Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program capable of promoting sales of a plurality of products.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: storage means that stores a condition in which a plurality of products are classified into a plurality of product groups, and in which one or both of a lower limit value and an upper limit value of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each product group; determination means that determines whether or not one or more transactions made by a customer satisfy the condition; and control means that grants a predetermined benefit with respect to a purchase total amount related to the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions when the determination means determines that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, stores such as supermarkets have implemented a sales method in which the unit price of a product is reduced when a customer purchases multiple copies of the same product at once. This sales method is called bundling. In recent years, customers have been increasingly purchasing products from virtual stores on the Internet using information processing terminals such as smartphones, rather than from actual stores. Therefore, in order to further promote product sales, a sales method has been proposed in which bundling is applied to e-commerce transactions using the Internet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-9601 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a sales promotion targets multiple products, each product can be bundled. However, even if the multiple products in the bundle are daily necessities, customers will incur a temporary increase in expenses if they purchase each product in bulk, so the bundled purchase is limited to a few products. Therefore, even if a bundle is applied to each of the multiple products, it may not be possible to promote the sales of the multiple products.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of promoting sales of multiple products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to A storage means for storing conditions in which a plurality of products are classified into a plurality of product groups, and one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; a determination means for determining whether one or more transactions by a customer satisfy the condition; a control means for granting a predetermined benefit to the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions when the determination means determines that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition; The information processing device has the following.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing method by an information processing device, comprising: A step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. The information processing method has the following features.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a method for implementing the present invention in a computer. A step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. This is a program for executing the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, multiple products are classified into multiple product groups, one or more products and their quantities in each product group are set as promotion conditions, and a customer is granted a benefit if one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the promotion conditions, thereby providing an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can promote sales of multiple products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 10 is a table showing an example of a promotion condition applied in the information processing method of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a shopping pattern of a customer assuming the promotion conditions shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a management server according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a table showing an example of promotion conditions stored in the storage unit shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is a table showing another example of promotion conditions stored in the storage unit shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a register shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the customer terminal shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation procedure of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of classification of a plurality of product groups. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example in which a customer selects a product to be purchased from a plurality of product groups shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the operation procedure of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of the system configuration of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a shopping pattern of a customer under the promotion conditions shown in FIG. 7 in the present modified example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment 1] <Summary> The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The information processing device of this embodiment stores promotion conditions in which one or both of a minimum and maximum purchase quantity limits are set for each of a plurality of products, and when one or more transactions by a customer satisfy the promotion conditions, the information processing device grants the customer a benefit based on the total purchase amount of the products among the one or more transactions that satisfy the promotion conditions. A specific example will be described below.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a table showing an example of promotion conditions applied in the information processing method of this embodiment. The promotion conditions of this embodiment are not conditions for encouraging customers to purchase multiple copies of the same product, but conditions for encouraging customers to purchase multiple products. Products 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 1 represent different products. Products 1 to 3 may be products in the same category or in different categories. The categories may be broad classifications such as food and daily necessities, or more specific classifications within food such as meat and vegetables.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the promotion conditions are that the purchase quantity of product 1 must be between two and three, the purchase quantity of product 2 must be two or less, and the purchase quantity of product 3 must be one or more. The information processing device of this embodiment grants a predetermined benefit to a customer for at least one transaction that satisfies the promotion conditions. The benefit may be, for example, a predetermined discount rate deducted from the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the promotion conditions, or points awarded at a predetermined return rate.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows specific examples of shopping patterns by customers assuming the promotion conditions shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2(a) shows the case where a customer shops using shopping pattern Sp1. FIG. 2(b) shows the case where a customer shops using shopping pattern Sp2. FIG. 2(c) shows the case where a customer shops using shopping pattern Sp3. The dashed lines indicate products that are eligible for a special offer by satisfying the promotion conditions shown in FIG. 1. In shopping pattern Sp1, the purchase quantity of product 1 is two and the purchase quantity of product 2 is one. In shopping pattern Sp1, product 3 is not included in the purchase, so the promotion conditions are not satisfied.

[0015] In shopping pattern Sp2, the purchase quantity of product 1 is two, the purchase quantity of product 3 is two, and the purchase quantity of product 4 is one. Since shopping pattern SP2 purchases two units of product 1 and two units of product 3, it satisfies the promotion conditions of two or more units of product 1 and one or more units of product 3. When a customer makes a transaction for shopping pattern Sp2, the information processing device of this embodiment grants a benefit to the customer because shopping pattern Sp2 satisfies the promotion conditions. Specifically, since no upper limit for product 3 is set in the promotion conditions of FIG. 1, in the case of shopping pattern Sp2, two units of product 1 and two units of product 3 are eligible for the benefit. However, product 4 is not eligible for the benefit because it is not subject to the promotion conditions. In the case of shopping pattern SP2, the information processing device of this embodiment grants the customer a benefit for the total amount of two units of product 1 and two units of product 3.

