Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for unified optimization model for retail network configuration

US8265984B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
6References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 8, 2008
Grant dateSep 11, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06Q10/0637
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for integrating multiple factors into a unified optimization model for retail network configuration, in one aspect, obtains input data for modeling store configuration. The input data may include demand of each merchandise category from each customer segment in each facility, geographic distribution of stores in an area, current revenue of stores, and physical cost of reconfiguring stores. A trade area is generated as a function of store location, store format, and store capacity. The method and system also generates trade area demand summation representing predicted total demand of all stores for all merchandise categories for all customer segments in the trade area, as a function of store location, store format, store capacity, merchandise category, and customer segment associated with the trade area. An objective function is constructed as a function of said trade area demand summation, current revenue of stores, and physical cost of reconfiguring stores.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.