Real-time product selection guidance for conditional sales

1 . A method for improving an operation of a physical shopping cart, the method comprising:

scanning, by a sensor installed at the physical shopping cart, a first physical product and a second physical product placed in the physical shopping cart, the physical shopping cart located in a physical store, wherein the scanning is performed automatically in real time using the sensor during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart;

identifying a first product identifier of the scanned first physical product and a second product identifier of the scanned second physical product;

querying, in real time during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart, a backend system with the first product identifier and the second product identifier, wherein the backend system stores a combination of products that includes the first physical product, and the backend system further stores an offer based on a condition of the combination, wherein the first physical product and the second physical product are part of the combination;

receiving, from the backend system, a determination that the second physical product does not satisfy the condition associated with the offer;

receiving a location of a third physical product in the physical store, the third physical product being determined by the backend system as an item that is part of the combination and satisfies the condition associated with the offer, wherein the location of the third physical product is determined by:

retrieving a store layout of the physical store,

retrieving location information of the third physical product, and

overlaying the location information with the store layout to determine the location of the third physical product; and

displaying, in real time during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart, information about the third physical product, the information including the location of the third physical product in the store layout, wherein the information is displayed on a display device to a shopper as a suggestion to replace the second physical product with the third physical product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first product identifier of the scanned first physical product comprises:

capturing, from the first physical product, a product input, the product input comprising an image of the first physical product; and

analyzing the image to extract the first product identifier of the first physical product.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first product identifier of the scanned first physical product comprises:

capturing, from the first physical product, a product input, the product input comprising a transmission from a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with the first physical product; and

analyzing the transmission to extract the first product identifier.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, from the physical shopping cart, the product input corresponding to the first physical product, wherein the physical shopping cart is configured to identify products placed in the physical shopping cart.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a product preference of the shopper from a profile of the shopper;

querying a retailing backend system for information about a superset of products that are participating in a set of current offers; and

disqualifying, from the superset of products, those products that fail to satisfy the product preference.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining that a fourth product in the superset and a fifth product in the superset form a first valid combination corresponding to the offer;

computing a combined characteristic of the first valid combination; and

evaluating, as a part of the disqualifying, that the combined characteristic fails to satisfy the condition.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a value of the combined characteristic exceeds a budget set in the product preference.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, using a second sensor, a presence of the shopper within the physical store; and

establishing, responsive to the detecting, a communication path between the display device and the backend system.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a layout of the store, wherein the displayed information about the location of the third physical product in the physical store comprises the layout of the store.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing an offer input, the offer input comprising an image of a printed flyer advertising an offer in the physical store;

analyzing the image to extract an offer identifier; and

requesting the condition corresponding to the offer identifier.

11 . A system comprising:

a physical shopping cart located in a physical store, the physical shopping cart comprising a sensor, wherein the physical shopping cart is configured to:

scan, by a sensor installed at the physical shopping cart, a first physical product and a second physical product placed in the physical shopping cart, wherein the scanning is performed in real time during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart; and

identify a first product identifier of the scanned first physical product and a second product identifier of the scanned second physical product; and

a backend system comprising memory and one or more processors, the memory configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, in real time during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart, a query with the first product identifier and the second product identifier, wherein the backend system stores a combination of products that includes the first physical product, and the backend system further stores an offer based on a condition in the combination, wherein the first physical product and the second physical product are part of the combination;

determine that a second physical product does not satisfy the condition associated with the offer;

determine a location of a third physical product in the physical store, the third physical product being an item that is part of the combination and satisfies the condition associated with the offer, wherein the location of the third physical product is determined by:

retrieving a store layout of the physical store,

retrieving location information of the third physical product, and

overlaying the location information with the store layout to determine the location of the third physical product; and

cause to display, in real time during which the first physical product and a second physical product are carried by the physical shopping cart, information about the third physical product, the information including the location of the third physical product relative to the physical shopping cart located in the physical store, wherein the information is displayed on a display device to a shopper as a suggestion to replace the second physical product with the third physical product.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein identify the first product identifier of the scanned first physical product comprises:

capture, from the first physical product, a product input, the product input comprising an image of the first physical product; and

analyze the image to extract the first product identifier of the first physical product.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein identify the first product identifier of the scanned first physical product comprises:

capture, from the first physical product, a product input, the product input comprising a transmission from a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with the first physical product; and

analyze the transmission to extract the first product identifier.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from the physical shopping cart, the product input corresponding to the first physical product, wherein the physical shopping cart is configured to identify products placed in the physical shopping cart.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a product preference of the shopper from a profile of the shopper;

query a retailing backend system for information about a superset of products that are participating in a set of current offers; and

disqualify, from the superset of products, those products that fail to satisfy the product preference.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that a fourth product in the superset and a fifth product in the superset form a first valid combination corresponding to the offer;

compute a combined characteristic of the first valid combination; and

evaluate, as a part of the disqualifying, that the combined characteristic fails to satisfy the condition.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein a value of the combined characteristic exceeds a budget set in the product preference.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the physical shopping cart is further configured to:

detect, using a second sensor, a presence of the shopper within the physical store; and

establish, responsive to the detecting, a communication path between the display device and the backend system.

19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a layout of the store, wherein the displayed information about the location of the third physical product in the physical store comprises the layout of the store.

20 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

capture an offer input, the offer input comprising an image of a printed flyer advertising an offer in the physical store;

analyze the image to extract an offer identifier; and

request the condition corresponding to the offer identifier.