An image-based stock and price management system, comprising:
- a reader positioned to capture, from above, a product display region of a store, where products of a same kind that are accompanied with different individual product identifying two-dimensional (2D) codes placed thereon are displayed;
- a mobile customer terminal;
- and
- a server communicable with the reader and the mobile customer terminal over a network, wherein
- the mobile customer terminal includes
- a camera,
- a first communication device that communicates with the sever,
- a display device, and
- a first controller configured to
- decode one or more individual product identifying 2D codes included in a first image captured by the camera, into one or more individual product identifiers corresponding thereto,
- transmit an inquiry including the one or more individual product identifiers to the server via the first communication device,
- receive a response to the inquiry from the server via the first communication device, and
- display, on the display device, a price information screen based on the response, and
- the server includes
- a second communication device that communicates with the mobile customer terminal,
- a storage device that stores product information, the product information including, with respect to each product in the stock, a reference date and time, an original price of the product, and a current price of the product in association with an individual product identifier of the product, and
- a second controller configured to
- decode individual product identifying 2D codes included in a second image captured by the reader into individual product identifiers corresponding thereto to determine in-stock products,
- with respect each of the in-stock products, update the current price included in the product information stored in the storage device in accordance with a predetermined rule according to a lapse of time from the corresponding reference date and time included in the product information,
- receive the inquiry from the mobile customer terminal via the second communication device,
- acquire, from the storage device, a current price of each product that is in stock and identified with one of the one or more individual product identifiers included in the inquiry, and
- transmit the acquired current price to the information terminal as the response,
- when the first image includes a single product, the price information screen indicates the current price of the single product, and
- when the first image includes a plurality of products, the price information screen includes the first image with an overlaid mark specifying an in-stock product at a lowest current price and a label indicating the lowest current price.