Product and product providing system

Abstract

To reduce food waste by promoting the sale of food products past their expiration date.SOLUTION: A product includes a food product 1A and identification information 4. The food product 1A is provided together with a food product 1B past its expiration date. The identification information 4 allows access to a website on which candidate food products for the food product 1B are listed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product and a product provision system, and more particularly to a product and a product provision system that can reduce the amount of waste of various products. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, consumers have focused on the safety of products, especially food, and when selecting a product, they have become interested in the product itself and what its ingredients are.

[0003] Therefore, product providers provide their products by recording information about the products they offer, such as the ingredients and origin of the product's raw materials, and the date of manufacture, on labels affixed to the product's packaging or by recording it on an IC tag.

[0004] However, simply providing written or recorded information attached to products makes it easy to tamper with or falsify that information, and in fact, falsification and falsification of information has actually been done, resulting in low trust among consumers and making it difficult for them to select products with confidence.

[0005] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have proposed a technology in which, rather than simply attaching written or recorded information to food, food is provided by attaching a sample of raw material powder made from the food's ingredients (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-5656 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above makes it possible to "visualize" food quality, allowing consumers to select foods with peace of mind. However, it is difficult to directly link this to a reduction in "food waste," which has become a problem in recent years. Moreover, the need to reduce waste is not limited to food.

[0008] The present invention has been devised in view of the above points, and has an object to provide a product and a product providing system that can reduce the amount of waste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the product of the present invention comprises a first product, which is a specified product, and identification information displayed on the first product, wherein the first product is a product provided together with a second product, and the identification information can be read by a consumer's terminal to access a website that lists information on candidate products that may become the second product, and the identification information can be read by a seller's terminal to determine whether the first product has been checked out together with the second product, and if the first product has not been checked out together with the second product, to that effect.

[0010] In addition, the product of the present invention is a product comprising a first product, which is a specified product, and identification information displayed on the first product, wherein the first product is a product provided together with a second product, and the identification information can be read by a consumer's terminal to access a website which lists information on candidate products which may become the second product, and can be read by a seller's terminal to determine whether the first product is being checked out together with the second product, and if so, a specified discount process is performed.

[0011] Here, by providing the first product together with the second product, consumers will be able to obtain both the first product and the second product, which is expected to reduce unsold products. In other words, consumers who wish to obtain (purchase) the first product will also obtain the second product in order to obtain the first product, and even if there are concerns that the second product will not sell on its own due to various reasons, it is expected that the second product will be more easily accepted by consumers by offering it together with the first product.

[0012] In addition, by reading the identification information on a consumer's terminal, a website containing information on candidate products that could become the second product can be accessed, thereby making the consumer aware of the candidate products.

[0013] Furthermore, the identification information can be read by the seller's terminal to determine whether the first item has been checked out together with the second item, and if the first item has not been checked out together with the second item, a notification to that effect can be sent to inform the seller that both the first item and the second item have not been checked out. Furthermore, by informing the seller, it is expected that the seller will encourage the consumer to purchase the second product together with the first product at the checkout. It is also expected that a reliable set sale (sale of the first product and the second product as a set) will be realized.

[0014] In addition, by reading the identification information at the seller's terminal, it is possible to determine whether the first product is being purchased together with the second product, and if so, by applying a specified discount process, it is expected that the consumer's incentive to obtain (purchase) the first product together with the second product will be increased.

[0015] Here, if the second product is a product that has passed a specified deadline (the "best before date" or "shipping date" or "the date by which the number of days remaining until the expiration date is a specified number"), it is possible to prevent the product (second product) that has passed its specified deadline from remaining unsold. In other words, if the second product (the product that has passed its expiration date) were to be sold on its own, the fact that it has passed its expiration date would be an obstacle and there would be concerns that it would remain unsold, whereas by offering it together with the first product, it is expected to be more easily accepted by consumers.

