Order reception and placement system

Abstract

To provide an order reception and placement system configured to facilitate order reception and placement for a commodity a predetermined period before a delivery date, and reduce losses.SOLUTION: An order reception and placement system includes: a first commodity display processing unit which makes an offer to sell a commodity; a first order placement processing unit which receives, from a user terminal, information regarding decision making on the purchase of the commodity with a designated delivery date or shipping date which is selected from candidate dates, the information being displayed on the user terminal by the first commodity display processing unit; a processing unit for accepting cancellation for the commodity; a cancellation refund processing unit which offers points or discount coupon available for future commodity purchase, to a user related to the cancellation for the purchase of the commodity; and a second commodity display processing unit which displays, on the user terminal, cancellation commodity information including the delivery date or shipping date designated when the first order placement processing unit receives the order for the commodity accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit, and makes an offer to sell the commodity with the designated delivery date or shipping date.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ordering system in which a user orders products from a provider via a communication network. [Background technology]

[0002] In response to the growing environmental awareness in recent years, efforts are being made to reduce various types of waste in society, such as food waste and clothing waste. In particular, there is growing momentum to reconsider economic activities that seek to gain market competitiveness by using mass production methods to reduce costs.

[0003] On the other hand, if we aim to reduce waste in society, not only will service and product providers and manufacturers need to change their way of thinking and the way they operate, but users and consumers of those services and products will also need to change their way of thinking and behavior. For example, if users and consumers of services and products start to consider not only price but also environmental measures when making purchases, this will be a major tailwind in reducing waste in society.

[0004] For example, in the field of food, where consumer purchasing behavior is highly biased and food deteriorates rapidly, loss can be significantly reduced by increasing the proportion of so-called made-to-order production, in which purchasers reserve their purchases a certain period before delivery and the provider produces the product after receiving the order. Also, a system has been proposed that allows users to easily reserve and purchase food in advance using a smartphone, etc. (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0005] In this way, pre-ordering products well in advance of the time of delivery is thought to reduce loss and be of great social benefit. However, currently, products that require a long time between the time of purchase and the time of delivery or provision tend to be unpopular, and measures to overcome this situation are expected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-248706 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention relates to an ordering system that promotes placing orders for products at least a predetermined period before the delivery date or shipping date, thereby reducing losses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The ordering system according to the present invention comprises: a first product display processing unit that displays information about a predetermined product and a candidate delivery date or shipping date that is a predetermined period of time or more in the future from the time of display on a user terminal and makes an offer to sell the product; a first order processing unit that receives, from the user terminal, information regarding a decision to purchase the product that is displayed on the user terminal by the first product display processing unit and for which the delivery date or shipping date selected from the candidate date is specified; a cancellation acceptance processing unit that accepts, from a user terminal of a user who has purchased the product, information regarding an intention to cancel the purchase of the product accepted by the first order acceptance processing unit; a cancellation refund processing unit that grants points or discount coupons that can be used as compensation for future purchases of the product from a provider that provides the product to the user who has canceled the purchase of the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit; a second product display processing unit that displays, on a user terminal, canceled product information including the delivery date or shipping date specified when the first order processing unit accepted the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit, and makes an offer to sell the product with the specified delivery date or shipping date; The system further includes a second order processing unit that receives, from a user terminal, information relating to a decision to purchase the product displayed by the second product display processing unit.

[0009] The ordering system of the present invention reduces the psychological barriers users face when pre-ordering products more than a predetermined period before the delivery or shipping date by having the cancellation acceptance processing unit accept cancellations and the cancellation rebate processing unit provide points or discount coupons to users who cancel. Furthermore, the second product display processing unit resells canceled products with a fixed delivery or shipping date, thereby reducing losses due to unsold products when cancellations occur and increasing the provider's sales even when cancellations occur. This system benefits both the product provider and the user who purchases the product, effectively promoting advance product ordering and reducing losses.

[0010] Furthermore, for example, the first product display processing unit displays the product at a first price when offering the product for sale, The second product display processing unit may display the price of the product as a second price lower than the first price when making an offer to sell the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit.

[0011] This ordering system effectively reduces losses due to unsold orders when cancellations occur by lowering the price of canceled items. Also, by making canceled items easier to sell, it is possible to cover future sales losses caused by distributing points or discount coupons to customers who cancel. Furthermore, by making canceled items easier to sell, it is possible to set up the system so that when cancellations occur, the provider can earn more profit than if the items had been sold without being canceled.

[0012] Furthermore, for example, the value of the points or discount coupon that the cancellation rebate processing unit grants to the user who cancels the purchase of the product may be equal to or less than the second price.

[0013] By setting the value of points or discount coupons granted upon cancellation equal to or less than the second resale price, product providers can fully compensate for future sales losses caused by distributing points or discount coupons to users who have canceled by reselling the canceled product. Also, by ensuring that the value that a canceled user can obtain by repurchasing the resold product is not greater than if they had purchased it without canceling, it is possible to prevent profit-making from cancellations.

