Store Support System

Abstract

To provide a store support system that allows a store that cooperates with a main body unit to receive sufficient benefits.SOLUTION: A store support system 1 includes: a plurality of store terminals 2 provided in a plurality of stores, respectively; a main body unit 10 that is caused to be capable of communicating with each of the plurality of store terminals 2 and sell a plurality of articles; and a purchaser terminal 5 owned by a purchaser who purchases an article of the main body unit 10. The main body unit 10 includes: a membership registration reception unit 11 that receives membership registration of a store; an order reception unit 12 that receives an order for the article from the store after the purchaser has performed payment for the article in the store; and a point providing unit 13 that provides a point according to a money amount of the article to the store after the order reception unit 12 has received the order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a store support system that supports multiple stores. [Background technology]

[0002] Various store support systems that support stores have been known for some time. JP 2002-163399 A describes a store introduction system equipped with a center that maintains the homepages of member stores in a state where they can be viewed by third parties. In the store introduction system, a local partner that supports local affiliated stores encourages the stores to register as members, obtains information about the member stores, and sends it to the center.

[0003] The center creates a homepage based on the information received from the local partner, and a server device installed inside the center maintains the homepage in a state where it can be viewed by third parties. In the store introduction system, homepages created based on the information of member stores are made viewable by third parties, making it possible to introduce and advertise the stores through the homepages.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-310431 describes a store information distribution method and a store information distribution system. The store information distribution system includes a mobile phone device carried by a user, an information management server device that manages advertising information to be distributed to the mobile phone device, a store terminal placed in the store and capable of short-range data communication with the mobile phone device, and a store management server device owned by an advertiser.

[0005] When a user requests the delivery of store event information using a mobile phone device, the information management server device delivers the store event information to the mobile phone device in response to the request. When a user visits a store and holds a mobile phone terminal with an IC tag over a store terminal, communication occurs between the IC tag and the IC tag reader / writer of the store terminal. The information management server device obtains the store ID of the store from the store terminal and delivers store information, including the store's products and facilities, to the mobile phone device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-163399 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-310431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The aforementioned store introduction system automatically creates a homepage for the store based on the store's information, allowing for efficient advertising and introduction of the store. However, even if store information is made available to third parties through the homepage, the current situation is that, especially in recent years, homepages have become so widespread that it is no longer possible to expect a significant effect in attracting customers to the store.

[0008] In the above-described store information distribution system, a user can obtain store event information by requesting distribution of event information. Furthermore, when the user visits a store and holds their mobile phone terminal over a store terminal, the user can view store information including the products and facilities of the store. However, with this store information distribution system, the user cannot view the store information unless they visit the store, which creates a problem in that the store cannot be advertised sufficiently.

[0009] Furthermore, in business models that have a main body that handles products and multiple stores that sell the products handled by the main body, various problems exist in the multiple stores. The multiple stores that are linked to the main body may include small stores with few employees. In particular, in such cases, the stores are unable to spend sufficient money on attracting customers and marketing, which results in difficulty in attracting customers and the stores not receiving sufficient benefits as stores responsible for selling products.

[0010] The present disclosure aims to provide a store support system that can provide sufficient benefits to stores that work in conjunction with the main unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A store support system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of store terminals provided in a plurality of stores, a main unit capable of communicating with each of the plurality of store terminals and handling a plurality of products, and a purchaser terminal held by a purchaser who purchases a product on the main unit, wherein the main unit Buyer from the main body comprises a store information transmission unit that transmits store information of stores linked to the purchaser to the purchaser terminal, and the member registration reception unit receives the member registration of the purchaser and, together with receiving the member registration of the purchaser, identifies the store in which the purchaser resides from the purchaser's address, the purchaser trade area registration unit registers the purchaser's trade area, and the store information transmission unit transmits store information of stores in the purchaser's trade area to the purchaser terminal.

[0012] In this store support system, a main unit capable of communicating with each store terminal of a plurality of stores handles a plurality of products. Therefore, by having the main unit handle a plurality of products, the need for each store to hold products can be reduced, thereby reducing the burden of inventory management at the store. A store can sell products even if it does not hold the products, simply by showing the product information of the product on the main unit to a purchaser. The main unit has an order receiving unit that accepts product orders from the store. A purchaser visiting the store pays for the product before the store orders the product from the main unit. Therefore, since payment for the product is completed before the store orders the product, money can be obtained from the purchaser regardless of when the product arrives to the purchaser. Since the store can obtain money before ordering the product from the main unit, working capital for the store related to product procurement can be reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, since payment for the product is completed before ordering the product from the main unit, it is possible to ensure that purchasers visiting the store purchase the product. Therefore, stores linked to the main unit can receive significant benefits.