[0016] Furthermore, in the case where the second product is a product that does not satisfy a predetermined standard (a non-standard product), it is possible to expect that the non-standard product (the second product) will not remain unsold. In other words, if the second product (non-standard product) were to be sold on its own, the fact that it is non-standard would be an obstacle and there would be concerns that it would go unsold, but by offering it together with the first product, it is expected to be more easily accepted by consumers.

[0017] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the product provision system of the present invention is a product provision system for providing both a first product and a second product, and comprises: a product information recording means for recording information on a candidate product which is a product that may become the second product as candidate product information; a determination means for checking the information recorded in the product information recording means, provided that the identification information displayed on the first product, which can be read by the consumer's terminal to access a website on which information on the candidate product is posted, is read by a seller's terminal, and determining whether the candidate product is included among the simultaneously purchased products which the consumer is attempting to check out together with the first product; and a notification means for notifying the consumer when the determination means determines that the candidate product is not included.

[0018] Furthermore, the product provision system of the present invention is a product provision system for providing both a first product and a second product, and comprises a product information recording means for recording information on a candidate product which is a product that may become the second product as candidate product information, a determination means for checking the information recorded in the product information recording means and determining whether the candidate product is included among simultaneously purchased products which the consumer is attempting to purchase together with the first product, provided that the identification information displayed on the first product, which can be read by the consumer's terminal to access a website on which information on the candidate product is posted, is read by a seller's terminal, and a discount means for performing a predetermined discount processing when the determination means determines that the candidate product is included.

[0019] Here, the determination means, on the condition that the identification information is read by the seller's terminal, checks the information recorded in the product information recording means and determines whether or not the candidate product is included in the simultaneous purchase products that the consumer is attempting to pay for together with the first product, thereby making it possible to determine whether or not the consumer is attempting to obtain (purchase) both the first product and the second product.

[0020] In addition, when the determination means determines that the candidate product is not included, the notification means notifies the seller that both the first product and the second product have not been checked out. As mentioned above, by informing the seller, it is expected that the seller will encourage the consumer to purchase the second product together with the first product at the checkout, and it is also expected that the sale of the first product and the second product will be ensured.

[0021] Furthermore, when the determination means determines that a candidate product is included, the discount means performs a predetermined discount process, which is expected to increase the consumer's incentive to obtain (purchase) the first product together with the second product.

[0022] In addition, when the second product is a "product whose specified deadline (the 'best before date' or 'shipping date' or 'the deadline when the remaining number of days until the expiration date is a specified number of days') has passed," whether or not it corresponds to the second product will depend on the judgment reference date. However, when the judgment means checks the information recorded in the product information recording means, the judgment means judges the information of the product whose specified deadline has passed as candidate product information, thereby realizing a judgment according to the judgment reference date.

[0023] Furthermore, the product information update means checks the information recorded in the product information recording means, and when posting information on a product that has passed the specified deadline on a website, information corresponding to the judgment reference date can be posted on the website.

[0024] In addition, information on the number of products in stock is recorded in the product information recording means, and the product information updating means checks the information recorded in the product information recording means. When information on out-of-stock candidate foods is deleted from the website, only products that are available (available for purchase) to consumers can be posted on the website.

[0025] By the way, "commodity" here includes both "primary products" and "secondary products." Moreover, the term "product" herein may be singular or plural.

[0026] Furthermore, the term "commodity" here includes "food", and includes both "food (primary products)" and "food (secondary products)". In other words, it is intended to include not only foods and drinks (fresh foods, animal foods, plant foods, processed foods, frozen foods, luxury foods, seasoning materials, health foods, supplements, beverages, processed materials, etc.) intended for the intake of nutrients or for enjoyment, but also medicines and quasi-drugs. For example, herbal medicines are included. It is also intended to include feed, aquaculture feed, dog food, and other products intended for fish and animals.

[0027] In this context, "food (primary products)" refers to unprocessed fresh foods, animal foods, and plant foods themselves, such as vegetables such as radishes and cabbage, and raw meats such as chicken and beef. Other examples include fruits, beans, shellfish, and fish.

