Method and system for managing inventory and promotions campaign based on redemption data

Abstract

Provided is a method and system for the management of inventory and/or promotional campaigns associated with electronic distribution of secure money saving or discount incentives, including coupons and other marketing incentives and, in particular, to modifying a promotional campaign and/or modifying inventory levels and product ordering based on transaction data relating to coupons distributed as part of an online computer system for interactively distributing such incentives to remotely connected consumer computers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for managing inventory associated with a promotional campaign, which comprises:
 means for storing inventory data for a retail center;   means for electronically distributing an incentive to a user;   means for processing a transaction corresponding to the incentive to produce transaction data; and   means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for processing a transaction comprises a point-of-sale terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the point-of-sale terminal comprises a cash register, a keyboard, a display, a printer, a data processor and a scanning device capable of reading a bar code encoded on the coupon. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the point-of-sale terminal comprises a scanning device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the scanning device is capable of reading a bar code encoded on the paper coupon. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for processing a transaction comprises a data processor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the incentive is a paper coupon. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for storing inventory data comprises an inventory database. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inventory data in the inventory database is updated on a real-time basis. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a data processor interfaced with the means for storing inventory and the means for processing a transaction. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the data processor comprises an inventory management program. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the data processor comprises a marketing analysis program. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the data processor comprises a program for producing transaction data in response to the transaction and transmitting said transaction data to the means for storing inventory data. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising means for conducting marketing analysis. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupons are distributed according to a pre-determined distribution parameter. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the pre-determined distribution parameter is altered in response to the updated inventory data. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the incentive comprises incentive data. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the incentive data is updated in response to the updated inventory data. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronically distributed coupons are distributed to users based upon user-specific data. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the user-specific data is demographic data. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the user-specific data is location data. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inventory data is updated on a real-time basis. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for electronically distributing a coupon to a user comprises an interface to an online service provider. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for electronically distributing a coupon to a user comprises an interface to the Internet. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interface to the Internet comprises a persistent connection. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a data table. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a data processor. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a program for associating said transaction data with said inventory data. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising means for providing select inventory data to the user. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising means for placing a product order with a manufacturer or a wholesaler in response to the updated inventory data. 
     
     
         31 . A system for managing inventory associated with a promotional campaign, which comprises:
 an inventory database for storing inventory data;   means for electronically distributing a incentive to a user via an online service provider capable of being accessed through the Internet by the user;   a point-of-sale terminal for processing a transaction corresponding to the coupon to produce transaction data; and   means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data on a real-time basis.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the means for electronically distributing a incentive comprises an online computer system for interactively distributing coupons to a plurality of remotely connected consumer computers. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a data table. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a data processor. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data comprises a program for associating said transaction data with said inventory data. 
     
     
         36 . A system for managing a promotional campaign based on inventory data, which comprises:
 means for storing inventory data for a store;   means for storing incentive data corresponding to the inventory data for the store;   means for electronically distributing the incentive data to a user;   means for processing a transaction corresponding to the incentive data to produce transaction data;   means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data; and   means for associating the incentive data with the updated inventory data and adjusting the coupon data in response to said updated inventory data.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the means for adjusting the coupon data comprises a data processor. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the data processor comprises a program for customizing the incentive data according to a predetermined inventory level. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the incentive data is customized on a real-time basis. 
     
     
         40 . A method for managing inventory associated with a promotional campaign, which comprises:
 storing inventory data for a store;   electronically distributing an incentive to a user;   processing a transaction corresponding to the incentive to produce transaction data; and   associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data.   
     
     
         41 . A method for managing inventory associated with a promotional campaign, which comprises:
 an inventory database for storing inventory data;   means for electronically distributing an incentive to a user via an online service provider capable of being accessed through the Internet by the user;   a point-of-sale terminal for processing a transaction corresponding to the incentive to produce transaction data; and   means for associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data on a real-time basis.   
     
     
         42 . A method for managing a promotional campaign based on inventory data, which comprises:
 storing inventory data for a retail center in an inventory database;   storing incentive data corresponding to the inventory data for the store;   electronically distributing the incentive data to a user;   processing a transaction corresponding to the incentive data to produce transaction data;   associating the transaction data with the inventory data to update said inventory data; and   associating the coupon data with the updated inventory data and adjusting said coupon data in response to said updated inventory data.