[0013] A store support system relating to another aspect of the present disclosure is a store support system comprising a plurality of store terminals provided in each of a plurality of stores, a main unit capable of communicating with each of the plurality of store terminals and handling a plurality of products, and a purchaser terminal held by a purchaser who purchases the products on the main unit, wherein the main unit has a membership registration reception unit that accepts membership registrations from purchasers, an order reception unit that accepts product orders from purchasers, and a store information transmission unit that transmits store information of the store linked to the purchaser to the purchaser terminal.

[0014] As described above, this store support system, because the main unit handles multiple products, can reduce the need for each store to stock products. This reduces the inventory management burden on the store, allowing the store to sell products even if it does not stock the products. Furthermore, in this store support system, the main unit includes a store information transmission unit that transmits store information of the store associated with the purchaser to the purchaser terminal. Therefore, even if the purchaser does not request store information, the main unit automatically transmits store information of the store associated with the purchaser to the purchaser terminal, allowing the purchaser to automatically obtain the store information of the store associated with the purchaser. Therefore, even if the store does not advertise itself, the main unit transmits the store information of the store to the purchaser terminal, reducing the burden on the store for advertising. In this way, automatically transmitting store information to the purchaser terminal attracts more purchasers to the store, thereby increasing the store's customer attraction effect. Therefore, stores that collaborate with the main unit can receive significant benefits.

[0015] The member registration acceptance unit may receive store identification information acquired by a purchaser at a store and accept the member registration, and the store information transmission unit may transmit store information of the store identified by the store identification information received by the member registration acceptance unit to the purchaser terminal. In this case, a purchaser who visits a store acquires store identification information, and when the purchaser registers as a member, the member registration acceptance unit of the main unit receives the store identification information. The store information of the store identified by the store identification information received by the member registration acceptance unit is then transmitted to the purchaser terminal by the store information transmission unit. Therefore, when a purchaser who visits a store and acquires store identification information registers as a member, the store information of the store is automatically transmitted to the purchaser's purchaser terminal, allowing the store to attract customers simply by providing the purchaser with store identification information such as a QR code (registered trademark). In other words, the store can attract customers by simply having the purchaser register as a member with the store identification information without having to sell the purchaser a product, thereby further reducing the effort required for the store to attract customers.

[0016] The member registration acceptance unit may identify the commercial area in which the purchaser resides from the purchaser's address when accepting the member registration, the main unit may have a purchaser commercial area registration unit that registers the purchaser's commercial area identified by the member registration acceptance unit, and the store information transmission unit may transmit store information of stores located in the purchaser's commercial area registered by the purchaser commercial area registration unit to the purchaser terminal. In this case, the purchaser commercial area registration unit of the main unit registers the purchaser's commercial area when the purchaser registers as a member, and store information of stores located in the purchaser's commercial area is transmitted to the purchaser terminal. Therefore, by transmitting store information of stores in the purchaser's commercial area to the purchaser terminal, it is possible to introduce stores close to the purchaser's place of residence to the purchaser, making it easier for the purchaser to visit those stores. This may further enhance the store's ability to attract customers.

[0017] The main unit may have a My Shop registration reception unit that receives the purchaser's favorite store from the purchaser terminal, and the store information transmission unit may transmit the store information of the store received by the My Shop registration reception unit to the purchaser terminal. In this case, the store information of the purchaser's favorite store is transmitted to the purchaser terminal, making the purchaser a fan of the store. This can further enhance the store's ability to attract customers.

[0018] The main unit may deliver the product to the purchaser for which the purchaser has paid at the store. In this case, the main unit delivers the product to the purchaser, eliminating the need for the store to deliver the product to the purchaser. This reduces the store's delivery costs, and the store that cooperates with the main unit can receive even greater benefits.

[0019] The order receiving unit may acquire the purchaser information of the purchaser when accepting an order for a product. In this case, the order receiving unit acquires the purchaser information, thereby allowing the purchaser's purchase history and information on the products to be purchased to be accumulated. Furthermore, since the main unit can acquire the purchaser information of purchasers who are covered by the store, the main unit can acquire a large amount of purchaser information. Therefore, not only the store but also the main unit can benefit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present disclosure, stores that are linked to the main unit can receive significant benefits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a store support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the store support system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a store support method of the store support system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a function of the store support system of FIG. 1 that is different from that of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a store support method of the store support system of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a further different function of the store support system of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a store support method of the store support system of FIG. 6. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a store support system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and the dimensional proportions and the like are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0023] In this disclosure, the term "store" refers to a store that presents product information to purchasers and promotes the sale of the product. The term "store" includes specialty stores that sell specific types of products, franchise stores that belong to a company, tenant stores in commercial facilities such as department stores or shopping centers, and mass retailers that purchase and sell products.

[0024] As an example, a "store" is a bedding specialty store that sells bedding. The store support system 1 according to this embodiment supports, for example, a plurality of bedding specialty stores that sell bedding. In this embodiment, a store refers to a store that handles main body products. A "store terminal" refers to a terminal used by a store. A "terminal" includes mobile terminals such as tablets, mobile phones, or smartphones, and terminals such as personal computers.

