e-COMMERCE VOLUME PRICING
A system and method that facilitates e-commerce volume pricing is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the system includes an offers and orders component that receives and aggregates orders for a product from a plurality of buyers. The system also includes a logistics component that determines a shipping price for the product for a subset of the plurality of buyers. The shipping price is determined at least in part upon the subset of buyers sharing a shipping method. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which buyers within an aggregated purchasing group may be subject to different pricing structures for the same product.
1 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to:
generate at least one discounted deal from at least one supplier for an item for sale at a discounted price via an online account on one or more network servers;
provide details about the at least one supplier and contact information for the at least one supplier, wherein the at least one supplier allows the details about the at least one supplier, the contact information for the at least one supplier, and the at least one discounted deal to be reviewed by at least one potential customer over the one or more network servers for a finite period of time;
allow the at least one potential customer to select and store a type of category or a supplier of interest for the at least one discounted deal presented to the at least one potential customer, wherein the at least one potential customer receives an offer for the at least one discounted deal based on the type of category or the supplier of interest when the at least one discounted deal is available;
enable the at least one potential customer to agree to terms and conditions of the sale; and
store past orders of the at least one potential customer, including at least one of a shipping or delivery location of the at least one potential customer, a category of purchase, supplier information, or a date of purchase for the past orders.
2 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one supplier presents the at least one discounted deal for the item to the at least one potential customer.
3 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one discounted deal is based on an order volume of the item over a predetermined period of time.
4 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein modifications of the at least one discounted deal for the item are accomplished in real time to allow the at least one potential customer to view updated information regarding the at least one discounted deal for the item.
5 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a system administrator that is different than the at least one supplier presents the at least one discounted deal for the item to the at least one potential customer.
6 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the at least one discounted deal for the item comprises an additional discount from the system administrator based, at least in part, on the past orders of the at least one potential customer.
7 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the additional discount is a fixed discount or fixed amount.
8 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein an agreement between the at least one supplier and the system administrator allows the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal for the item based on a determination of a potential or confirmed interest of the at least one potential customer for the item.
9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the agreement between the at least one supplier and the system administrator further allows the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal for the item based on the details about the at least one discounted deal that are reviewed by the at least one potential customer over the one or more network servers.
10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the agreement between the at least one supplier and the system administrator further allows the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal for the item based on a request for a deal for the item or a category of the item from the at least one potential customer.
11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the agreement between the at least one supplier and the system administrator allows the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal for the item based on criteria selected by the system administrator.
12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the at least one supplier is presented with updates concerning the at least one discounted deal presented by the system administrator.
13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the at least one customer creates the online account provided by the system administrator in order to purchase the at least one discounted deal for the item.
14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein a purchasing history of the at least one customer is used by the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal.
15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein information provided by the at least one potential customer is used, at least in part, by the system administrator to present the at least one discounted deal.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the at least one potential customer performs an act to confirm a previous indication of interest to acquire the at least one discounted deal for the item.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a customer that influences an order volume is rewarded with an additional discount.
18 . A method, comprising:
generating at least one discounted deal from at least one supplier for an item for sale at a discounted price via an online account on one or more network servers;
providing details about the at least one supplier and contact information for the at least one supplier, wherein the at least one supplier allows the details about the at least one supplier, the contact information for the at least one supplier, and the at least one discounted deal to be reviewed by at least one potential customer over the one or more network servers for a finite period of time;
allowing the at least one potential customer to select and store a type of category or a supplier of interest for the at least one discounted deal presented to the at least one potential customer, wherein the at least one potential customer receives an offer for the at least one discounted deal based on the type of category or the supplier of interest when the at least one discounted deal is available;
enabling the at least one potential customer to agree to terms and conditions of the sale; and
storing past orders of the at least one potential customer, including at least one of a shipping or delivery location of the at least one potential customer, a category of purchase, supplier information, or a date of purchase for the past orders.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising modifying the at least one discounted deal for the item in real time to allow the at least one potential customer to view updated information regarding the at least one discounted deal for the item.
20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising presenting an additional discount based, at least in part, on the past orders of the at least one potential customer.
21 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising allowing a system administrator that is different than the at least one supplier to present the at least one discounted deal for the item to the at least one potential customer.
22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising displaying updates concerning the at least one discounted deal provided by the system administrator to the at least one supplier.
23 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising presenting the at least one discounted deal for the item based on a determination of a potential or confirmed interest of the at least one potential customer.
24 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to:
offer at least one deal from at least one supplier for an item for sale via an online account on one or more servers;
generate details about the at least one supplier and contact information for the at least one supplier, wherein the at least one supplier allows the details about the at least one supplier, the contact information for the at least one supplier, and the at least one deal to be reviewed by at least one potential customer over the one or more servers and made available for purchase during a limited period of time;
permit the at least one potential customer to choose and store a type of category or a supplier of interest for the at least one deal presented to the at least one potential customer, wherein the at least one potential customer receives an offer for the at least one deal based on the type of category or the supplier of interest when the at least one deal is available;
allow the at least one potential customer to agree to terms and conditions of the sale; and
save past orders of the at least one potential customer, including at least one of a location of the at least one potential customer, a category of purchase, supplier information, or a date of purchase for the past orders.
25 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24 , wherein adjustments to the at least one deal for the item are made in real time to allow the at least one potential customer to review updated information regarding the at least one deal for the item.
26 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24 , wherein a system administrator that is different than the at least one supplier presents the at least one deal for the item to the at least one potential customer.
27 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26 , wherein the system administrator offers the at least one deal based on a determination of a potential or confirmed interest of the at least one potential customer.
28 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to:
offer at least one deal from at least one supplier for an item for sale via an online account on one or more servers;
generate details about the at least one supplier and contact information for the at least one supplier, wherein the at least one supplier allows the details about the at least one supplier, the contact information for the at least one supplier, and the at least one deal to be reviewed by at least one potential customer over the one or more servers and made available for purchase during a limited period of time;
permit the at least one potential customer to choose and store a type of category AND a supplier of interest for the at least one deal presented to the at least one potential customer, wherein the at least one potential customer receives an offer for the at least one deal based on the type of category or the supplier of interest when the at least one deal is available;
allow the at least one potential customer to agree to terms and conditions of the sale; and
save past orders of the at least one customer, including at least one of a location of the at least one customer, a category of purchase, supplier information, or a date of purchase for the past orders.
29 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28 , wherein a system administrator that is different than the at least one supplier presents the at least one deal to the at least one potential customer.
30 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the system administrator presents the at least one deal based on the details about the at least one deal that are reviewed by the at least one potential customer over the one or more servers.