The invention relates generally to inventory management of retail merchandise.
A major cost in the operation of retail stores relates to inventory management, which includes the tracking and storing of inventory. A portion of this cost, when the retail store sells cigarettes, relates to cigarette pack inventory management. A considerable portion of this inventory management cost is the periodic counting of merchandise, for example cigarette packs. on the store cigarette pack holding racks. This counting is necessary to determine the amount of product on the racks and to help ensure the racks are filly stocked.
Commonly, the counting of merchandise inventory on store racks is done manually at periodic times throughout the day and the results are recorded manually on a log. When a cigarette pack is sold. it is scanned using a point of sale (POS) system. The manual recorded inventory may then be compared with the record of sale from the POS. This process results in significant labor and introduces human error
Another significant cost relating to inventory management is product theft. Cigarettes and other merchandise represent a high value to potential thieves who can either resell the items or consume them. The tosses generated by such thefts have a negative impact on the profitability of the retail stores.
Theft can be the result of both customers and employees actions and has been difficult to eliminate. Attempts to deter and prevent theft have proven to be only partially effective. For instance, in-store cameras often do not observe the theft clearly enough to catch or prosecute the thief. In addition, in-store security personnel are rarely in the correct position to actually observe a thief in action. As a result, theft continues to be a significant problem and cost in the management of inventory. It would be beneficial to provide aid in monitoring for theft.
Currently, retail stores can track the amount of any given item of merchandise sold based on the number of items scanned at the checkout counter. While this ability has proven useful, certain inherent disadvantages result from the use of such a system. One inherent disadvantage is that the scanner only counts the number of items that are legitimately purchased. Therefore, if items are removed from the shelf but not purchased, the store is unable to determine the fact that those items have been misplaced or stolen without visual inspection or detection. It would be useful to compare changes in the level of particular merchandise on the racks with the amount of such merchandise sold.
With reference to
The merchandise display inventory system of the present invention includes a merchandise display with an inventory monitor, for monitoring the amount of inventory in the display, including additions and subtractions to the inventory. The inventory display monitor is operably connected to a computer programmed to track the inventory in the display. This facilitates the following processes:
1. The computer can be programmed to generate inventory management reports. These can be used to identify brands which are not moving satisfactorily. The reports can be compared to a point of sale reports to identify inventory shrinkage, which may be an indication of theft;
2. The point of sale information can be sent to the computer, which can be programmed to continuously compare point of sale information to display inventory information, and generate real time comparative reports to identify potential theft or other sources of shrinkage. Real time alerts can be automatically generated and sent to designated persons.
3. The computer can provide a continual readout at the point of sale, such that a clerk can know when merchandise is removed from the display, and generate an immediate alert if the merchandise is not brought to the point of sale for purchase.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will he more filly understood and appreciated by reference to the Description of the Preferred Embodiments, including appended drawings.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a cigarette pack holding rack includes a pusher assembly containing a pusher that biases product on a rack toward the front of the rack. An electrical circuit is provided, where the electrical circuit produces a voltage relating to the position of the pusher. A microcontroller monitors the electrical circuit and transmits data representative of the position of the pusher. In an embodiment, the data is transmitted to a store computer having software.
Software on the store computer allows the determination of inventory levels. The determination of inventory can be done in real time.
In another embodiment of the invention, the software may be integrated with the store point of sale (POS) system. The inventory levels can be compared to the records of sale on the POS in real time.
In yet another embodiment, the software on the store computer may provide an alert when a when a possible theft of a cigarette pack occurs. The alert may display surveillance footage of the cigarette pack holding rack at the time of the possible theft.
Turning now to the drawings and to
The power supply 36 supplies power to the electrical circuits 34 on the racks 32. The electrical circuits 34 provide an electrical signal indicative of the number of cigarette packs in each row of the racks 32. The microcontroller 38 controls the power supplied to each electrical circuit 34, monitors the electrical circuits 34 measures electrical data of the electrical circuit 34 and transmits data representative of the number of cigarette packs in each row of the racks 32. The data is transmitted to computing device 40 such as a store computer. The computing device 40 contains software to control the microcontroller 38 and to interact With data sent from the microcontroller 38 and an inventory display 46 screen for displaying information from the software. When the software receives data from the microcontroller 38; it calculates, tracks and displays information relating to the inventory of each row of cigarette packs in the racks 32.
In another embodiment, the fourth wire 66 could be any electrical connection that allows the pusher assembly 52 to be in electrical connection with the third wire 64 and allows the location of the connection to the third wire 64 to move in relation to the pusher assembly 52. In one example, a slidable terminal may be integrally formed in the pusher assembly so that it slides along the third wire 64 as the pusher assembly 52 moves while maintaining an electrical connection between the third wire 64 and the pusher assembly 52.
