Patent Application
20090076895
The present invention pertains generally to systems and methods for reducing theft of shopping carts and for reducing labor involved in collecting shopping carts. More particularly, the present invention pertains to systems that encourage the return of shopping carts to corrals by shoppers. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as a system that identifies a shopper, the cart used by the shopper, and the goods purchased by the shopper during a shopping visit in order to provide incentive coupons to the shopper if the shopper returns the cart to the corral.
At supermarkets, shopping carts are conventionally provided for the convenience of shoppers to allow large amounts of goods to be collected, paid for and unloaded at the shoppers' cars. While some shoppers voluntarily return carts to a cart return location, such as a cart corral, often shoppers leave the carts in the vicinity of where their vehicles are parked. As a result, the empty carts must be collected by store personnel and returned to the store for subsequent use. While this may appear to be a minor matter, substantial labor costs may be incurred in order to continually retrieve the carts from the parking complex. For instance, a typical store may spend from one to six man-years in the collection process, and incur additional indirect costs associated with injury and disability claims. Worldwide, labor costs associated with cart collection add up to millions of dollars.
When carts are not collected quickly enough, parking spots may be littered with carts that will discourage other shoppers from parking at the store. Further, damages may be incurred when shoppers strike carts with their cars. While stores can disclaim liability for damage to the cars, legal costs can still be significant in defending against baseless suits. Further, the carts themselves may be damaged.
In other cases, some carts may be removed from the store parking lot. For example, shoppers without vehicles may use the carts to transport goods back to their homes and then abandon the carts. As a result, the store may permanently lose these carts, resulting in substantial financial loss to the store owner, since each cart is a relatively expensive piece of equipment. Because it is common for shoppers to “borrow” carts to transport their purchases home or to a transit stop, store owners must contract for regular cart retrieval services. These retrieval contractors comb their neighborhoods several times per day or week, at a cost of thousands of dollars per site per year. Once off-site, carts are often taken great distances, experiencing worn wheels and other damage. Further, rough handling during the collection process often damages the retrieved carts. In addition, extra cleaning and repair may be required following retrieval. This can add thousands of dollars of additional expenses per store per year. Also, to compensate for carts that are off-site, store owners typically must maintain excess cart inventories, often 10% to 20% over their actual need, to ensure that enough carts are available during peak shopping hours. At some sites, the total of all these costs may exceed $100,000 per site.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for encouraging the return of shopping carts to a corral. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method that delivers targeted coupons to a shopper during a shopping visit, if the shopper returned his cart to a corral after a previous shopping visit. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method that monitors and records a shopper's purchasing history and cart return history in order to encourage the shopper to return his cart. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cart return incentive that reinforces store loyalty and creates a new means for advertisers to deliver specific incentives to specific shoppers, based on shopper history. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cart return incentive system and method that is easy to implement, cost effective and simple to use.
In accordance with the present invention, a system is provided for encouraging a shopper to return a shopping cart to a corral at a store. The system includes a token detector for recognizing the shopper. Specifically, the token detector reads a token, such as a frequent shopper card, that is carried by the shopper. Also, the system includes a tag detector for identifying the cart used by the shopper. Specifically, the tag detector reads a unique tag that is mounted on each cart in the store inventory. In a certain embodiment, a single detecting device, such as an RFID reader, may incorporate both the token detector and the tag detector.
For the present invention, the system also includes a scanner at the point-of-sale. Functionally, the scanner is able to read the token to recognize the shopper and to record the goods purchased by the shopper. Further, the system includes an activator for causing the token detector and the tag detector to acknowledge the return of the cart to the corral by the shopper. Also, the system employs a coupon dispenser for selectively providing the shopper with coupons. Depending on the desired embodiment, the coupon dispenser may be mounted on each cart or at each corral to print coupons for the shopper. Alternatively, the coupon dispenser may be located elsewhere and used to print coupons that are mailed to the shopper. Further, the coupon dispenser may electronically dispense coupons to the shopper via email.
In order to encourage the return of a cart to a corral by a shopper, the system includes a controller that is in wireless communication with the other system components. Functionally, the controller determines suggested goods for subsequent purchase by the shopper based on the goods recorded by the scanner and on the shopper's purchase history. Also, the controller instructs the coupon dispenser to provide coupons for the suggested goods in response to acknowledgement of the return of the cart to the corral by the shopper. In certain embodiments, the coupon dispenser provides coupons to the shopper on a subsequent shopping visit to the store.
For operation of the system, transceivers may be provided at predetermined positions throughout the store and parking lot complex. These transceivers form a communication path between the controller and the other system components. Further, the transceivers may monitor the path of the shopping cart as it moves through the store. In certain embodiments, the controller may consider the path when determining the suggested goods for subsequent purchase by the shopper. In order to monitor the path of the shopping cart, the transceivers include tag detectors, such as RFID receivers that monitor RFID tags mounted on the carts.
