total number and total amount of the purchase candidate products, and the discount price. 2. The purchase candidate information acquisition means acquires the purchase candidate's information by acquiring ID information of the purchase candidate and comparing it with a database of past purchase record purchasers. The product sales system according to any one of 5 to 5. 7. The product sales system according to claim 1, wherein the purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information about the purchase candidate product from an information recording section attached to the purchase candidate product. 8. The product sales system according to claim 1 , wherein the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is provided in a storage unit that stores the purchase candidate products up to a cash register. When the purchase candidate product is stored in the storage means before the purchase candidate product is settled,
9. The product sales system according to claim 8, wherein said purchase candidate product information acquisition means acquires information on said purchase candidate products and updates inventory information of said purchase candidate products. 10. The product sales system according to claim 1, wherein the inventory information update information obtained by the purchase candidate product information acquisition means is shared between a physical store and a store on the Internet. a purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information about purchase candidates who are attempting to purchase the product;
a purchase candidate product information acquisition step of acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate is attempting to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presentation step of presenting the discounted price to a presentation means provided in a storage means for accommodating the purchase candidate products up to the cash register ;
A product sales method characterized by including. a purchase candidate information acquisition step of acquiring information about purchase candidates who are attempting to purchase the product;
a purchase candidate product information acquisition step of acquiring information on a purchase candidate product that the purchase candidate is attempting to purchase before making payment;
corresponds to the total amount of the purchase candidate product based on information on the purchase candidate, purchase date and time information for purchasing the purchase candidate product, and discount information including one or more selected from the information on the purchase candidate product. a presentation step of presenting the discounted price to a presentation means provided in a storage means for accommodating the purchase candidate products up to the cash register ;
A product sales program characterized by causing a computer to perform processing including.

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