Now referring to
According to one embodiment of the invention, the software on the computing device 40 sends a signal to the microcontroller 38 instructing the microcontroller 38 to take an inventory measurement of the rows 76 in the racks 32. The microcontroller 38 responds by pulsing a current from the power supply 36 through an electrical circuit 34 in each rack 32, comprising the first wire 56, third wires 64A-D and the fifth wires 70A-D corresponding to their respective rows 76A-D in one of the racks 32. A pusher assembly 52 and the terminal 68 are positioned along the row 76 and the third wire 64 dictated by the number of cigarette packs in the row 76. Because the resistance of the third wire 64 is dependent on the length of the third wire 64, the length of the third wire 64 segment between the first wire 56 and terminal 68 has a resistance that changes based on the number of cigarettes packs in that row 76. When the microcontroller pulses a current through a the circuit 34 in a rack 32, the microcontroller 38 takes a voltage reading between each fifth wire 70A-D and the ground wherein the voltage reading is dependent on the resistance of the third wire 64 segment between the first wire 56 and the terminal 68. The voltage data is transmitted to the computing device 40 where the software calculates the number of cigarette packs in each row 76A-D based on the voltage data of each row 76A-D. As more cigarette packs are added to the row 76, the length of the third wire 64 segment between the first wire 56 and the terminal 68 becomes shorter and therefore the resistance of the third wire 64 segment becomes less and the voltage measurement of the fifth wire 70 connected to the terminal 68 becomes less. As more cigarette packs are removed from the row 76, the length of the third wire 64 segment between the first wire 56 and the terminal 68 becomes longer and therefore the resistance of the third wire 64 segment becomes greater and the voltage measurement of the fifth wire 70 connected to the terminal 68 becomes greater.
In another embodiment, the current is pulsed through the circuits 34 for time periods in the range of 100 milliseconds. This prevents the wires the circuit from generating heat above a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment, the microcontroller may pulse a current through each of the circuits 34 multiple times so that the software may average the different measurements before calculating the number of cigarette packs in each row 76 in the rack 32. It will be understood that the time range described herein is by example only, and the particular time range used in the example embodiment provided herein should not be construed as limiting on the invention. Where there are multiple racks 32 and hence multiple circuits 34 as shown in
The operator may choose to display only cigarette packs added to the racks over a set period of time, the cigarette packs removed from the racks 32 over a set period of time or the difference between cigarette packs added and cigarette packs removed to and from the racks 32 over a set period of time. The columns 110 represent the different rows 76 in each rack 32 and the rows 112 represent the different racks 32. The cells 108 may be color coded so that different colors are displayed in cells 108 depending on the number displayed in that cell 108. For example, a cell 108 may show the color red if a small amount of cigarette packs have been moved from that corresponding row 76 and 32. A cell 108 may show the color green if a relatively large amount of cigarette packs have been removed from that corresponding row 76 and rack 32. It will be understood that the layout and features of the moved inventory counts window described herein is by example only, and the particular layout and features used in the example embodiment provided herein should not be construed as limiting on the invention.
In another embodiment of the invention, radio frequency identification (RFID) system consisting of RFID tags and a reader may be used in conjunction with software to manage the cigarette pack inventory. RFID tags could be placed on the pusher assemblies so that as the pusher assemblies changed position, the signal feedback strength sent to the reader changes. The software could then calculate the number of packs of cigarettes in each row of each rack using the signal feedback strengths.
In another embodiment of the invention, a Bluetooth system consisting of a plurality of Bluetooth master devices and slave Bluetooth devices may be used in conjunction with software to manage the cigarette pack inventory. Slave Bluetooth devices could be placed on the pusher assemblies so that as the pusher assemblies changed position, the signal. feedback strength sent to the master Bluetooth devices changes. The software could then calculate the number of packs of Cigarettes in each row of each rack using the signal feedback strengths.
In another embodiment of the invention, analog or digital sensors could be used to provide the software with a data corresponding to the position of the pusher assemblies. The software could then calculate the number of packs of cigarettes in each row of each rack using the data from the sensors.
The cigarette pack holding rack inventory system as described in the invention has the ability to both reduce labor costs and deter theft. By providing a real time automated inventory system and integrating is with POS and security systems, manually inventory labor costs can be eliminated and theft can be deterred. The system and methods described herein may also be applied to any product which uses a racking system comprising a biasing pusher assembly, which could help further reduce labor costs and theft of multiple product.
To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments may be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it may not be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention including making and using any devices or systems and performing an incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/921,149, entitled CIGARETTE PACK HOLDING RACK INVENTORY SYSTEM, filed on Dec. 27, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US14/72154 | 12/23/2014 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61921149 | Dec 2013 | US |