[0016] Shopping pattern Sp3 involves a purchase quantity of four items 1, three items 2, and three items 3. Shopping pattern SP3 involves a purchase quantity of four items 1 and three items 3, satisfying the promotion conditions of two or more items 1 and one or more items 3. When a customer makes a transaction for shopping pattern Sp3, the information processing device of this embodiment grants a benefit to the customer because shopping pattern Sp3 satisfies the promotion conditions. However, one item 1 out of four items 1 and one item 2 out of three items 2 are not eligible for the benefit because they are not subject to the promotion conditions. This is because, as shown in FIG. 1 , the upper limit for item 1 is set to three, and the upper limit for item 2 is set to two. In the case of shopping pattern Sp3, the information processing device of this embodiment grants the customer a benefit for the total amount of three items 1, two items 2, and three items 3.

[0017] In this way, this embodiment can promote sales of multiple products by granting a benefit to a customer when one or more transactions by the customer satisfy promotional conditions that combine multiple products and their quantities. If the benefit is a discount, the customer can purchase multiple products that meet the promotional conditions at a price lower than the regular price. The configuration of the information processing device and information processing method of this embodiment are described in detail below.

[0018] <System configuration> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the system configuration of an information processing system S according to the first embodiment. The information processing system according to this embodiment includes a management server 1, cash registers 2-1 to 2-m (m is an integer equal to or greater than 1), and a customer terminal 3. The cash registers 2-1 to 2-m are installed in a physical store 101. In this embodiment, a case where there are multiple cash registers 2-1 to 2-m (m≧2) will be described, but there may be only one cash register 2-1 (m=1). Hereinafter, any one of the cash registers 2-1 to 2-m will be referred to as a cash register 2-j (j is any integer between 1 and m).

[0019] In this embodiment, the management server 1 is not limited to a server, but may be an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a workstation. For example, if there are multiple physical stores 101 belonging to the same chain, the management server 1 is a server that manages products in the multiple physical stores 101. While FIG. 3 shows a case where the management server 1 is installed in a location other than the physical store 101, it may also be installed in the physical store 101. If the management server 1 is installed within the physical store 101, the management server 1 may be an attendant terminal placed near multiple registers 2-1 to 2-m, or may be installed in a management room that only employees can enter. In this embodiment, the customer terminal 3 is described as a portable information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet, but it may also be a PC.

[0020] The cash registers 2-1 to 2-m, the customer terminal 3, and the management server 1 are connected to each other via a network 100 so that they can communicate with each other. The network 100 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). The network 100 is not limited to a LAN, but may also be a network that combines a LAN with a wide area network such as the Internet. The management server 1 executes various processes in cooperation with the operations of the cash registers 2-1 to 2-m and the customer terminal 3.

[0021] <Configuration of each device> (Management Server 1) 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management server 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The management server 1 is an information processing device having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0022] The CPU 11 executes various processes in accordance with programs recorded in the ROM 12 or programs loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 also stores data and the like required for the CPU 11 to execute various processes. The CPU 11, the ROM 12, and the RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14.

[0023] The input / output interface 15 is connected to an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20. The output unit 16 is configured as a display, a speaker, or the like, and outputs various information as images or sounds. The input unit 17 is configured as a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, and inputs various information. The storage unit 18 is configured as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like, and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices via the network 100. The communication unit 19 transmits and receives information to and from each of the customer terminal 3 and the cash registers 2-1 to 2-m according to a predetermined communication protocol. If the network 100 is configured to include the Internet, the communication protocol is, for example, IP (Internet Protocol).

[0024] Removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 20. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same way as the storage unit 18.

[0025] (Management Server 1 Functional Configuration) 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management server 1 according to the embodiment 1. In the CPU 11 of the server 1, a determination unit 31 and a control unit 32 function when the server 1 operates.

[0026] The memory unit 18 stores product information such as the price and consumption date of each of a plurality of products sold at the physical store 101, corresponding to a product ID (ID), which is an identifier unique to each product. The memory unit 18 stores promotion conditions in which one or both of a minimum and maximum purchase quantity limit is set for each of a plurality of products. FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of promotion conditions stored in the memory unit 18 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows an example of promotion conditions for products 1 to n. n is any integer equal to or greater than 1, but in this embodiment, the case where n=3 will be described. The promotion conditions are that the purchase quantity of product 1 is 2 or more and 3 or less, the purchase quantity of product 2 is 2 or less, and the purchase quantity of product 3 is 1 or more.

[0027] Furthermore, multiple products sold at the physical store 101 may be classified into multiple product groups. In this case, the memory unit 18 stores, as promotion conditions, information on combinations of two or more product groups that can be selected from the multiple product groups, and information on which one or both of the minimum and maximum purchase quantities of products belonging to each product group are set. There may be one or more products belonging to one product group. Figure 7 is a table showing another example of promotion conditions stored in the memory unit 18 shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 shows an example of promotion conditions when multiple products for sale are classified into multiple product groups.

[0028] 7(a) shows the minimum and / or maximum purchase quantities set for multiple products belonging to each product group. For example, for product group 1, if the purchase quantity of any product among the multiple products belonging to product group 1 is between one and two, the product is eligible for the benefit.

[0029] Figure 7(b) shows the combinations of product groups that qualify for the benefit. x is any integer equal to or greater than 1. For example, group pattern 1 means that the promotion conditions are not met unless the conditions of product groups 1 to n shown in Figure 7(a) are met. Group pattern 2 means that the promotion conditions are not met unless the conditions of both product groups 1 and n shown in Figure 7(a) are met.

