Management device, investigation method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides a management device, a research method, and a program that can investigate trends in the provision of incentives for items that compete with items offered by a shop. [Solution] The management device 100 is a management device 100 that manages whether or not to grant benefits to items listed on an electronic marketplace by multiple shops, and comprises a search unit 120 that searches for items that meet the search conditions set by each shopper from among the listed items and provides a list of search results along with information on whether or not benefits are granted to the items included in the list, an extraction unit 140 that extracts a list from the provided list that contains the items to be investigated, a calculation unit 150 that calculates the percentage of items included in the extracted list that were granted benefits, and an output unit 160 that outputs the calculated percentage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device, an investigation method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In electronic commerce such as online shopping, a technique for granting a privilege to a shopper who has performed a target action such as purchasing an item to be traded is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a technique, as a privilege, electronic money or points corresponding to a certain percentage of the purchase price of an item are reduced. In this case, for each item to be listed, the shop listing the item needs to determine whether to grant a privilege and set the privilege details such as the reduction rate for the item for which it is determined to grant a privilege.

[0005] However, a shop with no transaction experience or shallow transaction experience may be confused about whether to grant a privilege and the details of the privilege to be granted. Also, for example, when a privilege is granted to an item that competes with an item listed by the shop, the shop may determine to grant a privilege in order to compete with the competing item. Therefore, there is a demand for providing the shop with judgment materials for granting a privilege.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a management device, a research method, and a program that can investigate trends in the provision of benefits for items that compete with items offered by a shop. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the management device according to the present invention A management device that manages whether or not to grant benefits to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops, A search unit searches for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and provides a list of the search results along with information on whether or not the items included in the list are eligible for any benefits. An extraction unit extracts a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated, A calculation unit that calculates the percentage of items among the extracted list that were granted a bonus, An output unit that outputs the calculated ratio, It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a management device, a research method, and a program that can investigate trends in the provision of benefits for items that compete with items offered by a shop. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the coordination between the management device and other equipment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a management page displayed on a shop terminal. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the output result page displayed on the shop terminal. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device. [Figure 5]Figure 4 shows an example of an item database. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an item list generated by the search unit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a list page generated by the search unit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a search result management table stored in the search result storage unit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the physical configuration of the control device. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart of the process for generating an item list by the management device. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of the output processing performed by the control device. [Figure 12] This figure shows another example of the output results page displayed on the shop terminal. [Figure 13] This figure shows another example of the output results page displayed on the shop terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A control device, a survey method, and a program relating to embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. This embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art can adopt embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced with equivalents, and these embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0011] (Overall structure) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the cooperation between the management device 100 and other devices. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to this figure. As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is communicably connected to a shopper terminal 200 and a shop terminal 300 via a communication network 400. In FIG. 1, one shopper terminal 200 and one shop terminal 300 are illustrated, but the applicable number of shopper terminals 200 and shop terminals 300 is not limited to this, and a plurality of shopper terminals 200 and shop terminals 300 may be applicable.

[0012] The management device 100 is composed of, for example, a sales server (server computer) or the like, and is operated by an operator who provides e-commerce services such as an online mall, an online shopping site, an auction site, a free market site, and the like.

[0013] The management device 100 provides information on items sold in the e-commerce service to the shopper terminal 200 and sells the items desired by the shopper. For example, the management device 100 sells items of a plurality of stores (virtual stores), searches for items that match the search conditions set by the shopper, and generates an item list showing the list of the searched items. This item list includes privilege information which is information on the privileges given to the shopper by purchasing each item. The privilege is, for example, electronic money that can be used at the time of settlement of the e-commerce service. The privilege information includes, for example, the reduction rate of the electronic money. The management device 100 stores the generated item list every time an item search is executed by the shopper.

[0014] Note that the privilege is not limited to electronic money, and may be anything that is beneficial to the user, for example, points that can be used at the time of settlement or an electronic coupon that discounts the payment amount.

[0015] Furthermore, the management device 100 outputs the trends in bonus granting for other competing items that compete with the items the shop is currently selling. Specifically, the management device 100 extracts a list of items from the generated list of items that include the items the shop is selling. The management device 100 calculates the percentage of competing items that are being offered bonuses among the competing items included in the extracted list of items. The management device 100 outputs to the shop, for example, the daily change in the percentage over a predetermined period (for example, the past week). By viewing the output results from the management device 100, the shop can learn about the trends in bonus granting for competing items that compete with the items it is selling, and decide whether or not to offer bonuses to the items it is selling.