[0025] The "main body" refers to a business (including an organization, company, corporation, or individual) that sells products to purchasers through a store. The "main body" includes a main body organization that manufactures and manages inventory of the products handled by the store, a franchisor that oversees affiliated stores, and a headquarters organization that oversees mass retailers. In this embodiment, the main body that conducts e-commerce (EC) with each of multiple stores and purchasers will be described.

[0026] "Dealing in merchandise" means selling merchandise and showing product information to encourage purchasers to buy the merchandise. "Purchaser" includes a person who purchases a product, a person who orders a product, and a person who has the potential (prospect) of purchasing a product. A "purchaser" may also be a consumer who purchases bedding to make a living. "Purchaser terminal" refers to a terminal used by a purchaser. "Purchase" means buying a product, and "order" means making a request to purchase a product. "Purchase" also includes requesting the sale of a product.

[0027] In recent years, many stores selling the main body of the product have struggled to attract customers, resulting in a decline in their ability to attract customers, leading to problems such as financial difficulties and even closure. This problem is particularly prevalent in stores in rural areas or stores run by elderly people. Furthermore, stores often struggle with advertising, which can lead to insufficient advertising and a lack of customer attraction. Furthermore, they are also struggling with product inventory management.

[0028] For example, even if advertisements are placed in paper media such as flyers, leaflets, and newspapers, the number of buyers who do not read paper media is increasing in the Internet society, and as a result, the paper media itself is not viewed enough, which may not lead to sufficient customer attraction. Furthermore, the above-mentioned problem may become even more pronounced in small stores, in particular, because they are unable to spend sufficient money on advertising and marketing. For these reasons, support for the aforementioned stores is essential to economic development, and the store support system 1 of this embodiment provides a system and store support method that enable support for such stores.

[0029] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a store support system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration and functions of the store support system 1. The store support system 1, for example, supports the sales of products by a store and the advertising and promotion of the store, and reduces the inventory of products in the store.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the store support system 1 includes, for example, store terminals 2 and 3 owned by each of multiple stores, Store A and Store B, a main unit 10 that manages products at Store A and Store B, and a purchaser terminal 5 of a purchaser M who purchases products from the main unit 10. Note that in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the multiple stores are Store A and Store B, but the number of stores may be three or more. For example, the number of stores may be 200 to 500, for example, approximately 300.

[0031] As an example, the main body 10 is a company that manufactures and manages bedding, and stores A and B are specialty stores that sell bedding from the company. However, the main body 10 may manufacture and manage products other than bedding, and stores A and B may sell products other than bedding from the company.

[0032] Each of the store terminal 2 and the store terminal 3 includes a mobile terminal such as a tablet or smartphone, and a computer such as a personal computer or laptop. The main body 10 includes, for example, a computer (which may be a server). Each of the store terminal 2 and the store terminal 3 includes, for example, a communication unit constituting a network module, and may include a wireless communication interface such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The store terminal 2 and the store terminal 3 can communicate with the main body 10 via the communication unit.

[0033] The computer of the main body 10 includes, for example, a processor (e.g., a CPU) that executes an operating system and application programs, a main memory unit consisting of ROM or RAM, an auxiliary memory unit consisting of a hard disk or flash memory, and a communication control unit consisting of a network card or a wireless communication module.

[0034] Each component of the computer in which the main body 10 is installed is realized by loading software into the processor or main memory and executing the software. The processor operates the communication control unit in accordance with the software and reads or writes data from or to the main memory or auxiliary memory. Data necessary for computer processing is stored in the main memory or auxiliary memory.

[0035] The main unit 10 accepts membership registration from each of the store terminal 2 and the store terminal 3, and, for example, accepts an order for product a from the store terminal 3 in response to the purchase of product a by purchaser M who visits store B. The main unit 10 then awards points equivalent to p (%) of the price x of product a to the store terminal 3, and delivers product a to purchaser M (for example, purchaser M's home). p (%) indicates the point award rate relative to the price (cost) of the product. The value of p is between 10 and 80, for example, 60.

[0036] As an example, the main unit 10 includes, as functional components, a member registration reception unit 11, an order reception unit 12, a points granting unit 13, a product management unit 14, a delivery instruction unit 15, a store member setting unit 16, a store discrimination unit 17, an information transmission unit 18, a my-shop registration reception unit 19, an information collection unit 20, and a memory unit 21. The memory unit 21 is a database that stores information received by the main unit 10 and information obtained inside the main unit 10 in the main memory unit or auxiliary memory unit described above.

[0037] The member registration acceptance unit 11 accepts member registrations from each of the store terminal 2, the store terminal 3, and the purchaser terminal 5. When accepting member registrations from the store terminal 2, the store terminal 3, and the purchaser terminal 5, the member registration acceptance unit 11 acquires store identification information that identifies store A and store B. The store identification information is information that can identify store A and store B, and may be, for example, a store ID (or store identification code) that identifies store A and store B.