[0030] Figure 7(c) is a table showing multiple products belonging to each product group shown in Figure 7(a). For example, product group 1 may be meat or fish, product group 2 may be vegetables, and product group 3 may be noodles. Figure 7(c) shows a case where each product group has four types of products, but the number of types of products is not limited to four.

[0031] The storage unit 18 also stores customer information for each of multiple customers. The customer information includes transaction history and customer rank information corresponding to a customer ID, which is an identifier that differs for each customer. The transaction history is a chronological record of past purchases made by a customer, and includes, for example, information including the date and time of purchases and the settlement amount. The rank is an index that indicates the importance of a customer. For example, the rank is set higher the greater the accumulated value (purchase history) of the settlement amounts of past purchases made by the customer. The customer information may also include information such as the customer's name, address, or credit card number.

[0032] When a customer registers their customer information in the management server 1, an employee of the physical store 101 issues a customer card on which a customer ID is recorded. The customer ID may be recorded on the customer card magnetically or by printing a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code. The customer ID may also be provided as electronic data from the management server 1 to the customer terminal 3.

[0033] The determination unit 31 determines whether at least one transaction by a customer satisfies the promotion conditions. The determination unit 31 may determine whether one transaction for each customer satisfies the conditions during a service period, which is a predetermined period.

[0034] When the determination unit 31 determines that a single transaction by a customer satisfies the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 grants a predetermined benefit to the total purchase amount for the products that satisfy the promotion conditions. The benefit is, for example, a predetermined discount rate deducted from the total purchase amount for multiple products that satisfy the promotion conditions. The discount rate is 5 to 10%. The benefit is not limited to a discount. The benefit may also be a reward of points at a predetermined reward rate to the total purchase amount for multiple products that satisfy the promotion conditions. The reward rate is, for example, 5 to 10%.

[0035] When the determination unit 31 determines that a single transaction by a customer during a service period does not satisfy the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 may notify the customer of information on the products and purchase quantities that must be purchased to satisfy the promotion conditions. Furthermore, when the determination unit 31 determines that a single transaction by a customer satisfies the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 may refer to the customer information stored in the memory unit 18 and set a higher benefit award rate for a higher customer rank. The award rate may be, for example, a discount rate or a return rate.

[0036] (Registers 2-1 to 2-m) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the register 2-j shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the register 2-j is described as a self-service POS (Point of Sales) register where customers process their own checkout, but the present invention is not limited to self-service POS registers. The hardware configuration of the register 2-j is the same as that shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 8, the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, bus 14, and input / output interface 15 shown in FIG. 4 are omitted from the diagram. The register 2-j has a communication unit 61, a control unit 62, a storage unit 63, an output unit 64, and an input unit 65. The control unit 62 functions when the CPU 11 shown in FIG. 4 executes a program.

[0037] The output unit 64 has a display 71 that displays images and a speaker 72 that outputs sound. The input unit 65 has a customer detection sensor 73, a scanner 74, and a touch panel 75 that allows an employee to input instructions to the register 2-j. The touch panel 75 is provided on the surface on which the display 71 displays images. The customer detection sensor 73 detects whether or not a customer is present in front of the register 2-j, and upon detecting the presence of a customer, transmits a detection signal to the control unit 62. The scanner 74 reads the product code attached to each product and transmits information about the read product code to the control unit 62. The product code corresponds to a product ID. The product code is, for example, a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

[0038] The storage unit 63 is configured with an HDD, an SSD, or the like, and stores various data. For example, the storage unit 63 stores product information for each of a plurality of products sold in the physical store 101. The communication unit 61 communicates with the management server 1 via the network 100 in accordance with a communication protocol such as IP. The communication unit 61 communicates with the customer terminal 3 in accordance with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0039] When the control unit 62 receives a detection signal from the customer detection sensor 73, it transitions from a state in which payment acceptance is suspended to a state in which payment acceptance is enabled. Each time the control unit 62 receives product code information from the scanner 74, it reads price information corresponding to the product code from the storage unit 63 and sequentially adds up the read prices. When the customer inputs a payment instruction via the touch panel 75, the control unit 62 calculates the total purchase amount and displays it on the display 71.

[0040] (Customer terminal 3) FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the customer terminal 3 shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the customer terminal 3 will be described as a smartphone. The hardware configuration of the customer terminal 3 is the same as the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 9, the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, bus 14, and input / output interface 15, which are included in the configuration shown in FIG. 4, are not shown. The customer terminal 3 has a communication unit 41, a control unit 42, a storage unit 43, an output unit 44, and an input unit 45. The control unit 42 functions when the CPU 11 shown in FIG. 4 executes a program.

[0041] The output unit 44 has a display 51 that displays images and a speaker 52 that outputs sound. The input unit 45 has a camera 53, a microphone 54 that picks up the customer's voice, and a touch panel 55 that the customer uses to input instructions to the customer terminal 3. The touch panel 55 is provided on the surface of the display 51 that displays images. The memory unit 43 is made up of an SSD and stores various data. The memory unit 43 stores a shopping program, which is an application software program dedicated to shopping, and a customer ID. The communication unit 41 communicates with the management server 1 via the network 100 in accordance with a communication protocol such as IP. The communication unit 41 communicates with the register 2-j in accordance with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0042] <Processing content> Next, the basic operation procedure of the management server 1 will be described. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. Here, the case will be described where the promotion conditions are the conditions shown in the table shown in Fig. 5 and n=3.