[0014] Also, for example, the value of the points or discount coupons that the cancellation rebate processing unit grants to a user who cancels the purchase of the product may differ depending on the length of time until the delivery date or shipping date of the product accepted by the first order processing unit at the time of cancellation.

[0015] Such an order placement and receipt system can reduce the value of points or discount coupons awarded for cancellations made immediately before the delivery or shipping date, for example, thereby preventing such cancellations from occurring.

[0016] Also, for example, when the second product display processing unit makes an offer to sell the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit, the price of the product may vary depending on the length of the period until the delivery date or shipping date accepted by the first order processing unit.

[0017] Such an ordering system can effectively prevent losses due to unsold merchandise by, for example, lowering the resale price of merchandise canceled just before the delivery or shipping date.

[0018] Also, for example, the value of the points or discount coupon that the cancellation refund processing unit grants to a user who cancels the purchase of the product may correspond to the price of the product at the time the second order processing unit accepted the purchase for the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit.

[0019] Such an order placement and receipt system can more effectively prevent future sales declines due to point awarding at the time of cancellation.

[0020] Also, for example, a point transfer accepting unit that accepts, from a user who has been granted the points or discount coupons, an indication of willingness to transfer the points or discount coupons granted by the cancellation return processing unit to another user; The system may also have a point transfer display unit that displays the terms of use of the points or discount coupons accepted by the point transfer acceptance unit and indicates that a transfer request has been made.

[0021] With this type of ordering system, points or discount coupons awarded upon cancellation are transferable, thereby reducing the loss suffered by users due to cancellation and lowering the psychological barriers faced by users when pre-ordering products more than a specified period before the delivery or shipping date. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a server device and its peripheral devices that constitute an order placement and receipt system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the functions of the server device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing details of the product information storage unit in the server device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a series of processes in the server device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing information exchanged between the server device and the user terminal in the process shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of time-dependent changes in the cancellation refund rate and the cancellation item discount rate. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed in the first product display process and the second product display process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a product registration screen by a provider. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a payment screen displayed on the user terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a product display screen displayed on a user terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a server device 12 and its peripheral devices that constitute an order placement and receipt system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The server device 12 is communicatively connected to a plurality of user terminals 91, 92, and 93 via a communication network 11 such as the Internet. The user terminals 91, 92, and 93 are communication terminals used by users who purchase products through the order placement and receipt system 10.

[0024] In addition, the server device 12 is communicatively connected via a network communication network 11 such as the Internet to provider terminals 81, 82, and 83 managed by providers who provide products to customers including users of the ordering system 10, and to a settlement agency 98 that provides electronic settlement services to mediate payments of fees from users to providers.

[0025] 1 allows users using user terminals 91, 92, and 93 to view information about specific products that have been registered in server equipment 12 by product providers via provider terminals 81, 82, and 83, via network communication network 11. Furthermore, order placement and placement system 10 allows users to purchase specific products using user terminals 91, 92, and 93, and also allows users to cancel the purchase of products that they have purchased.

[0026] It should be noted that the "products" handled in the ordering system 10 of the present invention include not only tangible items that are handed over at a store or shipped from a provider, but also so-called services such as the provision of food and drink at a restaurant or accommodation at a hotel.

[0027] As will be described later with reference to Figure 2, the server device 12 shown in Figure 1 has a calculation unit, a memory unit, a communication unit, etc. that function as a first product display processing unit 15, a second product display processing unit 35, and a cancellation refund processing unit, and has the functions of a general computer having these. In the description of the server device 12, commonalities with general computers will be omitted. Although the server device 12 shown in Figure 1 is a cloud-based server, the server device 12 is not limited to this and may also be an on-premise server.

[0028] 1 are information terminals of users that can receive product information from the ordering system 10 and carry out product purchase procedures. Examples of user terminals 91, 92, 93 include portable (mobile) information terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, and car navigation systems, but user terminals 91, 92, 93 are not limited to these and may also be other communication-enabled information terminals such as personal computers.

[0029] In the explanation of the ordering system 10, the processing at the time of purchasing a product using the user terminals 91 and 92 will be mainly taken as an example, but other user terminals including the user terminal 93 can also perform communications similar to those of the user terminals 91 and 92. Furthermore, the number of user terminals 91, 92, and 93 that access the server device 12 in the ordering system 10 is not particularly limited.

[0030] 1 are information terminals of providers that provide products that are displayed on user terminals 91, 92, 93 by the order placement and receipt system 10 or purchased from user terminals 91, 92, 93 via the order placement and receipt system 10. Examples of provider terminals 81, 82, 83 include, but are not limited to, personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. Here, providers include, for example, restaurants and cafes that serve food to customers in their stores, boxed lunch shops, home delivery restaurants and confectionery shops that serve food to customers for takeout or delivery, and hotels that provide accommodation.

[0031] In the explanation of the provider terminals 81, 82, and 83, the provider terminal 81 will be mainly used as an example, but other provider terminals including the provider terminals 82 and 83 can also perform communications similar to those of the provider terminal 81. Furthermore, the number of provider terminals 81, 82, and 83 that access the server device 12 in the order placement and receipt system 10 is not particularly limited.