[0028] Additionally, "food (secondary products)" here refers to products made from unprocessed fresh foods, unprocessed animal foods, or unprocessed plant foods, such as mochi (rice cakes), buns, pickles, stir-fried vegetables, steaks, hamburgers, ramen, bento boxes, bread, milk, cheese, beer, wine, sake, whiskey, frozen foods, canned foods, bottled tea and juice, coffee, and soft drinks.

[0029] Furthermore, "secondary products" here include not only secondary products processed using primary products as raw materials, but also secondary products processed using secondary products as raw materials. For example, it includes tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled eggs) made by purchasing seasoned eggs as raw materials and baking them. Furthermore, "secondary products" here include secondary products purchased using secondary products as raw materials. For example, it includes bento boxes filled with purchased tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled eggs).

[0030] Additionally, "offering both" in this case includes cases where the first product and the second product are sold in a physical store.

[0031] In addition, with regard to "provided together," the "first product" may be singular or plural, and the "second product" may be singular or plural. In other words, "provided together" may mean any of the following combinations: (1) a combination of a "single first product" and a "single second product," (2) a combination of a "single first product" and a "multiple second products," (3) a combination of "multiple first products" and a "single second product," or (4) a combination of "multiple first products" and "multiple second products."

[0032] In addition, the combination of the "first product" and the "second product" here may be any of the following: (1) the same product, (2) products of the same type or category, or (3) different products.

[0033] Incidentally, "same kind of product" means that the products have a relationship where they can be "identified as products." For example, cream buns and jam buns have in common that they are both sweet buns, but since they are different types of sweet buns, they are not the same kind of product. Incidentally, even if two cream buns have different cream colors, they are not the same kind of product. In other words, products with different exterior colors are not the same kind of product. Similarly, red wine and white wine cannot be said to be the same kind of product, since they are not in a relationship where they can be "identified as products," even if they are made using the same farming method and come from the same farm.

[0034] Also, the "best before date" here means "the date by which the product can be eaten deliciously without any change in quality," and does not mean that the product becomes inedible immediately after the best before date.

[0035] Also, the "best before date" here means "the date by which it can be safely eaten," meaning that the food will no longer be edible after the best before date.

[0036] Furthermore, the "shipping deadline" here means the deadline by which a wholesaler or manufacturer can deliver to a retailer, and if the shipping deadline passes, commercial practice means that the product will be returned by the retailer to the wholesaler or manufacturer. In addition, the "shipping date" is often "1 / 3 of the food's best-before date" in commercial practice (for example, if the food has a best-before date six months from the date of manufacture, the shipping date is two months from the date of manufacture), but the "shipping date" here can also be "1 / 4 of the food's best-before date." It can also be "2 months before the food's best-before date" or "1 year before the food's expiration date." Effect of the Invention

[0037] The product and product providing system of the present invention can reduce the amount of waste of various products. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (1) for explaining an example of a food product of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram (2) for explaining an example of a food product of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a configuration example of a food product sales system of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a food information recording means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter, referred to as an "embodiment") will be described. Here, in this embodiment, the explanation will be given based on April 21, 2022, in other words, if the expiration date is before April 20, 2022, the expiration date has passed, and if the expiration date is after April 21, 2022, the expiration date has not arrived. The explanation will be given in the following order. 1. First embodiment 2. Second embodiment 3. Variations

[0040] <1. First embodiment> [Configuration Description] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a food product, which is an example of a product to which the present invention is applied. The food product A shown here is configured to include a food 1. Specifically, food product A is food 1A packaged in vinyl 2 with sticker 3 affixed to vinyl 2.

[0041] Here, food 1A is a food that is not traded (sold) alone, but is provided (sold) together with food 1B. In other words, a consumer who wishes to obtain (purchase) food 1A must also obtain (purchase) food 1B.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the sticker 3 also displays identification information 4 (for example, a two-dimensional barcode) that allows access to information about the food 1B. Here, a URL is recorded in the identification information 4 (e.g., a two-dimensional barcode), and by reading the identification information 4 with a consumer terminal such as a smartphone, it is possible to access a website containing "Information on Food 1B" via the Internet.

