Linking Online and Retail-Location Shopping Carts

Abstract

A system for linking a shopper's online electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart is provided. The system includes an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers. Each shopper is provided with an online electronic shopping cart accessible through the website and an in-store electronic shopping cart accessible at a local retail location. The online and in-store electronic shopping carts are linked by placing one or more items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart and vice versa. Related apparatus, methods, techniques and articles are also described.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing, by at least one data processor, an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;   storing, by at least one data processor, shopper information in a shopper database, wherein each shopper is associated with a particular account;   associating, by at least one data processor, an online electronic shopping cart with each account, wherein one or more items selected for purchase by each respective shopper is placed in the online shopping cart;   associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant, wherein the one or more items selected for purchase by the respective shopper at the retail location is placed in the in-store shopping cart; and   linking, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart including:
 placing, by at least one data processor, items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart, and/or placing items contained in the in-store shopping cart in the online cart; and 
 updating, by at least one data processor, the shopper information in the shopper database with one or more new data gathered from the online shopping cart and/or the in-store shopping cart. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising associating, by at least one data processor, an identification of an in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 2 , further comprising associating, by at least one data processor, sales information attributed to the in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising generating, by at least one data processor, a confirmation associated with a first shopper's online shopping cart. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 4 , wherein the confirmation comprises the shopper information associated with the first shopper's account. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 4 , wherein the confirmation enables the first shopper to access the first shopper's online and/or in-store shopping cart. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 4 , further comprising synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online and in-store shopping carts with one another when a change has been made in either cart. 
     
     
         8 . A system for linking a shopper's online electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart, the system comprising:
 providing at least one server, the server having computer instructions operating thereon to perform a method of linking virtual shopping carts, the method comprising:
 providing an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers; 
 storing shopper information in a shopper database, wherein each shopper is associated with a particular account; 
 associating an online electronic shopping cart with each account, wherein one or more items selected for purchase by each respective shopper is placed in the online shopping cart; 
 associating an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant, wherein the one or more items selected for purchase by the respective shopper at the retail location is placed in the in-store shopping cart; and 
 linking the on-line shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart including:
 placing items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart, and/or placing items contained in the in-store shopping cart in the online cart; and 
 updating the shopper information in the shopper database with one or more new data gathered from the online shopping cart and/or the in-store shopping cart. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , further comprising associating an identification of an in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , further comprising associating sales information attributed to the in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 8 , further comprising generating a confirmation associated with a first shopper's online shopping cart. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the confirmation comprises the shopper information associated with the first shopper's account. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the confirmation enables the first shopper to access the first shopper's online and/or in-store shopping cart. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 4 , further comprising synchronizing the online and in-store shopping carts with one another when a change has been made in either cart. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable media having computer instructions/code provided therein for enabling a method for linking a shopper's on-line electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart, the method comprising:
 providing an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;   storing shopper information in a shopper database, wherein each shopper is associated with a particular account;   associating an online electronic shopping cart with each account, wherein one or more items selected for purchase by each respective shopper is placed in the online shopping cart;   associating an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant, wherein the one or more items selected for purchase by the respective shopper at the retail location is placed in the in-store shopping cart; and   linking the on-line shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart including:
 placing items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart, and/or placing items contained in the in-store shopping cart in the online cart; and 
 updating the shopper information in the shopper database with one or more new data gathered from the online shopping cart and/or the in-store shopping cart. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable media according to  claim 15 , further comprising associating an identification of an in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable media according to  claim 16 , further comprising associating sales information attributed to the in-store sales person with the online and in-store shopping carts. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable media according to  claim 15 , further comprising generating a confirmation associated with a first shopper's online shopping cart. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 18 , wherein the confirmation enables the first shopper to access the first shopper's online and/or in-store shopping cart. 
     
     
         20 . An application program operational on at least one of a computer, mobile device, and network to perform a method for linking a customer's on-line virtual shopping cart with the customer's in-store, retail location virtual shopping cart, the method comprising:
 providing an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;   storing shopper information in a shopper database, wherein each shopper is associated with a particular account;   associating an online electronic shopping cart with each account, wherein one or more items selected for purchase by each respective shopper is placed in the online shopping cart;   associating an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant, wherein the one or more items selected for purchase by the respective shopper at the retail location is placed in the in-store shopping cart; and   linking the on-line shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart including:
 placing items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart, and/or placing items contained in the in-store shopping cart in the online cart; and 
 updating the shopper information in the shopper database with one or more new data gathered from the online shopping cart and/or the in-store shopping cart.