[0043] A customer carries a shopping cart containing multiple items to be purchased to register 2-j. When the control unit 62 of register 2-j detects the customer via the customer detection sensor 73, it transitions to a state where it is ready to accept payment. The customer holds the code displayed on their customer card over the scanner 74 of register 2-j, causing the scanner 74 to read it. When a customer ID is entered into register 2-j in step S1 shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 62 sends the customer ID to the management server 1 (step S2).

[0044] 11, when the management server 1 receives a customer ID, the determination unit 31 determines whether or not the customer ID has been received. If the determination unit 31 determines in step S21 that the customer ID has been received, the control unit 32 reads out customer information corresponding to the customer ID from the storage unit 18. The control unit 32 refers to the transaction history of the customer information (step S3 in FIG. 10, step S22 in FIG. 11).

[0045] In step S4 shown in Fig. 10, the customer holds each item to be purchased and has the scanner 74 read the item code, thereby inputting the item and quantity to be purchased into the register 2-j. In step S5, the control unit 62 transmits information about the item and quantity to be purchased to the management server 1. In step S23 shown in Fig. 11, the management server 1 receives information about the item and quantity to be purchased from the register 2-j. In step S24, the determination unit 31 determines whether a single transaction satisfies the promotion conditions based on the transaction history and the information received in step S23.

[0046] If the determination unit 31 determines in step S24 that the transaction satisfies the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if the determination unit 31 determines in step S24 that the transaction does not satisfy the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 proceeds to step S27.

[0047] In step S25, the control unit 32 determines the benefit for the total price of the products that satisfy the promotion conditions. For example, if the benefit is a discount, the control unit 32 calculates the discount amount by multiplying the total price by a predetermined discount rate as information about the benefit. In step S26 and step S6 in FIG. 10, the control unit 32 transmits the information about the benefit to the register 2-j. After step S26, the control unit 32 proceeds to processing in step S27.

[0048] In step S7 shown in FIG. 10, when the register 2-j receives the information about the benefit, the control unit 62 calculates the total purchase amount and outputs the total purchase amount and the information about the benefit. For example, the control unit 62 causes the display 71 to display the total purchase amount and the information about the benefit. The control unit 62 may also output the total purchase amount and the information about the benefit as audio via the speaker 72. In step S8, when the customer instructs the register 2-j to perform the settlement process by inserting cash or scanning a credit card, the control unit 62 executes the settlement process. In step S9, the control unit 62 transmits the settlement result to the management server 1.

[0049] In step S27 of Fig. 11, the management server 1 receives the settlement result from the register 2-j. In step S28 and step S10 of Fig. 10, the control unit 32 updates the transaction history stored in the memory unit 18. Specifically, in order to update the customer's transaction history, the control unit 32 adds information about the received settlement result to the transaction history stored in the memory unit 18 in association with the customer ID.

[0050] In step S7 described with reference to FIG. 10, the customer can know that if the multiple products and quantities he or she is about to purchase satisfy the promotion conditions, he or she will receive a special benefit such as a discount.

[0051] If the promotion conditions are not met in step S6 shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 32 of the management server 1 may transmit information regarding the products and purchase quantities that must be purchased to meet the promotion conditions to the register 2-j as information regarding the benefit. In this case, in step S7, the control unit 62 of the register 2-j causes the display 71 to display information regarding the products and purchase quantities that must be purchased to meet the promotion conditions to the customer before payment. During payment processing, the customer can recognize which products and how many of each product they need to purchase to receive the benefit. Therefore, the customer can receive the benefit by making purchases required to meet the promotion conditions the next time they shop.

[0052] Furthermore, a condition may be set that a transaction that is the subject of a promotion condition judgment is made during a predetermined service period. The service period may be, for example, one week to one month. The service period may also be one day. By setting the service period to which the promotion condition applies, different promotion conditions can be set for each service period. As a result, it is possible to promote sales of a wide variety of products.

[0053] Furthermore, the customer information stored in the memory unit 18 may include information on the rank set for each customer. In this case, when a transaction by a customer satisfies the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 may set a higher reward rate for the higher rank of the customer. If the reward is a discount, the reward rate is the discount rate. If the reward is a point redemption, the reward rate is the redemption rate. Customers set with a higher rank can obtain rewards with a higher reward rate by making purchases that satisfy the promotion conditions. If a customer's rank is set higher the more frequently they purchase at stores in the same chain, the store can appeal to the customer about the promotion conditions, thereby increasing the tendency for the customer to purchase products at stores in the same chain. Furthermore, the control unit 32 may grant a reward of an extended service period to high-ranking customers.

[0054] Next, an example of a purchase that satisfies the promotion conditions in the table shown in Figure 7 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Here, in the table of Figure 7, n = 3 and x = 2. In Figure 7(b), the combinations of product groups to which the promotion conditions apply are group patterns 1 and 2.

[0055] There are two promotion conditions: group pattern 1 and 2. The condition for group pattern 1 is "one to two products belonging to product group 1, one product belonging to product group 2, and two or more products belonging to product group 3." The condition for group pattern 2 is "one to two products belonging to product group 1, and two or more products belonging to product group 3."