[0016] The Shopper Terminal 200 is an information terminal (so-called computer) such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer), and is used by shoppers to browse and purchase items sold by shops in the electronic marketplace. Shoppers install an e-commerce application on the Shopper Terminal 200, launch the e-commerce application, and use the e-commerce service.

[0017] The shopper terminal 200 receives search criteria input from the shopper, accesses the management device 100 via the communication network 400, and instructs the management device 100 to search for items, etc.

[0018] Shop Terminal 300 refers to information terminals (so-called computers) such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs (Personal Computers), and is used by shops (shop managers) that list items on the electronic marketplace.

[0019] The shop terminal 300 accesses the management device 100 via the communication network 400 to perform management tasks such as granting benefits to items listed by the shop, editing item information, and displaying output results regarding the trend of benefit granting for competing items, which are output by the management device 100. Here, examples of the screens displayed on the shop terminal 300 are shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an example of a management page 310 for managing items currently listed, and Figure 3 is an example of an output results page 320 that displays the output results from the management device 100.

[0020] As illustrated in Figure 2, the management page 310 is a page for individually managing items currently listed for sale, and it contains an edit button 31 for editing item information, a bonus setting button 32 for adding bonuses to items, and a get button 33 for obtaining information on the bonuses added to competing items.

[0021] For example, when the shop clicks the edit button 31, it will transition to an editing page for editing item information. On the editing page, the shopper can edit various item information such as the item's image, item name, category, price, shipping method, and description.

[0022] Furthermore, when the reward setting button 32 is clicked by the shop, it will transition to a settings page for setting rewards for items. On the settings page, the shop can add rewards to items it has listed by setting whether or not to add rewards, the reward rate, the eligible period, etc. Note that the settings page is not limited to being accessed from the individual item management page 310, but can also be accessed from, for example, My Page or the list page of items currently listed. In that case, the items to which rewards will be added, the reward rate, and the eligible period can be set on the settings page.

[0023] Furthermore, when the shop clicks the "Get" button 33, it transitions to the output results page 320, which displays the trends in the granting of benefits for competing items. For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the output results page 320 displays a line graph showing the daily percentage of benefits granted for competing items for the surveyed item "Item A".

[0024] Returning to Figure 1, the communication network 400 may include various types of networks. For example, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) such as the Internet, telecommunications networks such as public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), wireless networks, public switched networks, satellite networks, cellular networks, public land mobile communications networks (PLMNs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), private networks, ad hoc networks, intranets, fiber optic-based networks, etc., or any combination of these or other types of networks.

[0025] (Functional configuration of the management device) Next, the functional configuration of the management device 100 will be explained using Figure 4. The management device 100 includes an item DB (Database) 110, a search unit 120, a search result storage unit 130, an extraction unit 140, a calculation unit 150, and an output unit 160.

[0026] Item DB110 is a database that stores information about items traded in e-commerce services. Item DB110 includes benefit information, which is the setting information for benefits granted to each item. An example of Item DB110 is shown in Figure 5. Item DB110 includes information such as "Item ID," which uniquely identifies the item; "Item Name," which indicates the name of the item; "Shop ID," which uniquely identifies the shop listing the item; "Category," which indicates the category of the item; "Price," which indicates the price of the item; "Benefit Information," which indicates whether or not benefits are granted, the reward rate, and the applicable period; and "Sales Status," which indicates the sales status of the item. Note that the Item DB110 shown in the figure is simplified; the actual Item DB110 contains information on all items from all shops. Furthermore, the information included in Item DB110 is not limited to this; it may also include arbitrary information such as the item's color and size, the item's manufacturer, the listing date, the shipping method, and the purchase date by the shopper.

[0027] Returning to Figure 4, the search unit 120 executes a search process based on the search conditions set by the shopper and generates an item list, which is a list of items that match the search conditions. Specifically, the search unit 120 obtains the search conditions from the shopper terminal 200. For example, when a search keyword is entered by the shopper through an input operation, the shopper terminal 200 transmits the entered search keyword to the management device 100. Upon receiving the search keyword, the search unit 120 searches the item DB 110 based on the search keyword, extracts items that match the search conditions, and generates an item list. Note that the input of search conditions is not limited to entering a search keyword; it may also be input by selecting attribute information such as the item's category, size, color, and manufacturer from a predetermined set of options.