[0043] Specifically, when the identification information 4 displayed on the label 3 is read by a consumer terminal, a website showing information about the food product 1B as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the consumer terminal.

[0044] Strictly speaking, "information on food 1B" listed on the website means information on candidate foods that consumers can select and purchase together with "food 1A" as "food 1B." In other words, it means foods that can become "food 1B" if selected by consumers (candidate foods for food 1B).

[0045] Here, the website accessed via identification information 4 lists "information on food bbb" and "information on food fff" as "information on food 1B."

[0046] And, under "Information on Food bbb," information on the expiration date of Food bbb (specifically, "Expiration date: April 20, 2022"), information on the expiration date of Food bbb (specifically, "Expiration date: August 20, 2022"), the price of Food bbb (specifically, "Price: 300 yen"), and the list price of Food bbb (specifically, "List price: 1,500 yen") are listed.

[0047] In addition, under "Food fff information" there is listed the expiration date information for Food fff (specifically, "Expiration date: April 19, 2022"), the expiration date information for Food fff (specifically, "Expiration date: August 19, 2022"), the price of Food fff (specifically, "Price: 80 yen"), and the list price of Food fff (specifically, "List price: 800 yen").

[0048] In addition, when paying for food product A, the identification information 4 displayed on sticker 3 is read by the cash register (seller's terminal), and it is determined whether food 1B is included among the foods (foods purchased at the same time) being paid for (settlement) together with food product A. Specifically, it is determined whether or not "food bbb" or "food fff" is included in the food items being billed (settlement) together with food product A.

[0049] <1. When "Food 1B" is included in the food purchased at the same time> If "Food bbb" is included in the simultaneous purchases, the cash register (seller's terminal) will process a discount of 1,200 yen (specifically, a discount of 1,200 yen will be processed to make Food bbb, which has a list price of 1,500 yen, 300 yen).

[0050] Similarly, if "food fff" is included in the simultaneous purchase of foods, the cash register (seller's terminal) will process a discount of 720 yen (specifically, a discount of 720 yen will be processed to make food fff, which has a list price of 800 yen, 80 yen).

[0051] Similarly, if the simultaneous purchases include both "food bbb" and "food fff," the cash register (seller's terminal) will process a discount of 1,920 yen (specifically, food bbb, which has a list price of 1,500 yen, will be discounted to 300 yen, and food fff, which has a list price of 800 yen, will be discounted to 80 yen, resulting in a discount of 1,920 yen.

[0052] <2. When "Food 1B" is not included in the food purchased at the same time> If the simultaneously purchased foods do not include "food bbb" or "food fff", the cash register (seller's terminal) will display a message to that effect (display an alert).

[0053] [effect] In the above-mentioned example of a food product to which the present invention is applied, food 1A and food 1B are provided together, in other words, food 1A is provided (sold) only together with food 1B, so that when food 1A is provided, not only food 1A but also food 1B is inevitably provided. In this way, food 1B can be provided to consumers together with food 1A, and by preventing the waste of food 1B, a reduction in food waste can be achieved.

[0054] In addition, in one example of a food product to which the present invention is applied, the price of food 1B is set low (specifically, a list price of 1,500 yen is set at 300 yen, and a list price of 800 yen is set at 80 yen), which allows consumers to purchase food 1B at a bargain price, thereby stimulating consumers' desire to purchase food 1B.

[0055] Incidentally, even if food 1B is sold separately at a low price (for example, food 1B is sold for 300 yen or 80 yen, independently of food 1A), a certain amount of sales can be expected. However, for those (consumers) who wish to purchase food 1A, the food they want to obtain (purchase) is food 1A, so even if food 1B is sold separately, it is not guaranteed that consumers will be more willing to purchase food 1B. Also, for food providers (sellers of food 1A and food 1B), selling food 1B separately will not contribute to increased sales, and it may become difficult to continue selling it. Therefore, in one example of a food product in this embodiment, by providing both food 1A and food 1B, it is possible to meet the consumer's need to obtain (purchase) food 1A, while also increasing sales for the food provider, and further reducing food waste by providing food 1B to consumers.