[0056] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of classification of multiple product groups. Fig. 12 shows a case where each product group contains four products, but the number of products belonging to one group is not limited to four and may be at least one. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example where a customer selects a product to purchase from the multiple product groups shown in Fig. 12. The dashed frame in Fig. 13 indicates a product that is eligible for a bonus if it meets the promotion conditions.

[0057] Let us consider the case where a customer makes a purchase according to shopping pattern Sp1 shown in Figure 13(a) for product groups 1 to 3 shown in Figure 12. Shopping pattern Sp1 includes three products from product group 1, two products from product group 2, and three products from product group 3. It can be seen that the transaction for shopping pattern Sp1 satisfies the conditions of group pattern 1. Two products belonging to product group 1, one product belonging to product group 2, and three products belonging to product group 3 are eligible for the benefit. However, of the multiple products in shopping pattern Sp1, one product from product group 1 and one product from product group 2 are not eligible for the benefit.

[0058] Next, we will explain the case where a customer makes a purchase according to shopping pattern Sp2 shown in FIG. 13(b) for product groups 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 12. Shopping pattern Sp2 includes three products from product group 1 and two products from product group 3. It can be seen that the transaction for shopping pattern Sp2 satisfies the conditions of group pattern 2. The two products from product group 1 and the two products from product group 3 are eligible for the benefit. However, of the multiple products in shopping pattern Sp2, the one product from product group 1 is not eligible for the benefit.

[0059] Note that Figure 13(a) shows a case where product 1-D and product 2-C are not eligible for the benefit, and Figure 13(b) shows a case where product 1-D is not eligible for the benefit, but for the sake of explanation, Figure 13 is just an example showing products that are eligible for the benefit and products that are not eligible for the benefit. For example, in Figure 13(a), two products 1-D may be eligible for the benefit, and product 1-B may not be eligible for the benefit. This is because if multiple products 1-A to 1-D belonging to product group 1 have the same price, the benefit given to the customer will be the same regardless of which product is not eligible for the benefit.

[0060] Next, another example of a product group in the table shown in Figure 7 will be described. As an example, consider a case where meal kits are classified into multiple product groups. The dishes are, for example, pho and ramen. When n = 4, product group 1 is four types of vegetables, product group 2 is four types of meat or fish, product group 3 is two types of noodles or rice, and product group 4 is four types of soup. The promotion conditions are to select three types of products from product group 1, select two types of products from product group 2, select noodles or rice from product group 3, and select two types of soup from product group 4. In this case, even if a customer selects two noodles belonging to product group 3, only one bowl of noodles will be eligible for the bonus.

[0061] Next, another example of the product groups in the table shown in Figure 7 will be explained. As an example, consider a case where the ingredients of a bento box are classified into multiple product groups. The bento box is, for example, a makunouchi bento. When n = 3, product group 1 (main dish) has two types: salted salmon or hamburger steak, product group 2 (side dish) has four types, such as stir-fried burdock or spinach with sesame dressing, and product group 3 (pickles) has three types, such as salted cucumber. The promotion conditions are to select one type from product group 1, two types from product group 2, and one type from product group 3. In this case, even if a customer selects both salted salmon and hamburger steak from product group 1, only one of the products will be eligible for the bonus.

[0062] In this way, when a customer's transaction satisfies the promotional conditions for a combination of multiple products and their quantities, a benefit is given to the customer, thereby promoting the sales of multiple products. So far, we have explained the case of foodstuffs or beverages as specific examples of products, but the products may also be other products such as daily necessities or pharmaceuticals.

[0063] Next, an operational procedure will be described for the information processing system S of this embodiment when a customer checks the total purchase amount before paying by reading a product code into the customer terminal 3 while shopping. Fig. 14 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the operational procedure of the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

[0064] When a customer enters the physical store 101, the customer pushes a shopping cart and moves to a shelf where products are displayed. In step S31, when the customer operates the customer terminal 3 to input an instruction to start a shopping program, the control unit 42 reads the shopping program from the memory unit 43 and executes the shopping program. In step S32, the control unit 42 transmits the customer ID to the management server 1.

[0065] In step S33, when the management server 1 receives the customer ID from the customer terminal 3, the control unit 32 reads out customer information corresponding to the received customer ID from the storage unit 18 and refers to the transaction history of the customer information. In step S34, the customer has the customer terminal 3 read the product code of the product to be purchased, thereby inputting the product code into the customer terminal 3. Specifically, the customer holds the product so that the product code is positioned in the direction of the camera 53 and inputs an instruction to read the code into the customer terminal 3. When the instruction to read the code is input, the control unit 42 operates the camera 53 to photograph the product code. The control unit 42 converts the image of the product code into a product ID. In step S34, if the customer is purchasing multiple copies of the same product, the customer may input the purchase quantity into the customer terminal 3.

[0066] In step S35, the control unit 42 transmits the input product ID to the management server 1. At that time, if a purchase quantity was input in step S34, the control unit 42 transmits information on the purchase quantity along with the product ID to the management server 1. The control unit 42 of the customer terminal 3 repeats the processes of steps S34 to S35 for each product to be purchased. In step S36, when the management server 1 receives information on the product ID and purchase quantity from the customer terminal 3, the determination unit 31 determines whether the transaction during shopping satisfies the promotion conditions based on the transaction history and the product and purchase quantity to be purchased.