[0028] Here, an example of an item list is shown in Figure 6. The item list includes information such as "Rank" indicating the rank of the items included in the list, "Item ID" indicating the item ID of the items that match the search criteria, "Item Name" indicating the name of each item, "Benefit Information" indicating information on benefits attached to each item, "Price" indicating the price of each item, and "Sales Status" indicating the sales status of the items. The "Rank" is set by arbitrary rules, such as the degree of relevance to the search criteria, the number of clicks on the item's sales page, the rating of the shop that lists the item, whether or not benefits are attached, and the remaining time until the period for which benefits are attached ends. The item list may also include the item's category and other attribute information. The search unit 120 stores the generated item list in the search result storage unit 130, associating it with a search ID and search time to uniquely identify the item list.

[0029] Furthermore, the search unit 120 provides the generated item list to the shopper terminal 200. Specifically, the search unit 120 generates a list page for displaying the item list on the shopper terminal 200, and displays the generated list page on the display screen of the shopper terminal 200.

[0030] Here, an example of a list page 210 generated by the search unit 120 is shown in Figure 7. The example shown is a display example of the list page 210 generated by the search unit 120 when the search keyword "sneakers" is set. As shown in the figure, on the list page 210, objects 21 representing the outline of the items are arranged in order based on the rank set in the item list exemplified in Figure 6. Objects 21 include, for example, thumbnail images and prices. In addition, if an item has a bonus attached, the search unit 120 places a bonus icon 22 that displays the bonus information on the corresponding object 21, and places text information 23 indicating the cash value equivalent to the redeemed electronic money below the object 21. When any object 21 is clicked by the shopper, the search unit 120 displays the sales page of the corresponding item. Note that if the search unit 120 cannot display all objects 21 on the list page 210 at once, it may display all objects 21 on the list page 210 by scrolling the list page 210 vertically. Please note that the sales page is just one example of detailed information.

[0031] Returning to Figure 4, the search result storage unit 130 stores the item list generated by the search unit 120 and stores a search result management table for managing the item list. An example of the search result management table is shown in Figure 8. As shown, the search result management table includes information such as a "search ID" to uniquely identify the item list generated by the search unit 120, a "search date and time" indicating the date and time when the search unit 120 performed the search, a "shopper ID" which is information that uniquely identifies the shopper who instructed the search, and "search results" which indicates the items included in the item list. The "search results" store the item IDs of the items included in the item list, and if there are multiple items, the item IDs are stored from left to right in descending order of rank.

[0032] Returning to Figure 4, the extraction unit 140 extracts a list of items that contain the item being investigated. Specifically, the extraction unit 140 refers to the search result management table shown in Figure 8, which is stored in the search result storage unit 130, and extracts a list of items that contain the item being investigated, using the item ID of the item being investigated as the key. The extraction unit 140 may extract a list of items for a pre-set period, such as the past week or the past month, or it may extract a list of items for a period arbitrarily set by the shop. Details of the processing of the extraction unit 140 will be described later.

[0033] The calculation unit 150 calculates the percentage of competing items that are awarded a bonus for the item being investigated. Specifically, the calculation unit 150 derives the bonus percentage by dividing the total number of items excluding the item being investigated, which are included in the list of items extracted by the extraction unit 140, by the number of items to which the bonus was awarded. Alternatively, if multiple list of items is extracted by the extraction unit 140, the calculation unit 150 may calculate the bonus percentage for each list and then calculate the average of the bonus percentages for each list. The bonus percentage may also be calculated by dividing the total number of items excluding duplicates in the multiple extracted list of items by the number of items to which the bonus was awarded, excluding duplicates. For example, the calculation unit 150 calculates the bonus percentage on a daily basis within a set period.

[0034] The output unit 160 outputs the calculation results calculated by the calculation unit 150. For example, based on the calculation results from the calculation unit 150, the output unit 160 generates an output result page 320 for displaying the time change of the daily allocation rate within the set period on the shop terminal 300. For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the output unit 160 generates an output result page 320 that represents the daily allocation rate as a line graph. Note that it is not limited to a line graph; it may also be displayed in any format, such as a table, bar graph, or band graph.

[0035] (Physical configuration of the control device) The management device 100, having the functional configuration described above, physically comprises, as shown in Figure 9, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes processing according to a program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12 which is volatile memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13 which is non-volatile memory, a storage unit 14 that stores data, an input unit 15 that accepts information input, a display unit 16 that visualizes and displays the information, and a communication unit 17 that sends and receives information, all of which are connected via an internal bus 99.