[0038] For example, the member registration reception unit 11 receives member registration requests from each of the store terminal 2, the store terminal 3, and the purchaser terminal 5, and the member registration request includes information on store A, B, or purchaser M, a postal code, and an address. For example, the member registration reception unit 11, together with accepting the member registration, identifies the commercial area in which purchaser M resides from the address of purchaser M. Note that, together with accepting the member registration, the name, address (postal code), gender, age, occupation, address of work / school, email address, and product purchase history of purchaser M may also be registered.

[0039] In this disclosure, a "trade area" refers to the area that can attract customers to a store, and for example refers to an area defined within a predetermined trade area distance from the store, with the store at its center. The "trade area" may be defined with the store at its center, or may be defined with the purchaser's address at its center. As an example, an area may be divided into units of 100,000 people, and each divided area may be defined as a trade area. As an example, the "Geospatial Association Postal Code Population Statistics Master" may be used to calculate a trade area of ​​100,000 people.

[0040] The order receiving unit 12 receives an order for a product from the main unit 10 from at least one of store A, store B, and purchaser M. For example, the order receiving unit 12 receives an order for product a from store B after purchaser M has made payment for product a at store B. The order receiving unit 12 may receive an order for product a from purchaser M. The order receiving unit 12 may also receive purchaser information about purchaser M along with receiving the order for product a. The "purchaser information" may include, for example, at least one of the purchaser's name, residential address (zip code), gender, age, occupation, work / school address, email address, and product purchase history.

[0041] The point allocating unit 13 awards points to stores A and B that have ordered a product from the main unit 10. For example, after the order receiving unit 12 receives an order from store B, the point allocating unit 13 awards points to store B according to the price x of product a. As described above, the point allocating unit 13 awards points equivalent to p (%) of the price x of product a to the store terminal 3. The value of p is, for example, 60. In this case, store B can receive a cash back of 6,000 yen when it orders product a for 10,000 yen, which is a significant benefit for store B. Note that points may also be awarded after shipment.

[0042] In this disclosure, "points" may be points that can be exchanged for cash, or points that cannot be exchanged for cash but can be used for subsequent orders. "Points that can be used for ordering" indicates, for example, the upper limit of the amount that can be discounted from price x when purchasing product a for price x.

[0043] For example, 4,000 points indicates 4,000 yen, which is the maximum discount that can be made from 10,000 yen when ordering a 10,000 yen towel. In other words, if a store has 4,000 points, the store can order a towel for 6,000 yen (10,000 yen - 4,000 yen). "Points" may be accumulated permanently, or may expire after a certain period of time (for example, two years after being awarded).

[0044] The product management unit 14 has a function of managing products in the main unit 10. For example, the product management unit 14 outputs instructions for managing product inventory. As an example, the product management unit 14 may instruct an employee of the main unit 10 to manufacture products when there is a shortage of products in the main unit 10, promote the products in the main unit 10, or notify an employee of the main unit 10 of the inventory status of each product.

[0045] The product management unit 14 may, for example, instruct an employee of the main unit 10 to develop and manufacture a product based on the needs information from the purchaser M collected by the information collection unit 20, which will be described later. By having the product management unit 14 manage the products of the main unit 10 in this way, the main unit 10 can deliver products that meet the needs of the purchaser M at any time.

[0046] The delivery instruction unit 15 has a function of instructing delivery of the product in the main unit 10 to, for example, purchaser M or store A or B. As an example, the delivery instruction unit 15 outputs an instruction to deliver product A, which purchaser M paid for at store B, to purchaser M. For example, the delivery instruction unit 15 may issue a delivery instruction when the order receiving unit 12 receives an order for the product, and the product may be delivered to store A or B or purchaser M on the day after the order is received. In this case, the product can be delivered promptly. The day of delivery of the product may be the day after the order is received or later.

[0047] The store member setting unit 16 has a function of setting up member registration for stores A and B when the member registration reception unit 11 receives a member registration request from the store terminals 2 and 3. The store determination unit 17 has a function of determining whether or not store A and B are stores for which member registration can be set up. For example, the store determination unit 17 may determine that a higher-ranking store among a plurality of stores (for example, a store whose sales performance of products in the main unit 10 is above a certain value) is a store for which member registration can be set up, and determine that stores other than the higher-ranking store are stores for which member registration cannot be set up.

[0048] When the store discrimination unit 17 determines that the member registration request received by the member registration reception unit 11 is from a store for which member registration can be set up, the store member setting unit 16 sets up member registration for that store. On the other hand, when the store discrimination unit 17 determines that the member registration request received by the member registration reception unit 11 is from a store for which member registration cannot be set up, the store member setting unit 16 does not set up member registration for that store. Note that even for stores for which member registration cannot be set up, it may be possible to register as a general member.