[0032] The settlement institution 98 shown in FIG. 1 is a communication terminal of an institution that provides electronic settlement services, etc., to mediate settlement between a user and a provider when the user purchases a product through the order placement and receipt system 10. Examples of electronic settlement services include, but are not limited to, credit cards, debit cards, electronic money, etc. Furthermore, in the order placement and receipt system 10, the settlement institution 98 that mediates the user's payment of fees to the provider is not limited to a single institution, and the user may be able to make payment by selecting from multiple settlement institutions.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the server device 12 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the server device 12 has a provider information management unit 70, a user information management unit 75, a display update processing unit 13, etc. The server device 12 also has a first product display processing unit 15, a first order processing unit 20, and a first payment processing unit 51. The server device 12 also has a second product display processing unit 35, a second order processing unit 40, and a second payment processing unit 52. The server device 12 also has a cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 and a cancellation refund processing unit 30. The server device 12 also has a point transfer acceptance unit 60, a point transfer display unit 65, and a third order and payment processing unit 53.

[0034] 2 stores information about products traded in the order receiving and placing system 10 and about the providers who provide the products, and updates the information about the products and providers as necessary. The provider information management unit 70 includes a product information storage unit 71, a provider-specific information storage unit 72, a product order information storage unit 73, etc.

[0035] The product information storage unit 71 shown in FIG. 2 stores information about the provider's products traded in the order receiving and placing system 10. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing information stored in the product information storage unit 71 in the provider information management unit 70. As shown in FIG. 3, product content information 71a stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information about the product name, product content, product photos, etc. of a predetermined product. Regular order price information 71b stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information about the price (first price) when the first product display processing unit 15 and the first order processing unit 20 (see FIG. 2) in the order receiving and placing system 10 offer to sell and accept an order for a predetermined product.

[0036] Normal order period information 71c stored in the product information storage unit 71 shown in Figure 3 is information related to the order period when the first product display processing unit 15 and the first order processing unit 20 (see Figure 2) in the order placement and receipt system 10 make a sale offer and receive an order for a predetermined product. Order limit information 71d stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information related to the upper limit number of orders that can be received per predetermined period (for example, one business day) when the first product display processing unit 15 and the first order processing unit 20 (see Figure 2) in the order placement and receipt system 10 make a sale offer and receive an order for a predetermined product. Note that the unit of the upper limit number of orders can be various, such as the number of products, the number of reservations, or the number of guest rooms, depending on the predetermined product.

[0037] The cancellation grant information 71e stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information regarding points or discount coupons that the cancellation rebate processing unit 30 in the order placement and receipt system 10 will grant to a user who has canceled. The canceled product resale price information 71f stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information regarding the price when the second product display processing unit 35 and the second order processing unit 40 (see FIG. 2) offer to sell and accept an order for a specified product after cancellation. The canceled product order period information 71g stored in the product information storage unit 71 is information regarding the order acceptance period when the second product display processing unit 35 and the second order processing unit 40 (see FIG. 2) in the order placement and receipt system 10 offer to sell and accept an order.

[0038] Various information stored in the product information storage unit 71, such as product content information 71a, regular order price information 71b, regular order period information 71c, order limit information 71d, cancellation grant information 71e, canceled product resale price information 71f, and canceled product order period information 71g, is used in the processing of each unit constituting the server device 12 shown in Fig. 2. Specific processing using each piece of information will be described later using Figs. 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, etc. Furthermore, registration and updating of each piece of information will be described later using Fig. 8, etc.

[0039] 2 stores information about providers, such as the store address, business hours, holidays, and contact information of providers who provide predetermined products. In addition, the product order information storage unit 73 in the provider information management unit 70 stores information about orders for predetermined products sold by providers through the order system 10 (for example, the number of orders for products for each delivery date and shipping date, the number of cancellations, and the number of canceled products to be resold).

[0040] 2 stores and updates information about users who purchase products traded through the ordering system 10, product ordering histories by users, and points or coupons given to users in the event of cancellation. The user-specific information storage unit 76 of the user information management unit 75 stores information about the address and name of users, and the payment method used by users when purchasing products through the ordering system 10.

[0041] The product order information management unit 77 of the user information management unit 75 stores information (including the purchase date, delivery or shipping date, cancellation date, etc.) about products purchased by users through the order placement and receipt system 10 and about products canceled by users. The point management unit 78 of the user information management unit 75 stores and updates information about points or coupons that were granted to users at the time of past cancellations and that can be used in future uses of the order placement and receipt system 10.

[0042] The display update processing unit 13 in the server device 12 updates the information displayed on the user terminals 91, 92, 93 in response to changes in the transaction status of the product and the passage of time. For example, when the first order processing unit 20 in the server device 12 receives an order for a specific product and reaches the upper order limit, the display update processing unit 13 updates the information about the product displayed by the first product display processing unit 15 so that the user can recognize that the upper order limit for the specific product has been reached.