[0056] Furthermore, in one example of a food product to which the present invention is applied, the website accessed via sticker 3 lists both the price of food 1B (300 yen or 80 yen) and the list price (1,500 yen or 800 yen), making it possible to inform consumers that the price of food 1B is inexpensive (1 / 5 or 1 / 10 of the list price). Informing consumers that the price of food 1B is set inexpensively can stimulate their desire to purchase, and further reduction in food waste can be expected.

[0057] Furthermore, discount processing can be performed simply by reading the identification information 4 at the cash register, and when a combination of "Food 1A" and "Food 1B" is made, the seller can avoid having to check whether the combination of "Food 1A" and "Food 1B" is made when selling the product by offering a discount. Furthermore, since no manual confirmation work (confirmation work by the seller) is required, it is expected that smooth accounting (settlement) will be achieved without the occurrence of human error.

[0058] In addition, by displaying an alert when food item 1B is not included in the simultaneously purchased foods, it is possible to inform the seller that the combination of "Food item 1A" and "Food item 1B" is not valid. In addition, this will provide an opportunity for sellers to communicate to consumers that "Food Product A is a food product that is sold together with Food Product 1B," which is expected to lead to reliable set sales.

[0059] [Variation 1] In the first embodiment described above, an example has been given in which food 1B costs money (300 yen or 80 yen), but it is sufficient if food waste can be reduced by providing food 1B together with food 1A, and food 1B does not necessarily have to cost money and may be provided free of charge (0 yen).

[0060] <2. Second embodiment> FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a food product sales system, which is an example of a product provision system to which the present invention is applied, and is an example of the configuration of a system for providing (selling) the food product A shown in FIG. 1.

[0061] The food product sales system 11 shown in Figure 3 is configured to be able to exchange various information via the Internet 12 with a consumer terminal 13 used by a person wishing to purchase a food product (consumer) and a seller terminal 18 used by a seller of the food product.

[0062] In addition, the food product sales system 11 has a food information recording means 14, an inventory information confirmation means 15, a candidate food determination means 16, an information output means 17, a food information recording means 19, a food information determination means 20, a discount means 21, and an alert means 22.

[0063] Here, the food information recording means 14 is an example of a "product information recording means", and is configured to be able to record "information on food aaa", "information on food bbb", "information on food ccc", "information on food ddd", "information on food eee", and "information on food fff" as information on foods that could become "food 1B" (foods that are candidates for food 1B).

[0064] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the best-before date, expiry date, list price, and stock quantity are recorded for food aaa under "control number 1." Specifically, the name is "AAA," the expiration date is "May 31, 2022," the expiration date is "September 30, 2022," the price is "1,500 yen," and the stock quantity is "100." The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sales and purchases of food AAA.

[0065] In addition, the best before date, expiration date, list price, and stock quantity for food bbb are recorded as "control number 2." Specifically, the name is "bbb," the expiration date is "April 20, 2022," the expiration date is "August 20, 2022," the list price is "1,500 yen," and the stock quantity is "20." The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sales and purchases of food bbb.

[0066] In addition, for food ccc, the best before date, expiration date, list price, and stock quantity are recorded under "Management Number 3." Specifically, the name is "ccc," the expiration date is "May 31, 2022," the expiration date is "September 30, 2022," the price is "1,000 yen," and the stock quantity is "20." The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sales and purchases of food ccc.

[0067] In addition, for food ddd, its best before date, expiration date, list price, and stock quantity are recorded under "control number 4." Specifically, the name is "ddd", the expiration date is "April 20, 2022", the expiration date is "August 20, 2022", the price is "500 yen", and the stock quantity is "0". The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sale or purchase of food ddd.