[0036] The CPU 11 performs various processes by reading the program stored in the memory unit 14 into the RAM 12 and executing it. The CPU 11 performs the processes provided by the program, including the search unit 120, the extraction unit 140, the calculation unit 150, and the output unit 160.

[0037] RAM12 is used as the work area for CPU11. ROM13 stores control programs, BIOS (Basic Input Output System), etc., that CPU11 executes for the basic operation of the management device 100.

[0038] The storage unit 14 includes a hard disk drive and stores programs executed by the CPU 11, as well as various data used during program execution. The storage unit 14 functions as an item database 110 and a search result storage unit 130.

[0039] The input unit 15 is a user interface equipped with a keyboard, mouse, communication device, etc. The display unit 16 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display that visualizes and displays information.

[0040] The communication unit 17 consists of a network termination device or wireless communication device connected to a network, and a serial interface or LAN (Local Area Network) interface connected to them.

[0041] (Item list generation process) Next, the operation of the management device 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 10 and 11. First, the process of generating an item list showing a list of items that match the search conditions set by the shopper will be explained with reference to Figure 10. When the shopper operates the shopper terminal 200 to launch the e-commerce application pre-installed on the shopper terminal 200 and accesses the search page for searching for items, the management device 100 starts the item list generation process.

[0042] First, the search unit 120 waits for search conditions (step S101). Specifically, when the shopper terminal 200 receives search keywords or selects items on the search page, it sends the entered search query to the management device 100.

[0043] When the search unit 120 receives a search query from the shopper terminal 200, it determines that it has obtained the search conditions (step S102; Yes) and proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the search unit 120 does not receive a search query from the shopper terminal 200, it determines that it has not obtained the search conditions (step S102; No) and returns to step S101 to wait for the search conditions.

[0044] Next, the search unit 120 generates an item list based on the search conditions obtained in step S102 (step S103). Specifically, the search unit 120 searches the item DB 110, extracts items that match the obtained search conditions, and generates an item list as illustrated in Figure 6. The search unit 120 reads the "Target Period" from the "Benefit Information" of the item DB 110, and if it determines that the current date on which the search is performed is within the set "Target Period", it stores the "Reward Rate" information set in the item DB 110 in the "Benefit Information" column of the item list.

[0045] Next, the search unit 120 provides the list page 210 to the shopper terminal 200 (step S104). Specifically, based on the item list generated in step S103, the search unit 120 arranges the object 21 of the items included in the item list in the display order based on the set rank, as illustrated in Figure 7, and generates a list page 210 in which a reward icon 22 and text information 23 are placed for items to which rewards have been granted. The search unit 120 sends the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the generated list page 210 to the shopper terminal 200, causing the shopper terminal 200 to display the list page 210.

[0046] Next, the search unit 120 saves the item list (step S105). Specifically, the search unit 120 stores the item list generated in step S103 in the search result storage unit 130, associating it with a search ID and search date and time to uniquely identify the item list. Next, the search unit 120 adds a new record to the search result management table illustrated in Figure 8, stores information in the "search ID", "search date and time", "user ID", and "search result" fields, updates the search result management table, and terminates the item list generation process.

[0047] (Output processing) Next, referring to Figure 11, we will explain the output process by the management device 100 that outputs the trends in the granting of benefits for items that compete with the item being investigated.

[0048] The extraction unit 140 awaits an instruction to execute output processing (step S201). Specifically, when a shop operates the shop terminal 300 to access the management page 310 of the item to be investigated, as illustrated in Figure 2, and clicks the acquire button 33, the shop terminal 300 sends an execution instruction along with the item ID of the item.

[0049] Next, if the extraction unit 140 receives an instruction to execute output processing from the shop terminal 300 (step S202; Yes), it proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if the extraction unit 140 does not receive an instruction to execute output processing from the shop terminal 300 (step S202; No), it returns to step S201 and waits for an instruction to execute.

[0050] Next, the extraction unit 140 extracts a list of items that include the item to be investigated (step S203). Specifically, the extraction unit 140 identifies the item to be investigated based on the item ID included in the execution instruction received in step S202. Next, the extraction unit 140 refers to the search results management table illustrated in Figure 6 and extracts a list of items where the "search date and time" is within the set period and the "search results" include the item ID of the item to be investigated, using the item ID of the item to be investigated as the key.

