WO2009157722A3 - Reverse auction method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a reverse auction method in an electronic commerce system. The present invention is a reverse auction method that uses an electronic commerce system in which a reverse auction server, a plurality of purchase apply terminals at the buyer side, and a plurality of sales apply terminals at the seller side communicate with each other via a communication network such as the Internet. The reverse auction method includes: a first step of transmitting purchase apply information containing a purchase maximum price and a purchase apply quantity inputted by each purchaser for the same product and storing the information in a reverse auction server; a second step of enabling the reverse auction server to provide a connected seller or purchaser with a purchase apply status containing a purchase apply quantity for each purchase maximum price or an accumulated purchase apply quantity for each accumulated purchase maximum price accumulated to the level higher than each purchase maximum price; a third step of transmitting bidding information containing a desired sales price which is inputted after review of the purchase apply status by each seller and storing the information into the reverse auction server; a fourth step of enabling the reverse auction server to provide or notify, after the completion of bidding, the result of bidding in which the seller who has bid the lowest desired sales price is determined as the winner, the relevant desired sales price is determined as a contract price, that is, a sale price, the purchase apply quantities of all purchase maximum prices higher than the contract price are intensively bid to the winner, and sellers other than the winner are left out; and a fifth step of enabling the reverse auction server to provide or notify the result of a deal in which all purchasers who have applied with the purchase maximum price higher than the contract price are determined as decided purchasers, all purchasers who have applied with the purchase maximum price lower than the contract price are left out, and the contract price is contained. Accordingly, through a reverse auction performed just once, a plurality of successful purchasers who have inputted different purchase maximum prices for the same product may purchase the product with the same lowest price, and applications for purchase made by a plurality of dropout purchasers are automatically cancelled, thereby satisfying all purchases (applicants) including successful purchasers (applicants) and dropout purchasers (applicants), and enabling the winning sellers to sell a large quantity of products on a small profit but quick return basis, thus providing the largest profits to both the purchasers and the sellers.