[0043] The first product display processing unit 15 shown in Figure 2 displays information about a specified product and candidate delivery or shipping dates that are a specified period or more in the future from the time of display as first product information 16 (see Figure 1) on the user terminals 91, 92, and 93, and makes an offer to sell the specified product. At this time, the minimum period from the time of display to the candidate delivery or shipping date is displayed based on the normal order period information 71c stored in the product information storage unit 71. For example, if the time of display is the 3rd of a specified month and the minimum period from the time of display to the candidate delivery or shipping date is set to 7 days, the user can select a candidate date from the 10th of the specified month onwards (see Figure 7).

[0044] Here, the provider can arbitrarily set the minimum period from the time of display to the candidate delivery or shipping date, which is the predetermined period. However, it is preferable that the predetermined period displayed by the first product display processing unit 15 as part of the first product information 16 be a period that allows the provider to prepare the product reasonably on the delivery or shipping date, even if the provider procures raw materials, etc. for the specified product after receiving the order. For example, if the target product is food (a dish or food product), the predetermined period (shortest period) can preferably be set to about one day to two months, and more preferably one week to three weeks. This eliminates the need for the provider to prepare excess raw materials, etc., thereby reducing food waste.

[0045] The first order processing unit 20 shown in Figure 2 receives from the user terminals 91, 92, 93 information (first purchase information 21 in Figure 1) regarding the decision to purchase a specified product, which is displayed on the user terminals 91, 92, 93 by the first product display processing unit 15 and has a delivery date or shipping date selected from the candidate dates.

[0046] For example, as shown in Fig. 1, a user operating a user terminal 91 checks the price of a predetermined product, potential purchase dates, etc. from first product information 16 displayed by first product display processing unit 15. Furthermore, the user operating user terminal 91 determines the order quantity and delivery date and time as shown in Fig. 8(a), and sends first purchase information 21 including this information to server device 12. First order processing unit 20 accepts first purchase information 21 sent from user terminal 91 to server device 12 and receives an order for the user to purchase the product.

[0047] The first payment processing unit 51 shown in Fig. 2 communicates with the payment institution 98 shown in Fig. 1 to perform payment processing (transfer of money) for the purchase of a product offered for sale and ordered by the first product display processing unit 15 and the first order processing unit 20. As shown in Fig. 9, the first payment processing unit 51 displays predetermined information such as the payment method and credit card number on the user terminal 91, receives information such as a security code and password, and further communicates with the payment institution 98 to perform payment processing associated with the order processing by the first order processing unit 20.

[0048] The cancellation reception processing unit 25 in Fig. 2 receives information (cancellation information 26 shown in Fig. 1) from the user terminal 91 of the user involved in the purchase of the product, regarding the purchase of a specific product received by the first order processing unit 20. In other words, the user of the user terminal 91 who sent the first purchase information 21 to the first order processing unit 20 can cancel the purchase of the product (receipt of the product) after the purchase of the product.

[0049] For example, a user can send cancellation information 26 (see FIG. 1) from the user terminal 91 to the server device 12 by operating a user interface or the like provided in an application implemented on the user terminal 91 to use the ordering system 10. The cancellation information 26 accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 is transmitted to the cancellation refund processing unit 30 and the second product display processing unit 35 in the server device 12 shown in FIG.

[0050] Note that cancellation by the cancellation reception processing unit 25 means that the user waives the right to receive the purchased product and the provider's obligation to deliver the product is extinguished, but the provider is not obligated to refund the price of the product, and the user who cancels cannot receive a monetary refund.

[0051] 2 grants points or discount coupons that can be used as compensation for future purchases of a specific product from the provider of that product to a user who has canceled the purchase of that product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25. For example, the cancellation refund processing unit 30 reads cancellation grant information 71e related to the canceled product and records the fact that points or discount coupons have been granted in the point management unit 78 related to the user who canceled.

[0052] Furthermore, when a user who has cancelled a purchase purchases in the future from the same provider, the user can receive a reduction in the purchase price by specifying the use of points or discount coupons in a user interface provided in the application during payment processing. Here, the points or discount coupons awarded to a user who has cancelled a purchase by the cancellation rebate processing unit 30 can only be used for products from the same provider as the canceled product. Since the points and discount coupons can only be used for products from the same provider, the awarding and use of points is limited to the same provider. Therefore, each provider can freely set the value of points or discount coupons, which are the rebate rate at the time of cancellation, taking into account the characteristics of the product, etc.

[0053] The second product display processing unit 35 in Figure 2 displays canceled product information 36 (see Figure 1) including the delivery date or shipping date specified when the first order processing unit 20 accepted a specified product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 on user terminals 91, 92, 93, and makes an offer to sell (resell the canceled product) the product for which the delivery date or shipping date has been specified.

[0054] The sale offer made by the second product display processing unit 35 shares the same product as the sale offer made by the first product display processing unit 15. However, the sale offer made by the second product display processing unit 35 retains the delivery date or shipping date specified when the first order processing unit 20 accepted the purchase of the canceled product, preventing the user from freely selecting the delivery date or shipping date. For example, if the provider has already prepared the raw materials for the product or completed the product when the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 accepts the cancellation of the purchased product, there is a possibility of loss due to the canceled product not being delivered as scheduled. However, the order placement and purchase system 10 automatically resells the canceled product with the delivery date or shipping date retained, thereby increasing the possibility of avoiding loss due to cancellations.

