Centralized Electronic Sales Using a Consolidator

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronically accessible site that lists a product and associated distributors that distribute the product to customers. A customer purchases a product from the electronically accessible site, and during the purchasing process, the customer selects the distributor he wants to receive the product from. The order is received by an agent, and transmitted to the selected distributor for eventual distribution of the product to the customer. In response to the purchase, the agent and electronically accessible site receive compensation based on the amount of the purchase.

1 . A method of conducting electronic commerce, comprising a consolidator: 
 consolidating product information from a plurality of vendors;    utilizing a web site to display the information to potential consumers in a format such that an ordering consumer from among the potential consumers can select a vendor from among the plurality of vendors to purchase a desired product;    taking an order from the ordering consumer for the desired products;    passing the order along to the selected vendor;    receiving a commission generated from the order;    allowing the ordering consumer to purchase the desired products directly from the selected vendor; and    enabling the ordering consumer to purchase the desired product directly from the selected vendor.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the consolidator: 
 providing a subset of the consolidated product information in a standard format to a third party; and    receiving a compensation from the third party,    wherein the third party operates a second web site that competes with the consolidator's web site.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the consolidated product information provided to the third party includes product data from at least 100 of the plurality of vendors.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing technology to the third party to host the second web site.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of taking the order for the desired product comprises obtaining from the ordering consumer: a name and address; a stock keepers unit (SKU); and an identification of the selected vendor.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the consolidator informing the vendor to ship the product to the ordering consumers.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the compensation comprises a percentage of the third party's revenues.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the consolidator collecting the revenue from the ordering consumers, and distributing at least a portion of the revenue to the vendor.  
     
     
         9 . An electronically accessible web site, programmed to: 
 display to potential consumers product information from a plurality of unrelated vendors, in a format such that individual ones of the potential consumers can select from among the plurality of vendors to purchase a desired product;    take an order from the ordering consumer for the desired product;    transmit the order to a selected vendor;    receive a commission associated with the order; and    provide contact information to the potential consumers to purchase the desired product directly from the selected vendor, instead of purchasing from the web site.    
     
     
         10 . The web site of  claim 9 , wherein the web site is further programmed to provide contact information to an entity that sells a subset of the consolidated product information to a third party to operate a competing web site.  
     
     
         11 . The web site of  claim 9 , further comprising the web site programmed to collect a revenue from the ordering consumer, and distribute at least a portion of the revenue to the selected vendor.