[0068] In addition, the best-before date, expiry date, list price, and stock quantity are recorded for food eee under "control number 5." Specifically, the name is "eee," the expiration date is "May 31, 2022," the expiration date is "September 30, 2022," the price is "500 yen," and the stock quantity is "0." The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sale or purchase of the food eee.

[0069] In addition, the best before date, expiration date, list price, and stock quantity for food fff are recorded under "control number 6." Specifically, the name is "fff", the expiration date is "April 19, 2022", the expiration date is "August 19, 2022", the price is "800 yen", and the stock quantity is "50". The stock quantity increases or decreases depending on the sale or purchase of food fff.

[0070] In addition, the inventory information confirmation means 15 is configured to be able to confirm the inventory quantity recorded in the food information recording means 14 when a consumer requests information on food 1B (specifically, when the identification information 4 shown in Figure 1 is read by the consumer terminal 13). Specifically, the identification information 4 is read by the consumer terminal 13, and when information is received from the consumer terminal 13 indicating a desire to output information on food 1B, the information on the stock quantities of foods aaa to fff is accessed to confirm the stock quantities.

[0071] In addition to "information on the number of items in stock of foods aaa through fff," the inventory information confirmation means 15 checks "information on the expiration dates of foods aaa through fff." If the expiration date has passed, it is determined that the food item is out of stock.

[0072] In this embodiment, confirmation by the inventory information confirmation means 15 reveals that "food aaa," "food bbbb," "food ccc," and "food fff" are in stock. Furthermore, confirmation by inventory information confirmation means 15 reveals that none of the foods aaa to fff have passed their expiration date.

[0073] Furthermore, when there is stock of food that has passed its expiration date, the candidate food determining means 16 determines the "food that has passed its expiration date" as a food (candidate food) that can become food 1B.

[0074] In this embodiment, the candidate food determination means 16 checks the "best before information" for foods in stock (food aaa, food bbb, food ccc, and food fff), and determines "food bbb" and "food fff", which are foods that have passed their best before dates, as candidate foods.

[0075] Furthermore, the candidate food item determination means 16 calculates the price (sale price) of the candidate food item according to the "number of days since the expiration date information" and the "list price information." For example, if the expiration date has passed one day, the discount is 80% of the list price, if the expiration date has passed two days, the discount is 90% of the list price, if the expiration date has passed three days, the discount is 95% of the list price, and if the expiration date has passed four or more days, the discount is 99% of the list price.

[0076] And food bbb is one day past its expiration date and has a list price of 1,500 yen, so the sales price is calculated as "300 yen (80% off the list price)."Food fff is two days past its expiration date and has a list price of 800 yen, so the sales price is calculated as "80 yen (90% off the list price)."

[0077] Furthermore, the information output means 17 is configured to be able to output information to the consumer terminal 13 based on the determination result of the candidate food determining means 16. Specifically, the information output means 17 in this embodiment outputs information as shown in FIG.

[0078] In this embodiment, the explanation is based on April 21, 2022. In other words, the examples used for explanation are those in which the expiration dates of "Food aaa," "Food ccc," and "Food eee" have not yet arrived, while the expiration dates of "Food bbb," "Food ddd," and "Food fff" have passed. However, whether or not the expiration date has arrived (whether or not the expiration date has passed) depends on the judgment reference date, so whether or not the expiration date has passed will be determined for each food product, taking into account the judgment reference date.

[0079] Specifically, if a food with a best-before date of May 31, 2022 is called Food A, and a food with a best-before date of January 20, 2022 is called Food B, (1) before January 20, 2022, both Food A and Food B fall under the category of "foods whose best-before date has not yet arrived", (2) from January 21, 2022 to May 31, 2022, Food A falls under the category of "foods whose best-before date has not yet arrived" and Food B falls under the category of "foods whose best-before date has passed", and (3) after June 1, 2022, both Food A and Food B fall under the category of "foods whose best-before date has passed".