[0049] In this way, the store discrimination unit 17 discriminates stores that are eligible for member registration, making it possible to filter member registrations from stores. Furthermore, by deliberately rejecting member registration requests from stores that are not top-ranked stores, it becomes possible to encourage these stores that are not top-ranked stores to improve their sales performance. However, in the present disclosure, the store member setting unit 16 and the store discrimination unit 17 may be omitted.

[0050] The information sending unit 18 includes a store information sending unit 18b that sends store information about stores A and B to the purchaser terminal 5 of purchaser M. In the present disclosure, "store information" refers to information specific to a store, and includes, for example, at least one of information about sales at the store, information about advertising and promotions at the store, information about the presence of product advisors at the store, and information about services specific to the store.

[0051] "Store sale information" includes, for example, information that the products of the main body 10 will be discounted by Z% (Z is a natural number) for a certain period of time. "Store advertising information" includes, for example, information about the store's features, such as whether the store carries unique products. "Information about the presence of advisors" includes, for example, information that a sleep expert (sleep master) visits the store and can provide advice on sleep, and information that a bedding expert (for example, a pillow advisor who is an expert on pillows) visits the store and can provide advice on how to store bedding (how to put it away, etc.).

[0052] The "information about services specific to the store" includes, for example, information that the store cleans bedding and information that the store accepts inquiries about bedding. The store information transmitting unit 18b may transmit store information about the store closest to the address of the purchaser M (for example, an address linked to a postal code). The information transmitting unit 18 may transmit, for example, information about the products in the main body unit 10. In this way, the type of information transmitted by the information transmitting unit 18 can be changed as appropriate.

[0053] The my shop registration reception unit 19, for example, has a function of accepting my shop registration by purchaser M. In the present disclosure, "my shop" refers to a favorite store of purchaser M, and as an example, store B is registered as my shop by purchaser M. For example, the my shop registration reception unit 19 can accept one my shop. However, the my shop registration reception unit 19 may accept multiple my shops.

[0054] When the my shop registration receiving unit 19 receives the my shop registration of store B by purchaser M, for example, the store information sending unit 18b sends store information of store B to the purchaser terminal 5. Note that the my shop registration by purchaser M may be performed by operation of the purchaser terminal 5 of purchaser M, or may be performed automatically when purchaser M registers as a member or when purchaser M purchases product a.

[0055] The information collection unit 20 collects information on store A, store B, and purchaser M. The information collection unit 20 may acquire, for example, store information on store A and store B, purchaser information on purchaser M, workplace / school commuting information, and sharable information. The information collection unit 20 has, for example, a purchaser commercial area registration unit 20b that registers the commercial area of ​​purchaser M identified by the member registration reception unit 11. The store information collected by the information collection unit 20 may include at least any of information on sales (sales performance, for example) for each product at store A and store B, information on the number of customers at store A and store B, and information on the number of payments at store A and store B. Note that the information collection unit 20 may collect only purchase (payment) information.

[0056] The storage unit 21 stores, for example, information collected by the information collection unit 20. As an example, the storage unit 21 may store whether or not each of store A and store B is a higher-ranking store, along with the sales performance of stores A and B collected by the information collection unit 20. Furthermore, the above-mentioned "shareable information" collected by the information collection unit 20 includes, for example, success story information of store A.

[0057] For example, the store information transmitting unit 18b may transmit sharable information of store A to the store terminal 3 of store B. As an example, the store information transmitting unit 18b may transmit success story information of store A to the store terminal 3 of store B. In this case, store B can obtain useful information. Note that when transmitting the success story information of store A to store B, the information collecting unit 20 may transmit the information in a manner that conceals the name of store A.

[0058] Next, an example of a store support method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of interactions between a purchaser M, stores A and B, and the main unit 10. The store support method according to this embodiment is executed within this sequence. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, first, stores A and B register as members with the main unit 10 (step S11).

[0059] When stores A and B register as members in the main unit 10, for example, a member registration request is sent from the store terminals 2 and 3 to the member registration reception unit 11. At this time, the member registration reception unit 11 receives the member registration request from the store terminals 2 and 3, and the store determination unit 17 determines whether stores A and B are stores that can set up member registration. Then, when it is determined that the member registration request is from stores A and B that can set up member registration, the store member setting unit 16 sets up member registration for stores A and B.

[0060] For example, purchaser M purchases product a for a price x at store B (step S12). The aforementioned membership registration for stores A and B (step S11) may be performed before or after step S12. After store B performs the aforementioned membership registration and purchaser M purchases product a for a price x at store B, store B places an order for product a with the main unit 10 (step S13).

[0061] When store B places an order for product a with the main unit 10, the order receiving unit 12 receives the order for product a from store B. After the order receiving unit 12 receives the order for product a from store B, the point giving unit 13 gives points to store B (step S14). For example, the point giving unit 13 gives points equal to p (%) of the price x of product a to the store terminal 3 of store B.