[0055] Here, the first price (normal order price information 71b in FIG. 3) displayed on the user terminals 91-93 when the first product display processing unit 15 makes a sale offer for a specific product may be the same as or different from the second price (cancelled product resale price information 71f in FIG. 3) displayed on the user terminals 91-93 when the second product display processing unit 35 makes a sale offer for the same product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25. For example, the second price when the second product display processing unit 35 makes a sale offer for the canceled product can be lower than the first price when the first product display processing unit 15 makes a sale offer for the same product. In this way, even if a cancellation occurs, the canceled product can be quickly resold, effectively avoiding losses due to cancellations.

[0056] The second order processing unit 40 shown in FIG. 2 receives information (second purchase information 41 in FIG. 1) related to the decision to purchase the product displayed by the second product display processing unit 35 from the user terminal 92. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a user operating the user terminal 92 confirms the price and delivery date of a specific product from the canceled product information 36 displayed by the second product display processing unit 35. Furthermore, the user operating the user terminal 92 determines the order quantity, etc., as shown in FIG. 8(b), and sends second purchase information 41 including this information to the server device 12. The second order processing unit 40 receives the second purchase information 41 sent from the user terminal 92 to the server device 12 and accepts an order for the user to purchase the canceled product.

[0057] The second payment processing unit 52 shown in Figure 2, like the first payment processing unit 51, performs payment processing (transfer of money) for the purchase of products offered for sale and ordered by the second product display processing unit 35 and the second order processing unit 40.

[0058] The point transfer receiving unit 60, point transfer display unit 65, and third order receiving / payment processing unit 53 shown in Fig. 2 enable the user who receives the points or discount coupons that the cancellation refund processing unit 30 has granted to the user of the user terminal 91 to transfer them to another user. Details of these will be described later.

[0059] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a series of processes related to the sale, cancellation, and resale of a predetermined product carried out in the order placement and receipt system 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram explaining the flow of information exchanged between the server device 12, user A (a user using user terminal 91), and user B (a user using user terminal 92) in the series of processes shown in Fig. 4. Below, the processes carried out in the order placement and receipt system 10 will be explained in chronological order using Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, etc.

[0060] In step S001 of Fig. 4, the first product display processing unit 15 of the server device 12 performs a first product display process in which first product information 16 is displayed on the user terminals 91, 92, and 93 to make a sale offer. Fig. 7(a) shows an example of a screen display displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 91 in the first product display process (step S001). A user using the user terminal 91 can, for example, display the first product information 16 shown in Fig. 7(a) from a link 67 displayed on a main page 66 of a provider ("XX Pastry Shop") that handles a specific product that the user wishes to purchase ("Strawberry Roll Cake" in the example shown in Fig. 10).

[0061] 7(a), in the first product display process of step S001, the product name 16a, price 16b, available quantity 16c, candidate delivery date 16d, etc. are displayed on the user terminal 91. A user using the user terminal 91 can check the contents displayed in the first product display process (step S001) and consider whether to purchase a specific product, the number of the specific product to purchase, the delivery time of the specific product, etc.

[0062] Furthermore, when a user using the user terminal 91 purchases a predetermined product displayed by the first product display process (step S001), the user purchases the product by specifying the number of the predetermined product to be purchased and the delivery date, as shown in Fig. 7(a). For example, in the first product display process (step S001) shown in Fig. 7(a), the number of products available for purchase 16c and candidate delivery dates 16d are displayed, and the user can select an icon on the display screen to specify the number of products to be purchased and the delivery date.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 1, a user of user terminal 91 transmits first purchase information 21, which is information relating to a decision to purchase a predetermined product with a specified delivery date as shown in Fig. 7(a), to server device 12, and purchases the product displayed as first product information 16. As shown in Fig. 5, the purchase of a predetermined product displayed by the first product display process (step S001) is characterized in that the delivery date can be selected. When first purchase information 21 is transmitted from user terminal 91, server device 12 starts the process of step S002 in Fig. 4.

[0064] In step S002 of Fig. 4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the first order receiving unit 20 of the server device 12 receives first purchase information 21, which is information regarding the user's decision to purchase a specific product, from the user terminal 91 and receives an order for the user to purchase the product. The first order receiving unit 20 updates the contents of the product order information storage unit 73 in the provider information management unit 70, and records that an obligation to deliver the ordered product has arisen on the delivery date. In addition, in conjunction with or after the first order receiving process (step S002), the first payment processing unit 51 of the server device 12 performs payment processing for the purchase of the product (step S003).

[0065] 9 shows an example of a screen display displayed on the user terminal 91 used by a user purchasing a product when performing the first payment process (step S003). The first payment processing unit 51, for example, displays the payment amount and payment method on the user terminal 91 to confirm the user's intention, and performs payment processing associated with the order processing of the first order processing (step S002) by communicating with the payment institution 98. Note that the first purchase information 21 may be transmitted from the user terminal 91 to the server device 12 after the first payment process (step S003) is performed, and the first order processing (step S002) may be performed after the first payment process (step S003).