[0080] More specifically, the inventory information confirmation means 15 uses the date on which the consumer requested the information as the reference date (in other words, the date on which the inventory information confirmation means 15 confirms the inventory quantity as the reference date) to determine whether each food item recorded in the food information recording means 14 falls into the category of "food whose expiration date has not yet arrived" or "food whose expiration date has passed."

[0081] Therefore, even if the information recorded in the food information recording means does not change (specifically, if the expiration date information for foods aaa to fff does not change), the information output by information output means 17 will change depending on the judgment reference date, such as (1), (2), or (3).

[0082] In addition, the food information recording means 19 is configured to be able to record information about the food (hereinafter referred to as "simultaneously purchased food") that is to be paid for together with the food product A when the identification information 4 shown in Figure 1 is read by the seller terminal 18. That is, for settlement (accounting), information on the food (information on food purchased at the same time) whose barcode is read by the register (seller terminal 18) is transmitted from the seller terminal 18, and the transmitted "information on food purchased at the same time" is recorded in the food information recording means 19.

[0083] In addition, when the "information on foods purchased at the same time" is recorded in the food information recording means 19, the food information determination means 20 determines whether or not the "information on foods purchased at the same time" includes "information on candidate foods for food 1B." Specifically, the "information on foods that have passed their expiration date" recorded in the food information recording means 14 is compared with the "information on foods purchased at the same time" recorded in the food information recording means 19 to make a judgment (in this embodiment, it is determined whether the "foods purchased at the same time" include "food bbb" or "food fff").

[0084] In addition, when the food information determination means 20 determines that the "foods purchased at the same time" include "food bbb" or "food fff", the discount means 21 calculates the discount amount and outputs the discount information to the seller terminal 18. For example, if the expiration date has passed one day, the discount is 80% of the list price, if the expiration date has passed two days, the discount is 90% of the list price, if the expiration date has passed three days, the discount is 95% of the list price, and if the expiration date has passed four or more days, the discount is 99% of the list price.

[0085] And since food bbb is one day past its expiration date and has a list price of 1,500 yen, if "food bbb" is included in "foods purchased at the same time", the discount amount is calculated as "1,200 yen (80% of the list price)" and output to seller terminal 18. And since food fff is two days past its expiration date and has a list price of 800 yen, if "food fff" is included in "foods purchased at the same time", the discount amount is calculated as "720 yen (90% of the list price)" and output to seller terminal 18.

[0086] On the other hand, when the food item determination means 20 determines that "food item bbb" or "food item fff" is not included in "food items purchased at the same time", the alert means 22 outputs a message to that effect to the seller terminal 18.

[0087] [effect] In the food product sales system 11 to which the present invention is applied described above, when a consumer requests information on food 1B, information on candidate foods is output, thereby promoting the sales of food 1B and reducing food waste by preventing the disposal of food 1B.

[0088] Furthermore, in a food product sales system 11 to which the present invention is applied, when there is stock of food bbb or food fff whose expiration date has passed, food bbb or food fff is determined to be a candidate food (in other words, by giving priority to food aaa or food ccc whose expiration date has not yet arrived), thereby promoting the sales of food bbb and food fff and reducing food waste by preventing the disposal of food bbb and food fff.

[0089] Furthermore, in the food product sales system 11 to which the present invention is applied, information on the price of food 1B can be output, and consumers can be informed that the price of food 1B is set at a low price, thereby stimulating consumers' desire to purchase.

[0090] Furthermore, by simply reading the identification information 4 at the seller terminal 18, the food information determination means 20 will make a determination, and if the "foods purchased at the same time" include "food bbb" or "food fff", the discount means 21 will calculate the discount amount, so that the seller only needs to read the identification information 4, allowing for smooth accounting (settlement).

[0091] [Variation 2] In the second embodiment described above, the case where "foods that have passed their expiration date" are given priority as candidate foods is explained as an example, but this is not limited to this. For example, if all foods are "foods that have not yet reached their expiration date", it is also possible to give priority to foods that are close to their expiration date (for example, foods that are within 10 days of their expiration date) as candidate foods.