[0067] In step S35, the control unit 32 of the management server 1 receives information about the products and purchase quantities from the customer terminal 3 and calculates the total purchase amount based on the information about the products and purchase quantities. The control unit 32 compares the products and purchase quantities to be purchased with the promotion conditions to obtain information about the benefit. In step S37, shopping information including the total purchase amount and information about the benefit is sent to the customer terminal 3. If the determination unit 31 determines in step S36 that the transaction during the shopping process satisfies the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 includes the content of the benefit in the shopping information as information about the benefit. On the other hand, if the determination unit 31 determines in step S36 that the transaction during the shopping process does not satisfy the promotion conditions, the control unit 32 includes in step S37 information about the products and purchase quantities that must be purchased to satisfy the promotion conditions in the shopping information as information about the benefit.

[0068] In step S38, when the customer terminal 3 receives the shopping information from the management server 1, the control unit 42 outputs the shopping information. For example, the control unit 42 causes the display 51 to display the total purchase amount and information related to the benefit. If the determination unit 31 determines in step S36 that the transaction during the shopping process satisfies the promotion conditions, in step S38 the control unit 42 causes the display 51 to display the details of the benefit, such as the discount amount, as information related to the benefit.

[0069] On the other hand, if the determination unit 31 determines in step S36 that the transaction during shopping does not satisfy the promotion conditions, in step S38, the control unit 42 causes the display 51 to display a message informing the customer of the number of additional products that must be purchased to receive the benefit, as information regarding the benefit. For example, the control unit 42 causes the display 51 to display a message such as, "If you purchase △ additional products of product XX, you will receive a 5% discount on the target product." In this way, sales promotion messages are notified to the customer in real time while they are shopping.

[0070] After the product codes of the products to be purchased have been read, the customer carries the shopping card to the register 2-j and inputs a payment instruction into the customer terminal 3. When the payment instruction is input, the control unit 42 of the customer terminal 3 transmits the shopping information to the register 2-j. In step S39, when the register 2-j receives the shopping information from the customer terminal, the control unit 62 executes a payment process based on the shopping information. Thereafter, similar to step S10 in FIG. 10 and step S28 in FIG. 11, the control unit 32 of the management server 1 updates the customer's transaction history.

[0071] In this way, by reading the product code into the customer terminal 3 while shopping, the customer can find out whether the product and quantity to be purchased meet the promotion conditions during the shopping process. This allows the customer to shop in a way that allows them to receive special benefits.

[0072] In step S39, the customer terminal 3 performs the settlement process with the register 2-j via near-field wireless communication. However, the settlement process method is not limited to this. For example, the customer may operate the customer terminal 3 to display a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code indicating shopping information on the display 51, and have the displayed code read by the scanner 74 of the register 2-j. In step S39, the customer may operate the customer terminal 3 to cause the register 2-j to perform the settlement process. However, the settlement process may also be performed by another information processing device connected to and communicating with the register 2-j.

[0073] <Advantageous Effects of the First Embodiment> According to the above-described embodiment, multiple products are classified into multiple product groups, and promotion conditions are set for one or more products in each product group and their quantities. A benefit is awarded to a customer when one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the promotion conditions, thereby promoting sales of multiple products. This increases the options for combinations of products and their quantities that are the subject of sales promotion. Therefore, in addition to sales promotion, if the target products are food products, food waste can be reduced.

[0074] [Embodiment 2] The information processing system of this embodiment 2 is not limited to the case where the store where a customer purchases products is a physical store 101 that is a real store, but also includes a virtual store that is a store that virtually exists on a website. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an outline of the system configuration of the information processing system Sa according to this embodiment 2.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 15, the information processing system Sa according to this embodiment includes a management server 1, cash registers 2-1 to 2-m in each of physical stores 101-1 to 101-L (where L is an integer greater than or equal to 2), a web server 4, and a customer terminal 3. The web server 4 publishes a virtual store on a website. Any physical store among the physical stores 101-1 to 101-L is represented as physical store 101-k (where k is an integer between 1 and L). In FIG. 15, the cash registers 2-1 to 2-m installed in the physical store 101-L are omitted from the drawing. While FIG. 15 shows a case where there is one web server 4, the number of web servers 4 that publish the virtual store on a website is not limited to one.

[0076] In this embodiment, the determination unit 31 targets transactions made by a customer at one or more of one or more physical stores 101-k and one or more virtual stores on the website. For example, if physical store 101-1 is a store selling food products and physical store 101-2 is a store selling pharmaceutical products, a customer can receive a benefit if at least one of the transactions made at physical store 101-1 and the transaction made at physical store 101-2 satisfies a promotional condition. Even if a retail store selling food products and a retail store selling pharmaceutical products are located on the premises of the same large store, a customer can receive a benefit if a transaction made at either retail store satisfies a promotional condition. A customer can also receive a benefit if a transaction made at the virtual store satisfies a promotional condition.

[0077] <Advantageous Effects of the Second Embodiment> According to this embodiment 2, customers can receive benefits not only when they purchase products in a physical store, but also when they purchase products in a virtual store on a website, if the products and the quantity purchased meet the promotional conditions.

