45 results about "Grocer's shop" patented technology

A method and system for interactively shopping for groceries, especially on an Internet web site, where the user may create a shopping list, shop for items from the list at a selected Grocery Storey store, arrange for pick up or delivery of the selected items and payment, or to download the list to a PDA or for printing with the store's layout for use in the store. Users are required to register and provide specific demographic information (useful to Manufacturers and stores) to be eligible to receive the benefits of use of the web site, such as menu creation, coupon downloads, menu planning, and recipe input. Shopping lists may be created from a single input screen using standard language text; and products may be automatically suggested to the user based on best regular price or retailer's specials. Recipes may be altered to meet numbers of servings or dietary requirements and changes stored for future use.

A grocery store or retail establishment easy-pass (E-Z) lane system for enabling express non-contact payment of a plurality of items is presented including an E-Z pass express checkout lane having at least a scanner for scanning the plurality of items and provided exclusively to preferred members pre-registered with the grocery store or retail establishment. The system includes an RFID antenna positioned about the E-Z pass express checkout lane for communicating with an RFID transponder issued to a preferred member when the RFID transponder is in close proximity to the RFID antenna. The E-Z pass checkout lane is activated thereafter for use by the preferred member for express checkout without the preferred member furnishing direct payment at the E-Z pass express checkout lane via a personal payment account that is separate and distinct from a prepaid vendor-established and maintained purchasing account.

Embodiments herein include novel ways of alerting store personnel when various activities, events, conditions, etc., occur at the checkout in retail establishments. For example, in accordance with one embodiment, the alerting can take place in substantially real-time, when the event occurs, allowing personnel to take appropriate measures, corrective or otherwise, to deal with the detected event. Examples of such events may include situations such as when a person of interest is detected as shopping at the store, when a cashier has missed scanning an item at the checkout, or to alert store personnel if a non-empty shopping cart has exited the store without payment (a.k.a., a cart push-out). Although the discussion below uses a grocery store as an example retail environment, embodiments herein can be used in any type of retail environment.

A system and method for facilitating checkout, such as in retail establishments for example grocery stores, whereby a user utilizes a mobile device to collect product identification and pricing information. At checkout, the user presents the mobile device to the legacy scanning system of the retail establishments whereby barcodes or other graphic information symbols are presented to the scanner, enabling quick check out. Product, shopper, and other data related to the shopping experience may be collected and further utilized by the system provider. The system and method of the invention reduce the time required for checkout and enables the collection of data for later use by the system provider. Additional embodiments include the use of remote server generated QR codes or other graphic information symbols to further reduce checkout time. Data mining may be performed on collected user information and provide the businesses for marketing and advertising purposes.

An enhanced shopping system for facilitating grocery shopping and in-store advertising is disclosed. The system utilizes uniquely changes (1) the way grocery retail industry captures and retains customers, (2) how customers organize their shopping efforts in grocery stores, (3) the approach to advertising and reaching customers, and (4) the information available to retailers and merchandisers related to customer (a) shopping patterns, (b) responses to merchandising and advertising, and (c) specific impact of discounting / coupons.

A digital recipe box is disclosed that allows the user to get rid of big bulky recipe books, save space, eliminate the trips to the computer or having your computer in the kitchen and essentially saving time with the added bonus of organizing all recipes and protection of heirloom recipes. Additional features include a weekly / monthly menu to solve the question of what's for dinner. The menu planner includes a grocery list generator. When the grocery list is selected all ingredients necessary to prepare the meal are identified. The grocery list is downloaded to a computer, printed out saving time and additional trips to the grocery store. The device can be taken to a grocery store where it can link with a database in the grocery store to identify where the items to be purchased are located and can indicate the shortest path to all the items.

A system for accepting and storing items for subsequent pickup by a commercial carrier includes a storage area which is defined by an outer housing, and a customer interface area that includes a weighing unit and a unit, such as a magnetic card reader, for accepting payment from a customer. The system may also include a control system that accepts address information from the customer through a key pad, and then instructs a printer to print an address label for the item. The system includes safeguards which prevent unauthorized access to the storage area, and will not provide a receipt to the customer until internal sensors verify deposit of the item. A manifest printer may also be provided for the benefit of the commercial carriers who service the system, to print out a summary of the transactions that pertain to each carrier. Alternatively, no storage area is provided. Instead, the item is given to a human attendant, such as a check out clerk of a grocery or hardware store and the like, with the appropriate mailing label for validation of receipt of the item by the attendant.

The present invention relates to a network-based business process. The process allows a business owner through a logon procedure on his computer to access, preferably via a website, the process of the present invention loaded on a host computer. The customer then accesses a main menu having one or more business tools suitable for improving the performance of businesses and is then requested to choose one of the business tools. The customer then enters customer business data as per instructions provided on the web page of the selected business tool. The process of the present invention then processes the entered data and provides a business solution to the customer. The menu includes several important business tools, such as plant capacity planner, determining optimal sales potential of the business, run charts, plant layout, business evaluation, sales & production tracker, work-in-process, etc. The process of the present invention is suitable for any business, but it is especially suitable for small businesses that may not be able to afford expensive consultants or personnel to run sophisticated programs necessary to improve business efficiency and profit margins. Some of the suitable businesses include, an auto collision repair shops, machine shops, grocery stores, butcher shops, barber shops, and manufacturing plants.