[0062] Then, the main unit 10 ships the product a to the purchaser M (step S15). Note that the shipping of the product a to the purchaser M may be performed before step S14 or after step S14. Also, instead of step S15, the main unit 10 may ship the product a to store B. In this case, the purchaser M will have to go to store B to pick up the product a, which can increase the intimacy of the purchaser M with store B. Note that step S14 may be performed after the product has been shipped.

[0063] Next, the effects of the store support system 1 and store support method according to this embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the store support system 1 and store support method according to this embodiment, a main unit 10 that is capable of communicating with store terminals 2 and 3 in stores A and B handles multiple products. Therefore, by having the main unit 10 handle multiple products, it is possible to reduce the need for stores A and B to each hold products, thereby reducing the burden of inventory management in stores A and B.

[0064] The main unit 10 has an order receiving unit 12 that receives an order for product a from store B. A purchaser M who visits store B makes payment for product a before store B orders product a from the main unit 10. Therefore, since payment for product a is completed before store B orders product a, money can be obtained from purchaser M regardless of when product a arrives to purchaser M.

[0065] Store B can obtain the money before ordering product a from the main unit 10, which eliminates the need for working capital for store B. Furthermore, by completing payment for product a before ordering product a from the main unit 10, it is possible to ensure that purchaser M who visits store B purchases product a. This reduces the possibility that purchaser M will leave store B without buying anything. As described above, store B, which is linked to the main unit 10, can receive significant benefits.

[0066] The main unit 10 may ship the product A that the purchaser M paid for at the store B to the purchaser M. In this case, the main unit 10 ships the product A to the purchaser M, which eliminates the need for the store B to deliver the product to the purchaser M. This reduces the delivery costs of the store B, and the store B that cooperates with the main unit 10 can receive even greater benefits.

[0067] The order receiving unit 12 may receive the purchaser information of purchaser M along with receiving the order for product a. In this case, the order receiving unit 12 acquires the purchaser information, thereby accumulating the purchase history of purchaser M and information on the product a to be purchased. Furthermore, since the main unit 10 can acquire the purchaser information of purchaser M, who was previously surrounded by store B, the main unit 10 can acquire a large amount of purchaser information. Therefore, not only store B but also the main unit 10 can benefit, and a win-win relationship can be built between the main unit 10 and store B.

[0068] Next, a store support method according to a modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the store support method according to the modified example. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of interactions between purchaser M, store B, and main unit 10 in the store support method according to the modified example.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, first, purchaser M visits store B (step S21). However, purchaser M does not purchase a product at store B, but instead obtains product information from store B (step S22). In step S22, for example, purchaser M obtains an identification code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) that enables access to product information in main body unit 10 using purchaser terminal 5. The identification code may be printed on a paper medium such as a coupon, or may be displayed at store B and photographed by purchaser terminal 5. The identification code also includes store identification information (e.g., a store identification code) that identifies the store that issued the identification code.

[0070] For example, purchaser M goes home without buying anything at store B, and then registers as a member based on the information acquired in step S22 (step S23). Specifically, the purchaser uses the identification code received at store B to access the internet site of the main unit 10 on the purchaser terminal 5, and registers purchaser M as a member on the internet site. At this time, the membership registration acceptance unit 11 accepts the membership registration from the purchaser terminal 5 and acquires store identification information that identifies store B.

[0071] The store identification information acquired by the member registration acceptance unit 11 is stored, for example, in the storage unit 21. At this time, the storage unit 21 may calculate the number of pieces of store identification information stored for each store (for example, the number of acquired identification codes or the number of paper media with QR codes that have been distributed), and stores with the number of pieces of store identification information equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold may be added to the top stores.

[0072] Purchaser M also registers store B as his / her own shop. At this time, the my shop registration reception unit 19 registers store B as purchaser M's my shop. The timing of my shop registration is not limited to after step S22 and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, store B's my shop registration may be performed automatically together with member registration using the identification code received by store B.

[0073] After registering as a member as described above, purchaser M purchases product a for an amount x, for example, on the internet site of the main unit 10 displayed on the purchaser terminal 5 (step S24). Product a is then delivered to purchaser M (step S25). Product a is delivered to purchaser M, for example, within one day of the purchase (order) of product a. After purchaser M registers as a member using the identification code received at store B and purchases product a for an amount x, the points awarding unit 13 awards points equivalent to q (%) of the amount x to the store terminal 3 of store B (step S26). Note that delivery does not have to be made within one day of purchase.

[0074] Like the aforementioned p(%), q (%) indicates the point award rate relative to the price of the product. The value of q is, for example, between 5 and 60, and is 40 as an example. In this case, store B can receive a cash back of 4,000 yen when product a costing 10,000 yen is purchased, so store B can enjoy a great benefit by simply providing the identification code to purchaser M.

