Managing Retail Using a Managed Retail Rental Service

Abstract

Methods and systems facilitate managing retail facilities using a managed retail rental service. A physical facility for retail rental may be identified. Configuration instructions to configure the physical facility for a specific retail use in accordance with specific configuration parameters may be received from a retail portal. The configuration instructions may be processed into facility modification instructions that direct one or more facility operators affiliated with the physical facility to modify an attribute of the physical facility. The facility modification instructions may be provided to one or more facility operations devices to configure the facility according to the specific configuration parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a facility rental engine configured to identify a physical facility for retail rental;   a retailer system management engine coupled to the facility rental engine, the retailer system management engine configured to receive from a retail portal configuration instructions to configure the physical facility for a specific retail use in accordance with specific configuration parameters;   a facility management engine coupled to the retailer system management engine, the facility management engine configured to process the configuration instructions into facility modification instructions that direct one or more facility operators affiliated with the physical facility to modify an attribute of the physical facility;   a facility operations device management engine coupled to the retailer system management engine, the facility operations device management engine configured to provide the facility modification instructions to one or more facility operations devices to configure the facility according to the specific configuration parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding a layout of the physical facility. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding placement of one or more of products, fixtures, and unattached furniture within the physical facility. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding acceptance of payments for products purchased within the physical facility. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the facility operations device management engine is configured to receive a configuration status from the one or more facility operations devices;   the retailer system management engine is configured to provide the configuration status to the retail portal.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the facility rental engine is configured to:
 gather a facility list comprising one or more physical facilities;   receive from the retail portal a selection of the physical facility from the facility list.   
     
     
         7 . The system  claim 1 , wherein the retailer system management engine is configured to:
 identify one or more pre-defined facility configurations that configure one or more physical facilities in a facility list for retail use;   receive from the retail portal a selection of one of the one or more-predefined facility configurations.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the facility management engine is configured to:
 identify one or more payment options for the physical facility;   receive from the retail portal a payment for the physical facility in accordance with the one or more payment options.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the facility management engine is configured to receive retail analytics regarding the physical facility to the retail portal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the retail analytics comprise one or more of analytics about customer traffic in the physical facility, analytics about products purchased in the physical facility, and analytics about products moved within the physical facility. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 identifying a physical facility for retail rental;   receiving from a retail portal configuration instructions to configure the physical facility for a specific retail use in accordance with specific configuration parameters;   processing the configuration instructions into facility modification instructions that direct one or more facility operators affiliated with the physical facility to modify an attribute of the physical facility;   providing the facility modification instructions to one or more facility operations devices to configure the facility according to the specific configuration parameters.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding a layout of the physical facility. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding placement of one or more of products, fixtures, and unattached furniture within the physical facility. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the specific configuration parameters include parameters regarding acceptance of payments for products purchased within the physical facility. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a configuration status from the one or more facility operations devices;   providing the configuration status to the retail portal.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein identifying the physical facility for retail rental comprises:
 gathering a facility list comprising one or more physical facilities;   receiving from the retail portal a selection of the physical facility from the facility list.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving from the retail portal the configuration instructions to configure the physical facility for the specific retail use comprises:
 identifying one or more pre-defined facility configurations that configure one or more physical facilities in a facility list for retail use;   receiving from the retail portal a selection of one of the one or more-predefined facility configurations.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying one or more payment options for the physical facility;   receiving from the retail portal a payment for the physical facility in accordance with the one or more payment options.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving retail analytics regarding the physical facility to the retail portal. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the retail analytics comprise one or more of analytics about customer traffic in the physical facility, analytics about products purchased in the physical facility, and analytics about products moved within the physical facility. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 means for identifying a physical facility for retail rental;   means for receiving from a retail portal configuration instructions to configure the physical facility for a specific retail use in accordance with specific configuration parameters;   means for processing the configuration instructions into facility modification instructions that direct one or more facility operators affiliated with the physical facility to modify an attribute of the physical facility;   means for providing the facility modification instructions to one or more facility operations devices to configure the facility according to the specific configuration parameters.