[0092] [Variation 3] In the second embodiment described above, the case where the focus is on the "best before date" and "foods past their best before date" are given priority as candidate foods is described as an example, but this is not limited to this. For example, the focus may be on the "shipping deadline" and "foods past their shipping deadline" may be given priority as candidate foods, or the focus may be on the "best before date" and "foods close to their best before date (for example, foods with a best before date within 10 days)" may be given priority as candidate foods.

[0093] <3. Modifications> In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the case where the products handled are "food" has been explained as an example, however, the products handled do not necessarily have to be "food" and may be "non-food" products. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 food 2. Vinyl 3. Seal 4 Identification information (2D barcode) 11 Food product sales system 12. Internet 13 Consumer Devices 14 Food information recording means 15. Means of checking inventory information 16. Methods for determining candidate foods 17 Information output means 18 Merchant Terminal 19 Food information recording means 20 Food information determination means 21 Discount methods 22 Alert methods

Claims

1. A first product that is a predetermined product; and identification information displayed on the first product, The first product is a product provided together with a second product; The identification information is By loading the information on the consumer's terminal, the consumer can access a website on which information on candidate products that may become the second product is posted; and, By reading the information at a seller's terminal, it is determined whether the first product has been paid for together with the second product, and if the first product has not been paid for together with the second product, a notification to that effect is given. merchandise.

2. A first product that is a predetermined product; and identification information displayed on the first product, The first product is a product provided together with a second product; The identification information is By loading the information on the consumer's terminal, the consumer can access a website on which information on candidate products that may become the second product is posted; and, By reading the information at a seller's terminal, it is determined whether the first product is being purchased together with the second product, and if so, a predetermined discount process is performed. merchandise.

3. The identification information is By reading the information at a seller's terminal, it is determined whether the first product is being purchased together with the second product, and if so, a predetermined discount process is performed.

2. The article of claim 1.

4. The specified deadline is defined as the expiration date, the shipping date, or the date when the number of days remaining until the expiration date is a specified number, The second product is a product whose specified expiration date has passed.

4. The product according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3.

5. The second product is a product that does not satisfy a predetermined standard.

4. The product according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3.

6. A product provision system for providing both a first product and a second product, comprising: a product information recording means for recording information on a candidate product which is a product that can become the second product as candidate product information; a determination means for checking information recorded in the product information recording means and determining whether the candidate product is included in the simultaneous purchase products that the consumer is about to purchase together with the first product, on the condition that the identification information, which is displayed on the first product and enables access to a website on which information on the candidate products is posted, is read by a seller's terminal; and and a notification means for notifying the user when the determination means determines that the candidate product is not included. Product provision system.

7. A product provision system for providing both a first product and a second product, comprising: a product information recording means for recording information on a candidate product which is a product that can become the second product as candidate product information; a determination means for checking information recorded in the product information recording means and determining whether the candidate product is included in the simultaneous purchase products that the consumer is about to purchase together with the first product, on the condition that the identification information, which is displayed on the first product and enables access to a website on which information on the candidate products is posted, is read by a seller's terminal; and and a discounting means for performing a predetermined discount process when the determining means determines that the candidate product is included. Product provision system.

8. Discounting means for performing a predetermined discount process when the determining means determines that the candidate product is included The product providing system according to claim 6.

9. The specified deadline is defined as the expiration date, the shipping date, or the date when the number of days remaining until the expiration date is a specified number, The product information recording means records information about the predetermined deadline, The determining means, at a timing when the information recorded in the product information recording means is confirmed, determines information on the product whose predetermined period has elapsed as the candidate product information, and A product information update means for checking the information recorded in the product information recording means and publishing information on the product that has passed the predetermined deadline on the website. The product providing system according to claim 6, claim 7 or claim 8.

10. The product information recording means records information on the number of products in stock, A product information update means is provided for checking the information recorded in the product information recording means and deleting the information of the candidate product that is out of stock from the website. The product providing system according to claim 6, claim 7 or claim 8.

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