[0075] Furthermore, the value of q is smaller than the value of p, for example. In the case of FIG. 1 described above, since purchaser M will definitely purchase product a at store B, there is no problem in setting the point award rate p high, but in the cases of FIGS. 4 and 5, there is a possibility that purchaser M will not purchase product a, so the point award rate q is intentionally set smaller than the point award rate p. However, the values ​​of the point award rates p and q can be changed as appropriate. Product a may be delivered to purchaser M after points are awarded to store B, and the timing of delivery of product a can be changed as appropriate. Points may also be awarded after the product is delivered.

[0076] Furthermore, the store information transmission unit 18b of the main unit 10 transmits store information of store B to the purchaser terminal 5 of purchaser M, who has registered as a member using the identification code received at store B (step S27). In transmitting this store information, the store information of store B linked to purchaser M is transmitted. "Stores linked to a purchaser" refers to stores associated with the purchaser, and includes, for example, stores that the purchaser has visited as described above, stores that have given the purchaser materials (for example, the paper medium with the QR code described above), and stores close to the purchaser's home or workplace.

[0077] The store information transmission unit 18b transmits the store information at regular intervals (for example, once a week or once a month). However, the timing of the store information transmission by the store information transmission unit 18b can be changed as appropriate. The store information may be transmitted as an email newsletter or as new information on an application site, and the manner in which the store information is transmitted can be changed as appropriate.

[0078] As described above, in the modified example, the main body 10 of the store support system 1 handles multiple products, as described above, and therefore it is possible to reduce the need for stores A and B to stock products. This reduces the burden of inventory management on stores A and B, and stores A and B can sell products even if they do not stock the products.

[0079] Furthermore, in the store support system 1, the main unit 10 includes a store information transmission unit 18b that transmits store information of store B linked to purchaser M to the purchaser terminal 5. Therefore, even if purchaser M does not request store information, the main unit 10 automatically transmits the store information of store B linked to purchaser M to the purchaser terminal 5, so that purchaser M can automatically obtain the store information of store B linked to purchaser M.

[0080] Therefore, even if store B does not advertise itself, the main unit 10 transmits store information about store B to the purchaser terminal 5, thereby reducing the burden on store B for advertising. In this way, by automatically transmitting store information to the purchaser terminal 5, many purchasers M will visit store B, thereby increasing store B's customer attraction effect. Therefore, store B, which cooperates with the main unit 10, can receive significant benefits.

[0081] The member registration acceptance unit 11 may receive store identification information (a QR code, for example) that purchaser M has acquired at store B and accept the member registration, and the store information transmission unit 18b may transmit store information of store B identified by the store identification information received by the member registration acceptance unit 11 to the purchaser terminal 5. In this case, purchaser M who visits store B acquires the store identification information, and the member registration acceptance unit 11 of the main body unit 10 receives the store identification information when purchaser M registers as a member.

[0082] Then, the store information of store B identified by the store identification information received by the member registration reception unit 11 is transmitted to the purchaser terminal 5 by the store information transmission unit 18b. Therefore, when purchaser M who visits store B and obtains the store identification information performs member registration, the store information of store B is automatically transmitted to purchaser M's purchaser terminal 5, and store B can attract customers simply by providing purchaser M with store identification information such as a QR code. In other words, store B can attract customers simply by having purchaser M register as a member with the store identification information without selling product A to purchaser M, thereby further reducing the effort required for store B to attract customers.

[0083] The main unit 10 may have a my shop registration reception unit 19 that receives store B, which is a favorite of purchaser M, from the purchaser terminal 5, and the store information transmission unit 18b may transmit the store information of store B received by the my shop registration reception unit 19 to the purchaser terminal 5. In this case, the store information of store B, which is favorite of purchaser M, is transmitted to the purchaser terminal 5, so that purchaser M can become a fan of store B. Therefore, store B's ability to attract customers can be improved.

[0084] Next, a store support method according to a further modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the store support method according to the modified example. Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of interactions between purchaser M and main unit 10 in the store support method according to the modified example.

[0085] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, first, purchaser M registers as a member on the main unit 10 (step S31). At this time, the member registration acceptance unit 11 receives a member registration request from the purchaser terminal 5, and this member registration request includes, for example, the postal code or address of purchaser M. In addition to accepting purchaser M's member registration, the member registration acceptance unit 11 identifies the commercial area in which purchaser M resides from purchaser M's address (or postal code), and the purchaser commercial area registration unit 20b registers purchaser M's commercial area (step S32).

[0086] After completing the aforementioned member registration, the purchaser M purchases a product from the main unit 10, for example, on the Internet site of the main unit 10 displayed on the purchaser terminal 5 (step S33). Then, the main unit 10 delivers the product purchased by the purchaser M to the purchaser M (step S34).

