Methods for dynamic discounting
The subject invention relates to electronic buying and selling systems and methods. In particular, the invention concerns relations among distinct price curves, price curve attributes (i.e., factors of the offer that can affect the price curves) and buyers or potential buyers. For instance, a price offered to a system user can vary based on total volume of all people aggregating in private environments, cumulative total order by user, ship date, optimal time, as well as terms and conditions associated with the offer (e.g., no cancellation of order, cancellation possible, payment method . . . ).
1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for offering a discounted price for a product or service, the method including:
displaying a plurality of deal rooms, each deal room including a product or service that is offered for sale, and further including terms and conditions set by a merchant for the product or service that is offered for sale, the terms and conditions differing for a different product or service offered by a different merchant in a different plurality of deal rooms;
determining an aggregate quantity of a particular product or service ordered from the plurality of deal rooms;
implementing a discounted price for the particular product or service based on the aggregate quantity of orders for the particular product or service, the discounted price corresponding to a price discount attribute; and
offering the discounted price to a buyer that agrees to or satisfies the terms and conditions set by the merchant for the particular product or service.
2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is order volume, orders to date, aggregate volume ordered, time of delivery or availability, or a time in which the buyer placed an order.
3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is orders to date.
4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is aggregate volume ordered.
5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is time of delivery.
6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is availability.
7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is time in which the buyer placed an order.
8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the deal room is a private deal room, access to which is based on at least prior transactions with an intermediate of the merchant.
9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein at least one deal room from the plurality of deal rooms is public and a second deal from the plurality of deal rooms is public, wherein buyers in the second deal room receive a different discounted price than buyers in the first deal room.
10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 ,
wherein offering the discounted price to the buyer occurs for a limited time.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the discounted price is offered to a subsequent buyer if the buyer fails to accept the discounted price or does not accept the discounted price within a predetermined period of time.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the discounted price is adjusted subject to other transactions between the buyer and the merchant.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the discounted price is adjusted subject to other transactions between the buyer and an intermediary of the merchant.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the price discount attribute is based on a plurality of orders from the buyer in connection with at least one item from the merchant.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the discounted price is optimized as a function of time to place an order, time to deliver the item, or delivery or service time.
16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for offering a discounted price for a product or service, the method including:
providing a plurality of deal rooms, at least two of which include a product or service that is offered for sale, and further include terms and conditions set by a merchant for the product or service that is offered for sale, the terms and conditions differing between a first deal room and a second deal room of the plurality of deal rooms;
determining an aggregate quantity of a particular product or service ordered from the plurality of deal rooms;
implementing a discounted price for the particular product or service based on the aggregate quantity of orders for the particular product or service, the discounted price corresponding to a price discount attribute; and
offering the discounted price to a buyer that agrees or satisfies the terms and conditions set by the merchant for the particular product or service.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein a deal room is information displayed on an Internet page.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the Internet page is accessible by way of a mobile device.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the mobile device includes the ability to store an offer or set an update concerning at least one offer.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim of 17 , wherein at least one website is publicly made available.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the terms and conditions refer to information related to the availability of an item.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the terms and conditions refer to information related to a requirement of the buyer.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the terms and conditions refer to information related to a time period in which a buyer must place an order.
24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the terms and conditions refer to information related to a restriction.
25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the aggregate quantity refers to a minimum volume.
26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the aggregate quantity refers to a number.
27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining an aggregate quantity of orders refers to determining whether a particular quantity was met within a set period of time.
28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein determining the aggregate quantity includes recording the time an offer was available and the amount of time elapsed before the quantity was reached.
29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein determining the aggregate quantity includes recording the number of times an offer was presented to buyers or potential buyers relative to the number of orders placed by the buyers or potential buyers.
30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim of 27 , wherein the determination further influences the discounted price presented to at least one buyer.
31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of 16 , wherein determining an aggregate quantity of orders refers to determining whether a particular quantity was not met within a set period of time.
32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the discounted price is adjusted to a higher price point than was initially made available.
33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the price discount attribute includes information associated with the buyer including a preference expressed by the buyer.
34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the price discount attribute includes information associated with the buyer including a negotiation.
35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the price discount attribute includes information associated with the buyer including a previous action taken by the buyer.
36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the price discount attribute includes information associated with the buyer including an order quantity associated with the buyer.
37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the price discount attribute includes information associated with the buyer including a classification of the buyer.
38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the offer is visually represented by a calendar.
39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the offer is visually represented by a display with a price that changes over a period of time.
40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the discount attribute is an algorithm that tracks the time in which a volume of orders was achieved and the quantity still available, and adjusts the discounted price accordingly.