[0078] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0079] (Variation 1) In the above-described first and second embodiments, a customer is granted a benefit when one transaction satisfies the promotion conditions. However, a customer may also be granted a benefit if multiple transactions satisfy the promotion conditions. A specific example of this modification will be described for the promotion conditions shown in FIG. 1. Here, the description will be given for a case in which multiple transactions within a predetermined service period satisfy the promotion conditions. The service period may be, for example, one week to one month.

[0080] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a shopping pattern of a customer in this modification example 1, assuming the promotion conditions shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a specific example in which a customer selects products to purchase from the multiple product groups shown in Fig. 12. The dashed lines in Fig. 16 indicate products that are eligible for a special benefit if they satisfy the promotion conditions shown in Fig. 7.

[0081] We will explain the case where a customer makes two purchases as shown in FIG. 16(a) for product groups 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 12. Shopping pattern Sp1 includes three products from product group 1 and two products from product group 2. Shopping pattern Sp2 includes three products from product group 3. It can be seen that the two transactions in shopping patterns Sp1 and 2 satisfy the conditions of group pattern 1. Two products from product group 1, one product from product group 2, and three products from product group 3 are eligible for the benefit. However, of the multiple products in shopping pattern Sp1, one product from product group 1 and one product from product group 2 are not eligible for the benefit.

[0082] We will explain the case where a customer makes two purchases as shown in Figure 16(b) for product groups 1 to 3 shown in Figure 12. Shopping pattern Sp1 involves three products from product group 1. Shopping pattern Sp2 involves two products from product group 3. It can be seen that the two transactions in shopping patterns Sp1 and 2 satisfy the conditions of group pattern 2. The two products from product group 1 and the two products from product group 3 are eligible for the benefit. However, of the multiple products in shopping pattern Sp1, the one product from product group 1 is not eligible for the benefit.

[0083] According to this first modification, if the multiple products that are subject to the promotion conditions include high-priced products, the customer can satisfy the promotion conditions with multiple purchases, thereby reducing temporary increases in expenses. Also, since the customer can receive a benefit if multiple transactions satisfy the promotion conditions, if the customer does not receive a benefit in one transaction at the physical store 101, the customer may consider making a second purchase at the same physical store 101 within the service period. As a result, not only can the customer receive a benefit, but the physical store 101 can also promote sales of multiple products.

[0084] When this first modification is applied to the first embodiment, the physical store 101 can provide benefits such as discounts or points redemption to customers who visit the physical store multiple times for multiple products that meet the promotion conditions. If multiple purchases at the physical store 101 satisfy the promotion conditions, the customer can receive benefits such as purchasing products at a price lower than the regular price.

[0085] When this first modification is applied to the second embodiment, the determination unit 31 determines that multiple transactions by a customer made at one or more of the one or more physical stores 101-k and one or more virtual stores on the website are subject to the promotion conditions. For example, if physical store 101-1 is a store selling food products and physical store 101-2 is a store selling pharmaceutical products, the customer can receive a benefit if multiple transactions, including transactions at physical store 101-1 and physical store 101-2, satisfy the promotion conditions. Even if a retail store selling food products and a retail store selling pharmaceutical products are located on the premises of the same large store, the customer can receive a benefit if multiple transactions at these retail stores satisfy the promotion conditions. The customer can also receive a benefit if multiple transactions at the virtual store satisfy the promotion conditions. Furthermore, the customer can also receive a benefit if multiple transactions at a combination of the physical store and the virtual store satisfy the promotion conditions.

[0086] In the above-described first and second embodiments, multiple types of benefits may be granted to a customer. In this case, the control unit 32 may select the benefit to be granted to the customer from the multiple types of benefits in accordance with predetermined rules. In this first modified example, the customer has the following benefits. A specific example will be described in which the multiple types of benefits are, for example, a 5% cash back and point redemption. Here, in the table of FIG. 7, n=3 and x=1. In FIG. 7(b), the combination of product groups to which the promotion conditions apply is called group pattern 1. Furthermore, products belonging to product groups 1 and 2 are high-priced products with a unit price of 2,000 yen or more, and products belonging to product group 3 are low-priced products with a unit price of less than 100 yen.

[0087] For example, suppose that the products in product group 1 are three types of beer (six 500ml cans), the products in product group 2 are three types of whiskey, and the products in product group 3 are five types of prepared foods. In a first shopping trip, a customer purchases two types of beer from product group 1 and one type of whiskey from product group 2. Then, in a second shopping trip, the customer purchases two types of prepared foods from product group 3. In this case, the customer's two shopping trips satisfy the conditions of group pattern 1. If the benefit is a 5% cash back and the customer purchases no other products other than the two types of prepared foods during their second shopping trip, the amount of the cash back will be greater than the amount the customer pays. In this case, if the amount of cash back to the customer is greater than the amount the store receives from the customer, the control unit 32 selects point redemption instead of cash back as the benefit. Alternatively, instead of selecting point redemption, the control unit 32 may divide the cash back among multiple shopping trips from the same customer's second trip onward.

