Method and system for gathering and analyzing consumer purchasing information based on product and consumer clustering relationships
US5974396A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q30/0269
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for gathering and analyzing customer and purchasing information permits a retailer or retail chain to process transactional information involving large numbers of consumers and consumer products. Product information is gathered that uniquely identifies a specific product by type and manufacturer and grouped into generic product clusters. Consumers are similarly grouped into consumer clusters based on common consumer demographics and other characteristics. Consumer retail transactions are analyzed in terms of product and/or consumer clusters to determine relationships between the consumers and the products. Product, consumer, and transactional data are maintained in a relational database. Targeting of specific consumers with marketing and other promotional literature is based on consumer buying habits, needs, demographics, etc. A retailer queries the database using selected criteria, accumulates data from the database in response to that query, and makes prudent business and marketing decisions based on that response. Queried information from the database may be communicated to a printing subsystem for printing promotional literature directed to particular custom…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.