[0066] 4 and 5, after the first order receiving process (step S002) and the first payment process (step S003), the display update processing unit 13 of the server device 12 performs a first display update process (step S004). In the first display update process (step S004), the display update processing unit 13 changes the information (first product information 16) displayed by the first product display process (step S001). For example, if the first order receiving process (step S002) reduces the number of possible delivery dates for a specific product or reduces the number of orders that can be placed, the display update processing unit 13 updates the first product information 16.

[0067] User A shown in FIG. 5 can receive delivery of the product purchased through the processing of steps S001 to S004 from the provider as scheduled on the delivery date specified at the time of purchase. On the other hand, User A can also cancel the purchase of a specific product accepted by the first order processing unit 20 between the time of purchase and delivery. When User A cancels the purchased product, User A operates an application installed on the user terminal 91 to use the ordering system 10, and sends cancellation information 26 indicating the intention to cancel the purchase of the product from the user terminal 91 to the server device 12. When the cancellation information 26 is transmitted from the user terminal 91, the server device 12 starts the processing of step S005 in FIG. 4.

[0068] 1 and 5, in step S005 of FIG. 4, the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 of the server device 12 accepts, from the user terminal 91, cancellation information 26, which is information regarding a decision to cancel a purchase of a product accepted by the first order processing unit 20. The cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 updates the contents of the product order information storage unit 73 in the provider information management unit 70, recording that the obligation to deliver the product related to the canceled order has been temporarily extinguished and that the product will be resold with the delivery date remaining. After the cancellation acceptance processing in step S005, the order placement and receipt system 10 performs a cancellation refund processing (step S006).

[0069] In step S006 of FIG. 4, the cancellation rebate processing unit 30 of the server device 12 grants points or a discount coupon to user A, whose purchase of a specific product has been canceled and accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25, that can be used as compensation for future product purchases from the provider of that product ("XX Pastry Shop"). The cancellation rebate processing unit 30 reads the cancellation rebate information 71e related to the canceled product ("Strawberry Roll Cake") and records in the point management unit 78 related to user A who canceled that points or a discount coupon (e.g., "50% OFF") have been granted. As shown in FIG. 9, user A can use the granted points or discount coupon at the time of payment to receive a discount.

[0070] After the cancellation acceptance process in step S005, the order placement and receipt system 10 performs a second product display process (step S007). The second product display process (step S007) may be performed before, after, or simultaneously with the cancellation refund process (step S006). In step S007 in FIG. 4, the second product display processing unit 35 of the server device 12 displays canceled product information 36 (see FIG. 1) regarding the canceled product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 on the user terminals 91, 92, and 93, and makes an offer to sell the canceled product (resale of the canceled product).

[0071] Figure 7(b) shows an example of a screen display displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 92 in the second product display process (step S007). A user using the user terminal 92 can display canceled product information 36 relating to the canceled product as shown in Figure 7(b), for example, from a link displayed as "cancelled product" on the main page 66 of the provider ("XX confectionery store") that handles the canceled product.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7(b), in the second display process of step S007, the product name 36a, price 36b, available quantity 36c, delivery date 36d, and the like are displayed on the user terminal 92. As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), in a sale offer for a canceled product by the second product display processing unit 35, unlike a sale offer for a product by the first product display processing unit 15, the shipping date or delivery date 36d is already specified and displayed as unchangeable, and the user cannot select the shipping date or delivery date. In other words, in a resale of a canceled product by the second product display processing unit 35, the shipping date and delivery date are inherited from the date specified when the first order processing unit 20 accepted the canceled order for the canceled product (e.g., "Wednesday, the 14th" specified in FIG. 7(b)). However, the delivery time zone may be changeable from the time zone accepted by the first order processing unit 20.

[0073] Furthermore, when offering to sell the canceled product, the second product display processing unit 35 may set the second price, which is the price 36b of the canceled product, lower than the first price, which is the price 16b, which is the price when the first product display processing unit 15 offers to sell the same product. For example, in the example shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the second price, which is the price 36b of the canceled product, is a price that is 20% off the normal selling price 16b set by the first product display processing unit 15. Note that the purchase quantity 36c in the second display processing can be selected to be equal to or less than the order quantity accepted by the first order processing unit 20.

[0074] As shown in Figure 5, in the order placement and receipt system 10, when the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 accepts the cancellation of a product, the canceled product is automatically resold by the second product display processing unit 35. A user using the user terminal 92 can check the display content of the second product display processing (step S007) as shown in Figure 7(b) and consider whether to purchase the canceled product. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, user B of the user terminal 92 transmits second purchase information 41, which is information regarding the decision to purchase the canceled product with a fixed delivery date as shown in Figure 7(b), to the server device 12, and purchases the product displayed as canceled product information 36.