[0051] Next, the calculation unit 150 calculates the percentage of competing items that are awarded the bonus for the item being investigated (step S204). Specifically, the calculation unit 150 derives the bonus award percentage by dividing the total number of items excluding the item being investigated from the list of items extracted in step S203 as illustrated in Figure 6 by the number of items for which a bonus has been set in the "bonus information". Furthermore, if multiple list of items for the same search date and time are extracted, the calculation unit 150 calculates the award percentage for each list of items, calculates the average of the award percentages for each list of items, and calculates the daily award percentage.

[0052] Next, the output unit 160 outputs the calculation result from the calculation unit 150 (step S205). Specifically, based on the calculation result from the calculation unit 150, the output unit 160 generates an output result page 320 for displaying the time change of the daily allocation rate on the shop terminal 300. For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the output unit 160 generates an output result page 320 that represents the daily allocation rate as a line graph, sends the URL of the generated output result page 320 to the shop terminal 300 to display the output result page 320, and then terminates the process.

[0053] As described above, the management device 100 searches for items that match the search criteria set by the shopper and saves a list of the searched items. The management device 100 calculates the percentage of bonuses awarded to competing items that compete with the items the shop is currently selling, based on the list of items that the shop is currently selling. The management device 100 outputs the calculated bonus percentage to the shop terminal 300. Therefore, the shop can learn about the trends in bonus awards for competing items and decide whether or not to award bonuses to the items it is currently selling. For example, if the bonus award percentage for a competing item increases, the shop can decide to award bonuses to the item being investigated in response.

[0054] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the output unit 160 was described as outputting the percentage of competing items to which benefits were granted, but it is not limited to this. The output unit 160 may output the percentage for each type of benefit, for example, for each electronic money redemption rate, as illustrated in Figure 12. In this case, the calculation unit 150 should calculate the number of items for each electronic money redemption rate based on the redemption rate information stored in the "benefit information" of the item list illustrated in Figure 6 in step S204, and then calculate the granting percentage for each redemption rate. The output unit 160 should generate an output result page 320a that displays the granting percentage for each redemption rate using line graphs of different types for each redemption rate, as illustrated in Figure 12. This allows the shop to know not only whether or not to grant benefits, but also the information needed to decide which redemption rates to set. If different benefits such as electronic money, points, and coupons can be granted, the granting percentages for electronic money, points, and coupons may be calculated separately.

[0055] Furthermore, although the output unit 160 was described in the above embodiment as outputting the daily reward allocation rate, it may also output the allocation rate for any unit period, such as every three days or every week. In this case, the extraction unit 140 should, in step S203, refer to the "search date and time" in the search results management table illustrated in Figure 8, and classify and extract the item list for each unit period. Then, the calculation unit 150 should calculate the allocation rate for each unit period classified by the extraction unit 140.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the management device 100 may output, in place of or in addition to the reward granting rate for competing items, at least one of the following: a viewing rate, which shows the percentage of competing items for which the sales page was viewed, and a purchase rate, which shows the percentage of competing items for which the purchase page was purchased. An example of the output result page 320b when the viewing rate and purchase rate are output in addition to the reward granting rate for competing items is shown in Figure 13. As shown in the figure, the granting rate is displayed as a line graph at the top of the output result page 320b, and the viewing rate and purchase rate are displayed as line graphs at the bottom. In this case, the extraction unit 140 can obtain the access log of the sales page for each item included in the item list extracted by the processing in step S203, and further store in the item list whether or not there was access on the processing date. Furthermore, the item DB 110, illustrated in Figure 5, also stores the date and time each item was purchased. In step S203, the extraction unit 140 refers to the purchase date and time column in the item DB 110 and stores in the item list whether each item included in the extracted item list was purchased on the processing date. Then, in step S204, the calculation unit 150 refers to the item list, which includes information on whether the sales page was viewed and whether each item was purchased, and calculates the viewing rate and purchase rate of competing items.

[0057] Furthermore, the calculation unit 150 may also calculate the viewing rate or purchase rate of competing items included in the item list that do not have any special offers, and the output unit 160 may output output information comparing the viewing rate and purchase rate of competing items with and without special offers.

[0058] Furthermore, the management device 100 according to the above embodiment can be implemented using a regular computer, rather than a dedicated device. For example, the management device 100 that performs the above-mentioned processing may be configured by installing a program for performing any of the above-mentioned actions from a recording medium to a computer. Alternatively, the management device 100 may be configured by multiple computers working together.

[0059] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned functions are realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application, or through collaboration between the OS and the application, then only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the medium.

[0060] Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose a program onto a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, the program could be distributed through a smartphone application store (App Store), or posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a communication network and distributed via the network. These programs can then be launched and executed under the control of the operating system, just like other application programs, to perform the aforementioned processing.

