US 2010/0138281 A1 · System and method for retail store shelf stock monitoring, predicting, and reporting

Abstract

A system for retail store shelf stock status monitoring, predicting, and reporting that is capable of monitoring retail store current shelf stock capacity and shelf product freshness at product level, category level, department level, store level, and other product hierarchy levels. It is also capable of intelligently predicting future shelf stock status according to predicted future store sales activities. It uses shelf stock empty index, out-of-stock alert, shelf stock freshness, shelf stock expiration alert, and other shelf stock performance measures to present current shelf status, future shelf status, and past shelf stock performances through interactive store maps and other visual presentation means to optimally deliver retail store shelf stock performance information in real time. The system empowers store clerks, store managers, chain store management, and corporation analysts to monitor, review, and analyze store shelf stock status in real time from anywhere at any time.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A system being operable of:

(a) monitoring retail store front shelf stock capacity in real time, presenting shelf stock status by a plurality of symbols to visually enhance awareness of out-of-stock and low stock products at product, category, department, and higher product hierarchy levels;
(b) monitoring perishable product freshness on retail store front shelves in real time, presenting product freshness by a plurality of symbols to enhance awareness of out-of-date or near out-of-date product items at product, category, department, and higher product hierarchy levels;
(c) predicting future shelf stock capacity in real time, presenting future shelf stock status by a plurality of symbols to visually enhance awareness of out-of-stock and low stock shelf status at product, category, department, and higher product hierarchy levels;
(d) reporting retail store front shelf stock status based on analysis of historical shelf stock data recorded by the said system, visually presenting stock capacity and duration, out-of-stock alter levels, empty index, and other shelf performance indexes for given products at product, category, department, and higher product hierarchy levels for given time periods;
and (e) issuing warning alerts for out-of-stock or near out-of-stock, and out-of-date or near out-of-date products to notify store managers or other relevant personnel for taking appropriate actions.

2 more elements

A method for deriving product shelf stock empty index for measuring shelf stock status during a certain period of time, wherein the said empty index for a product (represented by its universal package code, UPC) is derived from its shelf stock alert levels and duration in the time period under consideration, while the said index for a higher product level (e.g., at store level) is derived from the shelf stock alert levels and the duration at each alert level of a lower level product (e.g., at UPC level).

A method for deriving product freshness score for measuring perishable product shelf stock freshness and assigning expiration alert level for issuing alerts for out-of-date or near out-of-date products, wherein the said expiration alert level for a product (UPC) is derived from the freshness score of individual product items of the UPC while the said expiration alert level for a higher level product (e.g., at store level) is derived from the shelf stock expiration alert levels of a lower level product (e.g., at UPC level).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for retail store shelf stock monitoring, predicting, and reporting

Life of this patent

System and method for retail store shelf stock monitoring, predicting, and reporting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28