Linking online and retail-location shopping carts
A system for linking a shopper's online electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart is provided. The system includes an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers. Each shopper is provided with an online electronic shopping cart accessible through the website and an in-store electronic shopping cart accessible at a local retail location. The online and in-store electronic shopping carts are linked by placing one or more items contained in the online shopping cart in the in-store shopping cart and vice versa. Related apparatus, methods, techniques and articles are also described.
1. A computer-implemented method for implementation by at least one data processor, the method comprising:
providing, by at least one data processor, an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;
storing, by at least one data processor, shopper information in an electronic database for each of the shoppers, wherein each shopper is associated with a respective account;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online electronic shopping cart with each respective account in the electronic database;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history when an online item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the online item for purchase;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account in the electronic database, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store browsing history when an in-store item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the in-store item for purchase;
linking at least one data processor, the online shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart in the shopper database, including:
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart and the in-store shopping cart; and
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history and the in-store browsing history.
2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising associating, by at least one data processor, an identification of an in-store sales person with each in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person in the in-store browsing history; and generating, by at least one data processor, an earned commission when sales data representing that the respective shopper purchased the in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person is received.
3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by at least one data processor, one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the online browsing history.
4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by at least one data processor, one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the in-store browsing history.
5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by at least one data processor, one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the synchronized browsing history.
6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history when a promotion is displayed to the respective user.
7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing, by at least one data processor, financial data for each of the shoppers, the financial data comprising one or more financing options that has been approved for the respective shopper.
8. A system for linking a shopper's online electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart, the system comprising:
at least one server, the server having computer instructions operating thereon to perform a method of linking virtual shopping carts, the method comprising:
providing, by at least one data processor, an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;
storing, by at least one data processor, shopper information in an electronic database for each of the shoppers, wherein each shopper is associated with a respective account;
storing, by at least one data processor, a browsing history in the electronic database for each of the shoppers;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online electronic shopping cart with each respective account in the electronic database;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history when an online item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the online item for purchase;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account in the electronic database, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store browsing history when an in-store item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the in-store item for purchase; and
linking, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart in the shopper database, including:
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart and the in-store shopping cart; and
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history and the in-store browsing history.
9. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising associating, by at least one data processor, an identification of an in-store sales person with each in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person in the in-store browsing history; and generating, by at least one data processor, an earned commission when sales data representing that the respective shopper purchased the in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person is received.
10. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the online browsing history.
11. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the in-store browsing history.
12. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the synchronized browsing history.
13. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising updating the online browsing history when a promotion is displayed to the respective user.
14. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising storing financial data for each of the shoppers, the financial data comprising one or more financing options that has been approved for the respective shopper.
15. A non-transitory computer readable media having computer instructions/code provided therein for enabling a method for linking a shopper's on-line electronic shopping cart with the shopper's in-store electronic shopping cart, the method comprising:
providing, by at least one data processor, an online website of a merchant for the purchase of goods by one or more shoppers;
storing, by at least one data processor, shopper information in an electronic database for each of the shoppers, wherein each shopper is associated with a respective account;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online electronic shopping cart with each respective account in the electronic database;
associating, by at least one data processor, an online browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history when an online item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the online electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the online item for purchase;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store electronic shopping cart with each account in the electronic database, the in-store shopping cart corresponding to at least one retail location of the merchant;
associating, by at least one data processor, an in-store browsing history with each respective account in the electronic database;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store browsing history when an in-store item has been shown to the respective shopper;
updating, by at least one data processor, the in-store electronic shopping cart in the electronic database when the respective shopper selects the in-store item for purchase; and
linking, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart with the in-store shopping cart in the shopper database, including:
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online shopping cart and the in-store shopping cart; and
synchronizing, by at least one data processor, the online browsing history and the in-store browsing history.
16. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising associatingjy at least one data processor, an identification of an in-store sales person with each in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person in the in-store browsing history; and generating, by at least one data processor, an earned commission when sales data representing that the respective shopper purchased the in-store item shown to the respective shopper by the in-store sales person is received.
17. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the online browsing history.
18. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the in-store browsing history.
19. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising generating one or more recommended items for each of the shoppers based on the synchronized browsing history.
20. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising updating the online browsing history when a promotion is displayed to the respective user.
21. The non-transitory computer readable media according to claim 15 , further comprising storing financial data for each of the shoppers, the financial data comprising one or more financing options that has been approved for the respective shopper.