[0088] (others) Furthermore, for example, the above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the above-described functional configuration is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for the information processing system to be equipped with the functionality to execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this functionality is not particularly limited to the above example. Furthermore, the location of the functional block is not particularly limited and may be arbitrary. For example, the functional block of the management server 1 may be transferred to another device such as the register 2-j or the customer terminal 3. Conversely, the functional block of another device may be transferred to the management server 1. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0089] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs constituting the software are installed onto a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer incorporated into dedicated hardware. The computer may also be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0090] The recording medium containing such a program may be configured as a removable medium (not shown) that is distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the program to users, etc., or may be configured as a recording medium that is pre-installed in the device main body and provided to users, etc. Since the program can be distributed via a network, the recording medium may be installed in or accessible from a computer that is connected or connectable to the network.

[0091] In this specification, the steps describing the program recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. Also, in this specification, the term "system" means an overall device composed of multiple devices or multiple means, etc.

[0092] In other words, the information processing device to which the present invention is applied can take various forms having the following configurations. That is, A storage means (e.g., a storage unit 18) for storing conditions in which a plurality of products are classified into a plurality of product groups and one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; A determination means (e.g., a determination unit 31) that determines whether one or more transactions by a customer satisfy the conditions; a control means (e.g., a control unit 32) that, when the determination means determines that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, grants a predetermined benefit to the total purchase amount of the products among the one or more transactions that satisfy the condition; The information processing device has the following. This allows multiple products to be classified into multiple product groups, and one or more products and their quantities in each product group are set as promotion conditions, and a benefit is given to the customer when one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the promotion conditions, thereby promoting sales of multiple products.

[0093] The storage means further comprises: The conditions may include information on combinations of two or more product groups that can be selected from the plurality of product groups, and information in which one or both of the lower limit and the upper limit of the purchase quantity of the two or more products belonging to the product group are set for each of the plurality of product groups. As promotion conditions, two or more products and their quantities for each product group and combinations of two or more product groups can be set, which increases the options for combinations of products and their quantities for sales promotion, making it possible to further promote sales of multiple products.

[0094] Moreover, the determination means It may be determined whether the one or more transactions satisfy the condition during a predetermined service period. By setting the service period to which the promotion conditions apply, different promotion conditions can be set for each service period, which allows sales promotion of a wide variety of products.

[0095] Moreover, the determination means It may be determined whether a plurality of transactions during the service period satisfy the condition. A benefit is given to a customer when multiple transactions by the customer satisfy the promotion conditions, so that an increasing number of customers can obtain the benefit.

[0096] Moreover, the determination means The multiple transactions may include transactions conducted at one or more physical stores that are real stores and one or more virtual stores that are stores that virtually exist on a website. This allows customers to receive benefits not only when they purchase products at a physical store, but also when they purchase products at a virtual store on a website, provided that the products and the quantity purchased meet the promotional conditions.

[0097] Moreover, the control means If the determination means determines that the one or more transactions by the customer during the service period do not satisfy the conditions, the customer may be notified of information regarding the products and purchase quantities that need to be purchased to satisfy the conditions. This allows customers to know how many and which products they need to purchase to receive the bonus during checkout. Therefore, the next time they shop, they can receive the bonus by making purchases that meet the promotional conditions.

[0098] The storage means stores information on ranks set for each of the customers, for each of the multiple customers; The control means When the determining means determines that the one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition, the higher the rank of the customer, the higher the rate at which the benefit is awarded may be set. This allows customers who are set to a high rank to receive benefits with a high reward rate by making purchases that meet the promotion conditions.

[0099] An information processing method to which the present invention is applied is an information processing method by an information processing device, A step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. The information processing method has the following features.

[0100] The program to which the present invention is applied is installed on a computer. A step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. This is a program for executing the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1: Management server 2-1 to 2-m: Register 3: Customer terminal 4: Web server 11: CPU 18: Memory 19: Communication unit 31: Determination unit 32: Control unit

Claims

1. a storage means for storing conditions in which a plurality of products are classified into a plurality of product groups, and one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; a determining means for determining whether one or more transactions by a customer satisfy the condition; a control means for granting a predetermined benefit to a total purchase amount of products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions when the determination means determines that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition; An information processing device having the above.

2. The storage means As the conditions, information on combinations of two or more product groups that can be selected from the plurality of product groups and information in which one or both of the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the purchase quantities of the two or more products belonging to the product group are set for each of the plurality of product groups are stored. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The determination means determining whether the one or more transactions satisfy the condition during a predetermined service period; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. The determination means determining whether a plurality of transactions during the service period satisfy the condition; The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The determination means The plurality of transactions are transactions conducted at one or more stores selected from one or more real stores that are real stores and one or more virtual stores that are stores that virtually exist on a website. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. The control means If the determination means determines that the one or more transactions by the customer during the service period do not satisfy the conditions, the customer is notified of information regarding the products and purchase quantities that need to be purchased in order to satisfy the conditions. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

7. the storage means stores information on ranks set for each of the customers, for each of the multiple customers; The control means When the determination means determines that the one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition, the higher the rank of the customer, the higher the grant rate of the benefit is set.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

8. An information processing method by an information processing device, a step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. An information processing method comprising:

9. On the computer, a step of classifying a plurality of products into a plurality of product groups, and storing conditions in which one or both of a lower limit and an upper limit of purchase quantity are set for one or more products belonging to each of the product groups; determining whether one or more transactions by the customer satisfy the condition; When it is determined that the one or more transactions satisfy the condition, a predetermined benefit is awarded for the total purchase amount of the products that satisfy the condition among the one or more transactions. A program to execute.

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