[0075] When the second purchase information 41 is transmitted from the user terminal 92, the server device 12 starts the process of step S008 in FIG. 4. In step S008 in FIG. 4, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the second order processing unit 40 of the server device 12 accepts the second purchase information 41, which is information regarding the user's decision to purchase the canceled product, from the user terminal 92 and accepts an order for the user to purchase the canceled product. The second order processing unit 40 updates the contents of the product order information storage unit 73 in the provider information management unit 70, and records that the canceled product that was being resold has been sold, resulting in an obligation to deliver the product to User B. In addition, in conjunction with or after the second order processing (step S008), the second payment processing unit 52 of the server device 12 performs payment processing for the purchase of the canceled product (step S009).

[0076] 4, the display update processing unit 13 of the server device 12 performs a second display update process. In the second display update process (step S010), the display update processing unit 13 changes the information (cancelled product information 36) displayed by the second product display process (step S007). For example, if a specific canceled product is sold out by the second order processing (step S008), the display update processing unit 13 can prevent the canceled product from being displayed on the user terminals 91 to 93.

[0077] In this way, in the order placement and receipt system 10, the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 accepts cancellations, and the cancellation rebate processing unit 30 provides points or discount coupons to users who cancel, thereby lowering the psychological barrier users face when pre-ordering products well in advance of the delivery or shipping date. Furthermore, the second product display processing unit 35 resells canceled products with a fixed delivery or shipping date, thereby reducing losses due to unsold products when cancellations occur and increasing the provider's sales even when cancellations occur. This order placement and receipt system 10 benefits both the product provider and the user who purchases the product, effectively promoting advance product ordering and reducing losses.

[0078] 1, providers using provider terminals 81, 82, and 83 can register product information about the products they provide in server device 12 or change the registered product information by communicating with server device 12 using provider terminals 81, 82, and 83. That is, providers using provider terminals 81, 82, and 83 can register and change product content information 71a, regular order price information 71b, regular order period information 71c, order limit information 71d, cancellation grant information 71e, canceled product resale price information 71f, and canceled product order period information 71g stored in product information storage unit 71 shown in FIG.

[0079] 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a screen display when a provider uses provider terminals 81, 82, and 83 to register product information in the product information storage unit 71 of the server device 12. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), a provider of a product in the order placement and receipt system 10 can store product content information 71a, such as the product name and product photo, regular order price information (first price) 71b, cancellation grant information 71e, canceled product resale price information (second price) 71f, and the like, in the product information storage unit 71 of the server device 12.

[0080] In the order placement and purchase system 10, the value of points or discount coupons that the cancellation rebate processor 30 grants to a user who cancels the purchase of a specific product is preferably equal to or less than the second price, which is the resale price of the canceled product. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the value of the discount coupon (50% off coupon) is 1,000 yen, which is equal to or less than the sales price (second price) of 1,600 yen for the canceled product. By setting the value in this way, the product provider can completely cover any future sales losses caused by distributing points or discount coupons to users who cancel their purchases by successfully reselling the canceled product. Furthermore, even if a user who canceled their purchase repurchases the resold product, the value gained is not greater than if they had received the product without canceling, which prevents users from profiting from cancellations.

[0081] When a provider registers or changes information about a product, the order system 10 may display an error or warning message on the display screen at the time of registration shown in Figure 8 if the discount value to be granted at the time of cancellation exceeds the second price, which is the resale price.

[0082] Furthermore, in the order placement and receipt system 10, the value of points or discount coupons that the cancellation rebate processing unit 30 grants to a user who cancels the purchase of a product may differ depending on the length of the period until the delivery date or shipping date of the product (the product subject to cancellation) accepted by the first order processing unit 20 at the time of cancellation. The left column of Fig. 6 shows the period until the delivery date or shipping date of the product subject to cancellation at the time of cancellation, and the value of points, etc. (cancellation rebate rate) that will be granted to the user who canceled.

[0083] In the example shown in Figure 6, the closer the cancellation is to the delivery or shipping date, the lower the cancellation rebate rate becomes, and the value of points etc. awarded to the user who cancels becomes less. This reduces last-minute cancellations that shorten the resale period for canceled items, and prevents losses due to canceled items not being sold out.

[0084] Furthermore, in the order placement and receipt system 10, the price of the product (second price) when the second product display processing unit 35 makes an offer to sell (resell) the canceled product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25 may vary depending on the length of the period until the delivery date or shipping date accepted by the first order processing unit 20. The right column of Fig. 6 shows the second price (resale price) according to the period until the delivery date or shipping date specified for the canceled product being resold.

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 6, the second price, which is the resale price of the canceled item, is set to become lower as the delivery or shipping date approaches. This makes it easier to sell canceled items whose delivery date is approaching, preventing losses due to unsold items.

[0086] 6 and 8, in the order placement and receipt system 10, the value of the points or discount coupons that the cancellation refund processing unit 30 grants to a user who cancels a purchase of a product may correspond to the price of the product (the purchase price of the canceled product) when the second order processing unit 40 accepts the purchase of the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit 25. In the order placement and receipt system 10 configured in this way, if the canceled product is sold, a larger amount of value is returned to the user who canceled, and if the canceled product remains unsold, a smaller amount of value is returned to the user who canceled. This order placement and receipt system 10 can more effectively prevent a decrease in future sales due to the awarding of points or the like at the time of cancellation.

