Systems and methods for retail selling that integrates children's recreation, retail selling, and company advertising and sponsorship

Abstract

A system for retail selling for inline stores in shopping complexes comprising: a children's play and educational area where children may play with equipment and toys that are related to the theme of an inline store's products and services; at least one space for advertising integrated through the children's play and educational area where sponsors and advertisers may promote their products and services to parents watching their children play; and a retail area further comprising interactive displays as well as places to purchase and sell products, which is proximately located to the children's play and educational area; wherein the foregoing are integrated within the inline store itself and not within a common area of the shopping complex.

1 . An in-store retailing system comprising: 
 in an environment where a group of individual stores coexist wherein the stores are adjacently located within a large structure such that the stores exist as individual entities within the large structure but share common walls with the stores on either side and wherein each store has at least one face called a storefront facing a common area of the large structure;    wherein the common area so faced may optionally be contained within the large structure to shelter and enclose shoppers frequenting the various stores contained within the large structure;    thus providing a varied shopping experience to the shoppers and allowing the shoppers to peruse a variety of styles of stores in a single, convenient, walkable location:    one of the stores located within the large structure employing a retailing system to enhance the retail experience of a patron of the store, to provide a business advertising in the store with a premier venue for advertising, to increase the store's revenue, and to enhance the experience of children of the patrons of the store comprising: 
 a children's play and educational area;  
 at least one space for advertising and sponsorship; and  
 a retail area, wherein the children's play and educational area and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are integrated and proximately connected to the retail area, and wherein the retail area, the children's play and educational area, and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are all located within a single individual store located in the large structure and are not part of the common area of the large structure.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the merchandise for sale in the retail area, the advertising in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship, and the items in the children's play and educational area are linked through a common theme.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the common theme is the theme of the store.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one of the following located within the children's play and educational area: 
 a library area;    a party room that shoppers at the store may reserve to host store theme-related parties;    a product testing area where children may test products for sale in the retail area or advertised in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship;    age-specific zones wherein children of different ages may play in areas appropriate for and suited to their age-specific needs;    a toddler play area with play area equipment appropriate for children whose ages range from infancy to two years of age;    children's rides;    computer workstations wherein shoppers and their children may investigate programs and products advertised and sponsored in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship and products offered for sale in the retail area;    a puzzle wall area; and    a picture taking booth.    
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship further comprises at least one of the following: 
 electronic advertising spaces found along the perimeter of and integrated throughout the children's play and education area, which serve as a panelized noise deflection system, and which are viewable from both outside and inside the children's play and educational area, wherein advertisers and sponsors may lease space to advertise and promote products related to the common theme;    backlit panels;    display cases located at various regions in the children's play and education area and the retail area for displaying products advertised in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship for a fee;    display cases located at various regions in the children's play and education area and the retail area for displaying products found in the retail area;    
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising providing coupons and brochures featuring products and services advertised in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship that are available to parents to review while in the store.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein a catalog dispenser system is available for shoppers to learn more about and purchase the products and services of advertisers and sponsors displaying products and services advertised in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one of: 
 sound-dampening inserts that reduce the noise coming from within or outside of the children's play and educational area;    at least one television, wherein the television may show programs geared toward children's education and development as well as advertisement programs from advertisers and sponsors utilizing the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship;    a stroller parking area;    external seating surrounding and integrated throughout the children's play and educational area, wherein shoppers or others may sit and observe their children play;    a stage and sound system for events, product demonstrations, and entertainment related to the common theme;    a massage area for themed massages;    vending machines selling snacks;    vending machines selling products related to the common theme; and    a catalog-display system providing shoppers with catalogs and reviews of products advertised and sponsored in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship and products for sale in the retail area.    
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 2  wherein displays are rotated in and out of the various areas, and wherein the rotation of the displays keeps the areas new and interesting.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the rotated displays consist of at least one of the following: 
 museum-oriented displays featuring topics of interest to parents and children;    seasonal displays; and    advertiser or sponsor themed displays.    
   
   
       11 . An in-store retailing system comprising: 
 in a mall selected from the group of: 
 a shopping center;  
 an open-air strip mall; and  
 an enclosed mall;  
   wherein a number of stores are contained within a single architectural structure such that the mall comprises at least one common area shared by the various stores and individual store areas occupied by individual stores, thus providing a varied shopping experience to the shoppers and allowing the shoppers to shop at a variety of styles of stores in a single, convenient, walkable location:    one of the stores located in the mall employing a retailing system that enhances the retail experience of shoppers at the store, enhances the experience of children of the shoppers, provides businesses advertising in the store with a premier venue for advertising, and increases the store's revenue comprising: 
 a children's play and educational area containing items allowing children to learn and play;  
 at least one space for advertising and sponsorship; and  
 a retail area, wherein: 
 the children's play and educational area and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are integrated and proximately connected to the retail area;  
 the retail area, the children's play and educational area, and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are all located within a single individual store located in the large structure and are not part of the common area of the large structure; and  
 the merchandise for sale in the retail area, the advertising in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship, and the items in the children's play and educational area are linked through a common theme that is the theme of the store.  
 
   
   
   
       12 . An in-store retailing system comprising: 
 an inline store of a shopping complex selected from the group of: 
 a shopping center;  
 a strip mall; and  
 an enclosed mall;  
   wherein the inline store is located within the architectural structure of the shopping complex and occupies its own unique area of the shopping complex; and    the shopping complex further comprises other unique areas for the other stores of the shopping complex and at least one common area connected to the stores in the shopping complex that allows shoppers at the shopping complex to conveniently walk between stores at the shopping complex thus providing the shoppers with a convenient and varied shopping experience;    wherein the inline store employs a retailing system enhancing the retail experience of shoppers and their children at the inline store, provides a premium advertising venue to a business advertising and the inline store, and increasing the profits of the inline store comprising: 
 a children's play and educational area;  
 at least one space for advertising and sponsorship; and  
 and a retail area, wherein: 
 the children's play and educational areas and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are integrated and proximately connected to the retail area;  
 the retail area, the children's play and educational area, and the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship are all located within the inline store's unique area and are not located in the shopping center's at least one common area; and  
 the merchandise for sale in the retail area, the advertising in the at least one space for advertising and sponsorship and the items in the children's play and educational area are linked through a common theme.