[0061] Furthermore, the information stored in the storage unit 14 is centrally managed by a cloud server located on the network, and the management device 100 may access the cloud server as needed to read and write information. In this case, the management device 100 does not need to have an item DB 110 and a search result storage unit 130. Also, the item list generation process and output process by the management device 100 may be executed on the cloud using the information stored on the cloud server.

[0062] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0063] (Note 1) A management device that manages whether or not to grant benefits to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops, A search unit searches for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and provides a list of the search results along with information on whether or not the items included in the list are eligible for any benefits. An extraction unit extracts a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated, A calculation unit that calculates the percentage of items among the extracted list that were granted a bonus, An output unit that outputs the calculated ratio, A control device equipped with the following features.

[0064] (Note 2) The extraction unit classifies and extracts the list according to the time period provided. The calculation unit calculates the percentage for each of the classified time periods, The output unit outputs the change in the ratio over time based on the calculation result by the calculation unit. The control device described in Appendix 1.

[0065] (Note 3) The calculation unit calculates the percentage for each type of benefit. The control device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0066] (Note 4) The calculation unit calculates, in place of or in addition to the aforementioned percentage, at least one of the following: the percentage of items to which the benefit was granted whose detailed information was viewed, or the percentage of items to which the benefit was granted that were purchased. A control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0067] (Note 5) A computer that manages whether or not to offer bonuses to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops, The steps include: searching for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and providing a list of the search results along with information on whether or not the items included in the list are eligible for any benefits; The steps include: extracting a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated; The steps include calculating the percentage of items included in the extracted list that had a bonus item, The steps include outputting the calculated percentage, A research method for carrying out this task.

[0068] (Note 6) A computer manages whether or not to offer bonuses to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops. The process involves searching for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and providing a list of the search results along with information on whether or not any benefits are offered to the items included in the list. The process involves extracting a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated, A process to calculate the percentage of items among the extracted list that had a bonus item attached, The process of outputting the calculated percentage, A program that executes the command.

[0069] This disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of the disclosure are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0070] The present invention can be suitably adopted in a management device, a research method, and a program capable of investigating trends in the provision of incentives for items that compete with items offered by a shop. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 100 Management device, 200 Shopper terminal, 300 Shop terminal, 400 Communication network, 110 Item DB, 120 Search unit, 130 Search result storage unit, 140 Extraction unit, 140 Calculation unit, 160 Output unit, 170 Change unit, 180 Output unit, 210 List page, 310 Management page, 320, 320a, 320b Output result page, 21 Object, 22 Bonus icon, 23 Text information, 31 Edit button, 32 Bonus setting button, 33 Acquire button, 11 CPU, 12 RAM, 13 ROM, 14 Storage unit, 15 Input unit, 16 Display unit, 17 Communication unit, 99 Internal bus

Claims

1. A management device that manages whether or not to grant benefits to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops, A search unit searches for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and provides a list of the search results along with information on whether or not the items included in the list are eligible for any benefits. An extraction unit extracts a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated, A calculation unit that calculates the percentage of items among the extracted list that were granted a bonus, An output unit that outputs the calculated ratio, A control device equipped with the following features.

2. The extraction unit classifies and extracts the list according to the time period provided. The calculation unit calculates the percentage for each of the classified time periods, The output unit outputs the change in the ratio over time based on the calculation result by the calculation unit. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The calculation unit calculates the percentage for each type of benefit. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The calculation unit calculates, in place of or in addition to the aforementioned percentage, at least one of the following: the percentage of items to which the benefit was granted whose detailed information was viewed, or the percentage of items to which the benefit was granted that were purchased. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A computer that manages whether or not to offer bonuses to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops, The steps include: searching for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and providing a list of the search results along with information on whether or not the items included in the list are eligible for any benefits; The steps include: extracting a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated; The steps include calculating the percentage of items included in the extracted list that had a bonus item, The steps include outputting the calculated percentage, A research method for carrying out this task.

6. A computer manages whether or not to offer bonuses to items listed on the electronic marketplace by multiple shops. The process involves searching for items among the listed items that meet the search criteria set by each shopper, and providing a list of the search results along with information on whether or not any benefits are offered to the items included in the list. The process involves extracting a list from the provided list that contains the item to be investigated, A process to calculate the percentage of items among the extracted list that had a bonus item attached, The process of outputting the calculated percentage, A program that executes the command.

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