[0087] 2, the point transfer receiving unit 60, the point transfer display unit 65, and the third order receipt and settlement processing unit 53 may allow points granted to a user who has canceled to be transferred between users of the order receipt and placement system 10. That is, the point transfer receiving unit 60 receives an indication from a user who has been granted points or discount coupons that he or she wishes to transfer the points or discount coupons granted by the cancellation return processing unit 30 to another user.

[0088] The point transfer display unit 65 also displays the terms of use (such as the provider eligible for use) of the points or discount coupons received by the point transfer reception unit 60, and indicates that a transfer offer has been made. The third order / payment processing unit 53 also receives an expression of intent from another user to purchase the points or discount coupons displayed by the point transfer display unit 65, and carries out payment.

[0089] According to this ordering system 10, points or discount coupons awarded at the time of cancellation are transferable, which reduces the loss suffered by the user due to cancellation and lowers the psychological barrier for the user when pre-ordering a product more than a specified period before the delivery or shipping date.

[0090] Although the ordering system 10 according to the present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the ordering system 10 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention includes many other embodiments and modifications. For example, in the ordering system 10, delivery of goods may be made at a store or the like of the product provider, or may be made at the address or residence of the user who purchased the goods. Also, for example, in the ordering system 10, shipping of goods may be made from a store or factory or the like of the product provider, or may be made by another business partnering with the product provider. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...Ordering system 11...Network communication network 12...Server equipment 15...First product display processing unit 16…1st product information 36...Cancellation product information 16a, 36a…Product name 16b, 36b...Price 16c, 36c...Available quantities 16th…Candidate date 20...First order processing section 21...First purchase information 25...Cancellation reception processing section 26...Cancellation information 30…Cancellation refund processing section 36d…Delivery date 35...Second product display processing unit 40...Second order processing unit 41...Second purchase information 51...first payment processing unit 52...Second payment processing unit 53...Third order and payment processing unit 60...Point Transfer Reception Department 65...Point transfer display section 66...Main page 67...Link 70…Provider Information Management Department 71...Product information storage section 71a…Product content information 71b...Regular order price information 71c...Regular order period information 71d...Order limit information 71e…Information given at the time of cancellation 71f... Cancelled item resale price information 71g...Cancellation order period information 72…Provider specific information storage unit 73...Product order information storage unit 75…User Information Management Department 76…User-specific information storage unit 77...Product Order Information Management Department 78...Point Management Department 81, 82, 83...Provider terminal 91, 92, 93...User terminal 98...Payment institutions

Claims

1. a first product display processing unit that displays information about a predetermined product and a candidate delivery date or shipping date that is a predetermined period of time or more in the future from the time of display on a user terminal and makes an offer to sell the product; a first order processing unit that receives, from the user terminal, information regarding a decision to purchase the product that is displayed on the user terminal by the first product display processing unit and for which the delivery date or shipping date selected from the candidate date is specified; a cancellation acceptance processing unit that accepts, from a user terminal of a user who has purchased the product, information regarding an intention to cancel the purchase of the product accepted by the first order acceptance processing unit; a cancellation refund processing unit that grants points or discount coupons that can be used as compensation for future purchases of the product from a provider that provides the product to the user who has canceled the purchase of the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit; a second product display processing unit that displays, on a user terminal, canceled product information including the delivery date or shipping date specified when the first order processing unit accepted the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit, and makes an offer to sell the product with the specified delivery date or shipping date; and a second order processing unit that receives, from a user terminal, information regarding a decision to purchase the product displayed by the second product display processing unit.

2. the first product display processing unit displays the product at a first price when offering the product for sale; 2. The ordering system of claim 1, wherein the second product display processing unit displays the price of the product as a second price lower than the first price when making an offer to sell the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit.

3. 3. The ordering system according to claim 2, wherein the value of the points or discount coupons that the cancellation rebate processing unit grants to the user who cancels the purchase of the product is equal to or less than the second price.

4. The order system described in claim 1, wherein the value of the points or discount coupons granted by the cancellation rebate processing unit to a user who cancels the purchase of the product varies depending on the length of time until the delivery date or shipping date of the product accepted by the first order processing unit at the time of cancellation.

5. 2. The ordering system of claim 1, wherein the price of the product when the second product display processing unit makes an offer to sell the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit varies depending on the length of the period until the delivery date or shipping date accepted by the first order processing unit.

6. The order system of claim 1, wherein the value of the points or discount coupons granted by the cancellation refund processing unit to a user who cancels the purchase of the product corresponds to the price of the product at the time the second order processing unit accepted the purchase for the product accepted by the cancellation acceptance processing unit.

7. a point transfer receiving unit that receives, from a user who has been granted the points or discount coupons, a request to transfer the points or discount coupons granted by the cancellation refund processing unit to another user; The ordering system of claim 1, further comprising a point transfer display unit that displays the terms of use of the points or discount coupons accepted by the point transfer acceptance unit and indicates that a transfer request has been made.

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