Wireless Shopper Tracking System for Targeted In-Store Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retailers face challenges in effectively influencing shoppers' purchase decisions at the point of sale due to incomplete shopper understanding and high costs associated with current methods, which result in low profit margins and inefficient product promotion.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a communications multi-network, a logic engine, and a wireless end device that tracks shopper location and product selection data to deliver influential messages at the moment of truth, optimizing product placement and promoting relevant products to shoppers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional advertising methods (in-store speakers, displays, print ads) are used to influence shoppers, then product promotion coverage is improved, but cost efficiency deteriorates and shopper engagement at the moment of decision remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wireless communication system as an intermediary between the retailer's advertising system and the shopper's mobile device. This intermediary delivers targeted advertising messages directly to shoppers at the moment of purchase decision, based on real-time location tracking and shopping cart data, thereby improving shopper understanding without requiring complex physical advertising infrastructure throughout the store.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables shoppers to receive personalized advertising messages automatically based on their own shopping behavior and location. The wireless communication network and mobile devices allow shoppers to self-serve by receiving relevant product information and promotions without requiring manual distribution of print ads or physical presence at displays, reducing the complexity of traditional advertising deployment.
2Measurement precision
If detailed shopper tracking and analysis systems are implemented to gain granular shopper insights, then shopper behavior understanding is improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the shopper's existing mobile device and shopping cart as multi-functional tools. The wireless communication system leverages these universal objects to simultaneously track location, monitor shopping cart contents, and deliver personalized advertising messages, thereby achieving precise shopper behavior measurement without requiring a separate complex tracking system for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback loops where shopper location and shopping cart data are continuously monitored and analyzed. This feedback enables the system to dynamically adjust and deliver relevant advertising messages at the optimal moment, improving measurement precision while using the same wireless communication infrastructure for both tracking and communication, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Productivity
If vendors pay premiums for shelf space and product placement to influence shoppers, then product visibility is improved, but retailer profit margin deteriorates due to high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent delivers advertising messages to shoppers before they reach the point of purchase decision. By using wireless communication to provide product information, comparisons, and promotions in advance at the moment of shopping, the system enables vendors to influence purchase decisions without needing to pay premium prices for shelf space or product placement, thereby improving sales efficiency while preserving retailer profit margins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical system of physical shelf space competition with a digital communication system. Instead of vendors paying for physical prominence on shelves, the wireless communication network delivers targeted digital advertisements directly to shoppers' mobile devices, substituting physical product placement mechanisms with electronic message delivery, thereby improving productivity without increasing costs that would erode profit margins.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided herein are systems and methods for influencing shoppers while they consider making purchasing decisions in a retail establishment. Specifically, the systems and methods for influencing shoppers may occur during a shopper's first moment of truth by transmitting through a communication network one or more influential messages to a handheld wireless electronic device or intelligent shopping cart, which is in close proximity to a shopper during a shopping trip throughout a retail establishment.