[0087] Furthermore, the store information transmission unit 18b transmits store information of store B in the commercial area of ​​purchaser M registered in the purchaser commercial area registration unit 20b to the purchaser terminal 5 of purchaser M (step S35). In this way, the store information transmission unit 18b transmits store information of store B in the commercial area of ​​purchaser M to the purchaser terminal 5. This allows purchaser M to automatically obtain store information of store B that is related to purchaser M (for example, store B that is close to purchaser M's home), and allows purchaser M to enjoy shopping at store B. Note that purchaser M and my shop registration do not have to be automatically linked. In other words, my shop registration may be performed by purchaser M's registration (decision).

[0088] As described above, in the modified example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the main unit 10 includes a store information sending unit 18b that sends store information about store B associated with purchaser M to the purchaser terminal 5. Therefore, similar to the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 described above, the main unit 10 automatically sends store information about store B associated with purchaser M to the purchaser terminal 5, so that purchaser M can automatically obtain store information about store B associated with purchaser M. Therefore, even if store B does not advertise itself, the main unit 10 sends store information about store B to the purchaser terminal 5, so it is possible to reduce the burden on store B for advertising and to increase store B's customer attraction effect.

[0089] The member registration acceptance unit 11 may identify the commercial area in which purchaser M resides from the address of purchaser M when accepting the member registration, and the store information transmission unit 18b may transmit store information of store B located in the commercial area of ​​purchaser M identified by the member registration acceptance unit 11 to the purchaser terminal 5. In this case, the purchaser commercial area registration unit 20b of the main body unit 10 registers the commercial area of ​​purchaser M when registering purchaser M as a member, and store information of store B located in the commercial area of ​​purchaser M is transmitted to the purchaser terminal 5.

[0090] Therefore, by transmitting store information of store B in the trade area of ​​purchaser M to purchaser terminal 5, it is possible to introduce store B, which is close to purchaser M's residence, to purchaser M, making it easier for purchaser M to visit store B. Therefore, it is possible to further increase store B's ability to attract customers.

[0091] The above describes an embodiment of the store support system according to the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of each claim. In other words, the configuration and function of each part of the store support system according to the present disclosure can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist described above.

[0092] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the main body 10 is illustrated as including a member registration reception unit 11, an order reception unit 12, a points granting unit 13, a product management unit 14, a delivery instruction unit 15, a store member setting unit 16, a store identification unit 17, an information transmission unit 18, a my-shop registration reception unit 19, an information collection unit 20, and a memory unit 21. However, the configuration of the main body is not limited to this example and can be modified as appropriate. For example, any of the product management unit 14, the delivery instruction unit 15, the store member setting unit 16, the store identification unit 17, the information transmission unit 18, the my-shop registration reception unit 19, the information collection unit 20, and the memory unit 21 may be omitted.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which store identification information was included in a QR code. However, the store identification information may be included in something other than a QR code, such as a barcode (for example, an IC tag or an RFID tag). Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a store support system 1 was described that supports multiple bedding specialty stores that sell bedding. However, the type of store supported by the store support system is not limited to bedding specialty stores. For example, the store support system according to the present disclosure may support multiple cosmetics specialty stores that sell cosmetics, multiple mass retailers that sell electrical appliances, or multiple affiliated stores that cooperate with credit card companies. In this way, the type of business of the company to which the store support system according to the present disclosure is applied can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1...store support system, 2, 3...store terminal, 5...purchaser terminal, 10...main unit, 11...membership registration reception unit, 12...order reception unit, 13...point awarding unit, 14...product management unit, 15...delivery instruction unit, 16...store member setting unit, 17...store discrimination unit, 18...information transmission unit, 18b...store information transmission unit, 19...my shop registration reception unit, 20...information collection unit, 20b...purchaser trade area registration unit, 21...memory unit, A...store, a...product, B...store, M...purchaser, p, q...point award rate.

Claims

1. a plurality of store terminals provided in each of a plurality of stores; a main body capable of communicating with each of the plurality of store terminals and handling a plurality of products; a purchaser terminal held by a purchaser who purchases the product of the main body, The main body portion is a member registration reception unit that receives member registration of the purchaser from the store; an order receiving unit that receives an order for the product from the store after the purchaser has made payment for the product at the store; a point granting unit that grants points to the store according to the amount of the product after the order receiving unit receives the order; an information collection unit that collects information on the plurality of stores and purchasers, the information collection unit has a purchaser trade area registration unit that registers the trade area of ​​the purchaser identified by the member registration acceptance unit, the main body unit includes a store information transmission unit that transmits store information of the store linked to the purchaser to the purchaser terminal, The member registration acceptance unit accepts the member registration of the purchaser and identifies the commercial area in which the purchaser resides from the purchaser's address, and the purchaser commercial area registration unit registers the commercial area of ​​the purchaser. the store information transmission unit transmits store information of the stores in the purchaser's commercial area to the purchaser terminal; Store support system.

2. The main unit delivers the product for which the purchaser has paid at the store to the purchaser. The store support system according to claim 1 .

3. the order receiving unit receives the order for the product and also acquires purchaser information of the purchaser. The store support system according to claim 1 or 2.

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