Sales support system and method therefor

1. A sales and delivery support system, which supports product sales and delivery, comprising:

a purchaser terminal used by a purchaser;

a plurality of seller terminals used by a corresponding plurality of sellers; and

a plurality of delivery agents terminal used by a corresponding plurality of delivery agents,

said terminals being capable of mutual communication via a communication network;

a first means in which, in response to a direct access made by said purchaser terminal to at least a first and a second seller terminal among said plurality of seller terminals, said first and second seller terminals each send directly to said purchaser terminal both (1) product information with respect to a plurality of products sold by said first and second sellers respectively and (2) delivery agent information with respect to said plurality of delivery agents, each of which is able to deliver said plurality of products to said purchaser;

a second means in which each of said first and second seller terminals both (1) receives from said purchaser terminal information regarding a purchase order of at least one product of said corresponding plurality of products and a same, single selected delivery agent of said plurality of delivery agents and (2) generates purchase order identification information that identifies said purchaser and said purchase order;

a third means in which said seller terminal sends said purchase order identification information to both said purchaser terminal and a corresponding selected delivery agent terminal of said single selected delivery agent;

a fourth means in which, in response to a direct access made by said purchaser terminal to said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal, said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal sends to said purchaser terminal a request to transmit at least one piece of purchase order identification information;

a fifth means in which said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal both (1) receives from said purchaser terminal at least one piece of purchase order identification information from each of said first and second seller terminals and (2) compares said purchase order identification information with purchase order identification information that said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal has received from said first and second seller terminals;

a sixth means in which, if said comparison results in at least two matches, said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal sends to said purchaser terminal a request to transmit delivery instruction information regarding delivery of products corresponding to said at least two matches;

a seventh means in which said corresponding selected delivery agent terminal receives from said purchaser terminal delivery instruction information instructing batch delivery of at least two of said products corresponding to said at least two matches, wherein said at least two of said products corresponding to said at least two matches are purchased from said first and second sellers and wherein said batch delivery is to be delivered by said selected delivery agent to said purchaser at a single time.

2. A sales and delivery support system, which supports product sales and delivery, comprising:

a purchaser terminal used by a purchaser;

a first seller terminal used by a first seller;

a second seller terminal used by a second seller; and

a plurality of delivery agent terminals used by a corresponding plurality of delivery agents,

said terminals being capable of mutual communication via a communication network,

in response to a direct access made by said purchaser terminal to said first seller terminal, said first seller terminal sending directly to said purchaser terminal both (1) product information with respect to a first plurality of products sold by said first seller and (2) delivery agent information with respect to said plurality of delivery agents, each of which is able to deliver said first plurality of products to said purchaser,

said first seller terminal both (1) receiving from said purchaser terminal information regarding a first purchase order of at least one product of said first plurality of products and a specified single delivery agent of said first plurality of delivery agents and (2) generating a first piece of purchase order identification information that identifies said purchaser and said first purchase order,

said first seller terminal sending said first piece of purchase order identification information to both said purchaser terminal and a corresponding specified delivery agent terminal of said specified single delivery agent,

in response to a direct access made by said purchaser terminal to said second seller terminal, said second seller terminal sending directly to said purchaser terminal both (1) product information with respect to a second plurality of products sold by said second seller and (2) delivery agent information with respect to said plurality of delivery agents, each of which is able to deliver said second plurality of products to said purchaser,

said second seller terminal both (1) receiving from said purchaser terminal information regarding a second purchase order of at least one product of said second plurality of products and said specified single selected delivery agent of said plurality of delivery agents and (2) generating a second piece of purchase order identification information that identifies said purchaser and said second purchase order,

said second seller terminal sending said second piece of purchase order identification information to both said purchaser terminal and the corresponding specified delivery agent terminal of said specified single delivery agent,

in response to a direct access made by said purchaser terminal to said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal, said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal sending said purchaser terminal a request to transmit at least one piece of purchase order identification information,

said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal both (1) receiving from said purchaser terminal at least two pieces of purchase order identification information and (2) comparing said at least two pieces of purchase order identification information with purchase order identification information that said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal has received from said first and said second seller terminals,

if said comparison results in at least two matches, said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal sending said purchaser terminal a request to transmit delivery instruction information regarding delivery of products corresponding to said at least two matches,

said corresponding specified delivery agent terminal receiving from said purchaser terminal delivery instruction information instructing batch delivery of at least two of said products corresponding to said at least two matches, wherein said at least two of said products corresponding to said at least two matches comprise at least one product ordered under said first purchase order and at least one product ordered under said second purchase order and wherein said batch delivery is to be delivered by said specified single delivery agent to said purchaser at a single time.