Method and system for inventory management in a retail store
Systems for monitoring and analyzing behavior in various applications and uses thereof. Generally, the systems (and uses thereof) are for monitoring and analyzing consumer purchasing behavior in real-time to drive sales via engaging digital customer experiences. In embodiments, the disclosed system can include a retail store system that features and includes MAC address tracking, user eye tracking, object identification of goods on shelves, open API, advertising broker rules engine. In addition, the system can include a customer engagement with interactive output displays including displays with demographic intelligence, displays with demographics and MAC—panels throughout store at product, displays with demographics and MAC—single panel or few panels scattered throughout store, automated customer assistance at shelf, customer purchase at shelf.
1. A method comprising:
(a) using one or more information monitoring devices to gather information about shopping activities of a plurality of persons at a retail store, wherein
(i) the retail store comprises a plurality of products that are stocked within the retail store, wherein the plurality of products are stocked upon one or more product points selected from a group consisting of shelves, end caps, displays, and combinations thereof,
(ii) persons in the plurality of persons are in proximity to at least one of the one or more information monitoring devices at the retail store,
(iii) the one or more information monitoring devices are operably connected to (A) a server, (B) one or more databases, or (C) both;
(iv) the one or more information monitoring devices comprise one or more video image devices,
(vi) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises
(A) gathering product interaction information based upon product interactions the persons have with one or more products in the retail store, wherein the product interactions information comprises (I) the one or more products are picked up by the persons at the retail store, and (II) the one or more products are carried away by the persons at each of the retail store, and
(B) gathering object identification information of the one or more products that the persons interacted with during the product interactions;
(b) analyzing the information in real time using (A) the server, (B) the one or more databases, or (C) both gathered by the information monitoring devices about the shopping activities of the plurality of persons to manage inventory of the products in the retail store at the one or more product points, wherein the analyzed information comprises the product interaction information and the object identification information; and
(c) providing a response in real time based upon the analyzed information gathered by the information monitoring devices, wherein the response is selected from a group consisting of
(i) sending a communication to a retail person to check inventory levels for a first product of the one or more products at the product point for the first product,
(ii) sending a communication to the retail store person to immediately re-stock the one or more first products at the product point for the first product,
(iii) sending a communication to the retail store person to contact a distribution center to obtain the one or more first products for delivery to the retail store for restocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product, and
(iv) sending a communication to add one or more first products to an inventory order for inventory for the retail store.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the response in real time comprises sending the communication to the retail person to check the inventory levels for the first product at the product point for the first product.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising checking the inventory levels for the first product at the product point for the first product.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises that, after checking the inventory levels for the first product at the product point for the first product, re-stocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises that, after checking the inventory levels for the first product at the product point for the first product, contacting the distribution center to obtain the one or more first products for delivery to the retail store for restocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises that, after checking the inventory levels for the first product at the product point for the first product, adding one or more first products to the inventory order for inventory for the retail store.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the response in real time comprises sending the communication to the retail store person to immediately re-stock the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising re-stocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the response in real time comprises sending the communication to the retail store person to contact the distribution center to obtain the one or more first products for delivery to the retail store for restocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising contacting the distribution center to obtain the one or more first products for delivery to the retail store for restocking the one or more first products at the product point for the first product.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the response in real time comprises sending the communication to add one or more first products to an inventory order for inventory for the retail store.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises adding one or more first products to the inventory order for inventory for the retail store.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retail store person is an employee of the retail store.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more product points are a plurality of product points comprising a combination of shelves, end caps and displays.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a server located at the retail store operatively connected to cloud services.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information monitoring devices are selected from a group consisting of computing devices, user input and output devices, displays, POS devices, cameras, sensors; WIFI devices; in-store customer devices; output devices; system for communicating to user devices, and kiosks.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product interactions information further comprises the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices further comprises the one or more products are purchased by the persons at each of the retail store.