A bag and system for dispensing thermoplastic bags or the like from a stack of bags. The present system is configured for point of use dispensing to a customer, such as in the produce section of a grocery store or market. Each bag pack is dispensed from a station which includes an underlying, medially situated, angled bag pack support, configured to provide optimal support for the user in opening and removing the bag to be dispensed from the bag pack. Further contemplated is a unique cover which partially envelopes the bag pack to be dispensed, the cover defining an opening formed therethrough for the dispensing of bags therethrough, the opening configured to define the area for optimal dispensing of the bags while maintaining the remaining bags in a uniform bag pack. The cover not only facilitates uniform dispensing of bags from the pack, but also holds the pack down when the system is used in windy conditions.

A germicidal irradiation approach to killing germs on conveyors and other check out surfaces in stores, such as grocery stores, which sell articles such as food items where possible contamination from leaks and the like is a concern. An adaptable, portable ultraviolet light apparatus is provided to irradiate surfaces such as conveyor belts.

A bag and system for dispensing thermoplastic bags or the like from a stack of bags. The present system is configured for point of use dispensing to a customer, such as in the produce section of a grocery store or market. Each bag pack is dispensed from a station which includes an underlying, medially situated, angled bag pack support, configured to provide optimal support for the user in opening and removing the bag to be dispensed from the bag pack. Further contemplated is a unique cover which partially envelopes the bag pack to be dispensed, the cover defining an opening formed therethrough for the dispensing of bags therethrough, the opening configured to define the area for optimal dispensing of the bags while maintaining the remaining bags in a uniform bag pack. The cover not only facilitates uniform dispensing of bags from the pack, but also holds the pack down when the system is used in windy conditions.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a wait time client enables prediction of wait times (e.g., time required to checkout at a grocery store) based on crowdsourced wait data. In operation, the wait time application downloads predicted wait data from a server. The predicted wait data reflects measured wait times for one or more location, such as the ticket line at a movie theater. The wait time client then selects a wait time data point that corresponds to a location of a point-of-interest. Based on the selected wait time data point, the wait time client determines a predicted wait time at the point-of-interest. Advantageously, by leveraging crowdsourced, deterministically measured wait times, the wait time clients enables the incorporation of realistic and up-to-date predicted wait times into the trip planning process.

An enhanced shopping system for facilitating grocery shopping and in-store advertising is disclosed. The system uniquely changes (1) the way grocery retail industry captures and retains customers, (2) how customers organize their shopping efforts in grocery stores, (3) the approach to advertising and reaching customers, and (4) the information available to retailers and merchandisers related to customer (a) shopping patterns, (b) responses to merchandising and advertising, and (c) specific impact of discounting / coupons.

A mobile application for full-service grocery shopping assists users when grocery shopping. The mobile application may be downloaded on the user's mobile electronic device, enabling the user to subscribe to a grocery shopping support service, and provides access to an online database of detailed floor plans and inventories of grocery stores. The application downloads the floor plans and inventory of the grocery store where the user is located, displaying the floor plans on the display of the user's device, and manually or automatically retrieves the locations of the user's items for purchase from the user's grocery list, calculating the cumulative cost of items on the grocery list. Locations of the items on store shelves are highlighted on three-dimensional color displays, and the shortest route to all desired items in the store is calculated using an algorithm. The application exchanges information with support staff, enabling assistance in a timely manner.

Disclosed is printed matter for display in the proximity of food items at the grocery store that associates the printed information with the food product by use of a printed photograph of the food product and name of the food product. It also relates the benefits and efficacy of consuming the food product and its components to the consumers age, physical condition and / or gender, in words, symbols or characterizations of people and color coding of the media. It also highlights the beneficial components of the food product without the need for reading the small print on product labels. The present invention aids a grocery shopper to easily acquire and understand the efficacy and component information of the food product on the grocery store shelf.

Postal, package, and grocery deliveries are performed routinely everywhere around the world. Currently, the delivery truck drives slowly, and the postman or delivery man goes from one house to another. The postman already has a box that he carries with the sorted letters for a few of the contiguous houses, stops the truck, and walks to the different houses in the bunch, and then moves the truck and goes to the next bunch of houses. In this invention, the package delivery truck will automatically follow the mailman while still staying close to the curb to minimize traffic issues. Here, the autonomous package or delivery truck could actually go in front of the mailman to look for a good spot for the next cluster, or can wait for the mailman that is close to the last house of the current cluster, pick him up, and drop off at the center of the next cluster, or at the first house of the next cluster. In addition, there are robots that replace the function of the human (mailman or grocery delivery man).

