E-COMMERCE LOYALTY SYSTEM AND METHOD
A multi-faceted, tier-driven, loyalty-based commerce selector that promotes brand and retailer loyalty is provided. The innovation leverages brand and retailer loyalty in lieu of price comparison shopping as is the focus of most other e-commerce experiences. Brands or retailers can be selected for exclusive shopping, and recommendations can be provided where brands or retailers are yet-unselected. Various interfaces and communications systems can be employed to deliver customized shopping experiences based on selected retailers and user preferences in order to shift from price to relationships as the driver of transactions.
1 . A system that facilitates loyalty-based commerce selection by a consumer, comprising:
a product option component that locates at least one product with desired options at one or more retailers;
a retailer selection component that selects a preferred retailer among the one or more retailers; and
a purchase component that completes a sale for the at least one product from the preferred retailer.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a loyalty component that commits at least the product option component and the retailer selection component to the preferred retailer.
3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a product search component that searches for a class of products including the at least one product with desired options.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an account component that maintains at least information related to a preferred retailer.
5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a local database component that stores at least information used by the account component.
6 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a remote database query component that sends and receives at least information used by the account component.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the product option component, the retailer selection component, and the purchase component are executed at least in part by an application on a mobile device.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a recommendation component that recommends a consideration set of retailers including the one or more retailers.
9 . The system of claim 8 , where the recommendation component bases a recommendation on a business relationship.
10 . The system of claim 8 , where the recommendation component bases a recommendation on a qualitative value.
11 . A method, comprising:
selecting a purchase source among a plurality of purchase sources;
locating one or more products among a set of products associated with the plurality of purchase sources; and
completing a transaction involving the one or more products;
wherein selecting the purchase source filters the one or more products to a subset of products available via the purchase source.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising populating the one or more products in a display after selecting the purchase source.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the purchase source is a plurality of distinct vendors.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising suggesting a purchase source for selection based at least in part on a business relationship or a qualitative value.
15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying pricing relating to the transaction after selecting the purchase source and locating the one or more products.
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing preferences including at least the purchase source.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising applying the preferences before locating one or more subsequent products.
18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a loyalty follow-up including at least one scheduled communication.
19 . A system, comprising:
a data feed including at least source inventory information associated with a product source; and
a source interface that permits the product source to modify the data feed;
where a third party gains permissions to access at least a portion of the data feed by committing to complete at least a purchase for a product among the source inventory information from the source.
20 . The system of claim 19 , comprising:
a transformation module that converts noncompliant inventory data for integration in the data feed.