Combined Purchase Matching System for Retail Discounts

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Solution Overview

Problem

In retail environments, customers often face challenges in taking advantage of quantity-based discounts on items like bread, where purchasing the required quantity is not feasible, leading to inefficiencies and additional costs.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that allow customers to match with other users for combined purchases of items, utilizing a computing device to present available items, determine matching users, and facilitate the association for combined purchases, enabling customers to benefit from quantity-based discounts on items like bread without having to buy the full quantity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a customer purchases the required quantity of items to qualify for a quantity-based discount, then the discount is obtained, but the customer may have to buy more items than needed

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoidquantity of items purchased

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple customers into a single combined purchaser who collectively buys the required quantity for the discount. Individual customers can purchase smaller quantities while still accessing the quantity-based discount by combining their purchases with other customers through the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Quantity of substance

If a customer purchases fewer than the required quantity of items, then the customer only buys what is needed, but the quantity-based discount is not obtained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequantity of items purchasedVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system acts as an intermediary that connects multiple customers who each want to purchase smaller quantities. By facilitating these connections, the system enables individual customers to access quantity-based discounts without having to personally purchase the full required quantity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a traditional point of sale system is used for individual purchases, then the checkout process is straightforward, but customers cannot easily take advantage of quantity-based discounts when purchasing smaller quantities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecheckout processVSAvoidability to access discounts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides multi-functionality by serving both individual customers and combined purchaser groups through a unified interface. It maintains the simplicity of traditional point-of-sale operations while adding the capability to facilitate quantity-based discount access for customers purchasing smaller quantities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11210727B2Systems and methods for managing and facilitating combined purchase of items by multiple customers

Publication Date: 2021.12.28 TOSHIBA GLOBAL COMMERCE SOLUTIONS HLDG

AI summary

Systems and methods for managing and facilitating combined purchase of items by multiple customers are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes receiving, from a computing device, notification by a first user to purchase one or more items. The method also includes determining whether to match the first user with a second user for combined purchase of the one or more items. Further, the method includes associating the first user with the second user for combined purchase of the one or more items in response to determining that the first user matches the second user.