The PreGame payment system is provided to optimize throughput capacity for retail establishment, such as restaurants, bars, grocery stores, or the like, by providing a secure and speedy method of accumulating and paying expenses on a tab maintained with the retail establishment. The PreGame system provides the everyday patron the opportunity to open, track, and close their own tabs with each retailer via their handheld or mobile device, eliminating any physical monetary exchanges or credit card exchanges between the retail staff person and the patron.

This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for hygiene monitoring in chain restaurants and grocery superstores. Four sub-systems are introduced to take care of different aspects of hygiene in restaurants. One sub-system uses contactless and in-contact temperature sensors installed on appliances to constantly monitor the temperature of working appliances to be in pre-defined range and use an Internet of Things gateways to transmit the data to remote control unit. The system generate an alert or report if the temperature of the appliances falls beyond the predefined range for more than a specific period of time. Another sub-system use a combination of temperature, humidity, UV and gas detectors to monitor the environment to be unsuitable for growth of fungus and bacteria and alert in case of exposure to harmful material and sun radiation. This sub-system also use an Internet of Things gateways to transmit the data to remote control unit. The third sub-system use a combination of radio frequency tags attached to the staff, RF tag readers and infrared / proximity / motion / microphone / touch sensors installed over the faucet and dispenser to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly after going to the restroom. The forth sub-system automatically generate food expiring label for opened cans and food container based on RF tag worn by the staff. The system generate and print the label whenever the staff gesture their RF tags in front of them and potentially scan the container bar code or select it from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The last sub-system can also monitor the inventory of opened cans of food in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.

What is disclosed is an apparatus for powering in-store displays. The apparatus is particularly effective in providing power for shelf lighting in the middle of the store. The present invention is an apparatus for lighting aisle displays in a grocery store. It features a central power strip with modular Power-In-Connectors and Power-Out-Connectors. The addition of motion sensors and timers creates interactive and attention drawing displays.

This is a leaf blower attachment which can be used with nearly any hand-held or back-pack type of leaf blower commonly on the market today, either electric or gas powered. It is designed for the purpose of clearing a six foot wide path of leaves from driveways, walkways or lawns by simply pushing the assembled unit (leaf blower and attachment) straight ahead with not much more effort than pushing a grocery shopping cart. This is accomplished by connecting nearly any make / brand / model of available market leaf blowers to my invention by either inserting the blower discharge tube directly into the attachment, or by means of utilizing a specific manufacturer's adapter fitting, if necessary. Because the attachment carries the entire weight of the blower head, it can be used efficiently, safely and easily by both the very young (as tested by an eight year old boy) and the elderly (as tested by an 81 year old woman). It eliminates both the need to swing a leaf blower from side to side, or carry the weight of a leaf blower. In the event someone who is handicapped has the desire to be self-sufficient and would like to clear leaves by themselves, my invention provides a motorized version which can be powered by two 6-12 volt variable speed / reversible electric motors controlled by using a dual radio controller. This optional equipment is commonly available (i.e.: radio controlled toys) and can be easily combined with my invention.

A method for selling individual containers used for the storage of fresh foods comprising the steps of providing individual containers in store and adjacent a fresh food product to be purchased, and charging the shopper for the container on a per container basis separately from the food purchased. The bags or containers used in the method of the invention will include at least one feature or characteristic that adds value for the consumer over and above the bags currently provided for free by grocery stores in the produce section.

An online shopping platform (11) adapted for the repetitive purchase of a class of products by Customers (32) from a designated Grocer (36) comprising a computer system having database facilities and being connected to the internet, wherein the platform (11) maintains a list of products (38) available for purchase from selected major retailers and wherein the price of each product being offered by the selected major retailers is ascertained and recorded on a recurring basis to thereby determine a lowest price for each product within an identified region in order to offer products to Customers (32) located in particular identified regions a price-matched price not higher than the lowest price being offered by any of the selected major retailers in that particular identified region.

A system having a mobile application running thereon to facilitate grocery shopping at a grocery store, the system including a storage unit to store data related to the grocery store, and a first apparatus including an input unit to allow the user to input a request to locate a particular item in the grocery store, and a display unit to display a map of an inside of the grocery store and a blinking beacon dot to show exactly where the particular item is located within the grocery store, based on the user's request and the store data stored within the storage unit.

The present invention is a disposable cover that wraps around a pushcart handle, which protects the pushcart operators using the pushcart from possible contagions on the pushcart handle. The core components of the invention are the malleable metal, bendable frame, plastic cover. The invention can be used to protect pushcart operators from conditions, dirt, and possible disease-spreading methods on a pushcart at grocery stores, home supply stores, or other locations where pushcarts are re-used by multiple pushcart operators. Furthermore, it should be noted that this allows the store, or provider of pushcarts, to reduce workloads and cleaning items should they choose to provide the handles. Some stores may use them as a giveaway with their logo and pushcart operators would use the handle at another location. Pushcart operators will also feel safer as the handle they are using has been in their possession and is free from contagions.