In the present invention, coupons are provided to a shopper to encourage the shopper to return his/her cart to a cart corral. Specifically, the coupons may be mailed or emailed to the shopper after a shopping visit in which the shopper returned his cart to a cart corral. Alternatively, the coupons may be dispensed to the shopper from the cart corral or cart at the time the cart is returned to a cart corral. Also, the coupons may be dispensed to the shopper from a cart corral or cart during the shopper's subsequent visit to the store.
Regardless of the embodiment of the system, during operation of the system, a shopper first removes a shopping cart from a shopping corral. At this time, the detectors read the shopper's token and the cart's tag. Accordingly, the identity of the cart and shopper are communicated to the controller. Thereafter, the transceivers monitor the path of the shopping cart through the store. When the shopper arrives at the point-of-sale, the scanner is used to record the goods that are to be, or have been, purchased. Further, the scanner also may be used to read the shopper's token and/or the cart's tag. During checkout at the point-of-sale, the record of the purchased goods and the identity of the shopper and/or cart are communicated to the controller. In response to the purchased goods, the shopper's purchase history, and, in some cases, to the path of the shopping cart, the controller determines suggested goods for subsequent purchase by the shopper. These suggested goods may be similar offerings from the suppliers and manufacturers favored by the shopper, goods previously purchased by the shopper, promotional goods, or the like.
If, after departing the store, the shopper returns the cart to a corral, the detectors acknowledge and communicate to the controller that the cart was returned. In response to this acknowledgement, the controller approves the shopper for receipt of coupons for the suggested goods. In the embodiment employing mailed coupons, the coupon dispenser prepares and sends coupons for the suggested goods to the shopper via mail or email.
For a system dispensing coupons to the shopper at the time of the return of the cart, the controller again approves the shopper for receipt of coupons in response to the return of the cart. Thereafter, the coupon dispenser, mounted on the cart or cart corral, provides the shopper with the coupons based on an instruction from the controller.
Alternatively, for a system dispensing coupons to the shopper during a subsequent shopping visit, the controller still approves the shopper for receipt of coupons for the suggested goods in response to the return of the cart. Further, the system may send a mail or email notification to advise the shopper of forthcoming coupons during the shopper's next visit to the store. When the shopper returns to the store during a subsequent shopping visit and retrieves a cart from the corral, the detectors communicate the identity of the shopper and the cart to the controller. In response, the controller instructs the coupon dispenser on the cart corral or cart to provide the shopper with coupons for the suggested goods.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
In order to provide for an automatic response to the presence of a shopper 12, the cart corral 18 may further include an activator 30 for causing the tag detector 24 and the token detector 28 to read the tag 22 and token 26, respectively. Although shown at a single location, the system 10 preferably employs a plurality of corrals 18, with corrals 18 located throughout the parking lot 20. Further, the system 10 could include specialized return corrals 18 that are in electronic communication with a central corral 18.
For the present invention, the system 10 further includes transceivers 32 that are mounted at predetermined areas within the store 16, such as on walls 34, on aisles 36, or at the point-of-sale 38. As is commonly provided at the point-of-sale 38, the system 10 also includes a scanner 40 for recording the goods 42 (shown in
In operation of the system 10, a shopper 12 retrieves a cart 14 from the corral 18. At this time, the tag detector 24 reads the tag 22 of the selected cart 14 and the token detector 28 reads the token 26 carried by the shopper 12. Alternatively, the shopper 12 could enter a code at the corral 18. In such a case, the code is considered to be a token 26. In any event, the detectors 24, 28 identify the selected cart 14 and recognize the shopper 12. Immediately, the identities of the cart 14 and shopper 12 are communicated to the controller 48.
As the shopper 12 directs the cart 14 through the store 16, the transceivers 32 monitor the path of the cart 14. Accordingly, the path of the cart 14 is communicated to the controller 48. When the shopper 12 proceeds to check out at the point-of-sale 38, the goods 42 are scanned by the scanner 40. Again, the identity of the goods 42 is communicated to the controller 48. In response to the purchased goods 42 and/or the path traveled by the cart 14, the controller 48 determines suggested goods for future purchase by the shopper 12.
After the shopper 12 has unloaded the cart 14, the shopper 12 returns the cart 14 to a corral 18. At this time, the activator 30 senses the return of the cart 14 and causes the detectors 24, 28 to identify the cart 14 and shopper 12. Then, the detectors 24, 28 communicate to the controller 48 that the shopper 12 successfully returned the cart 14 to the corral 18. In response, the controller 48 creates coupons 46 for the suggested goods. Importantly, the controller 48 may be programmed to promote certain store brands of goods 42, certain goods 42 that are competitive with the purchased goods, or other goods (collectively designated 42) as desired by store management.
Depending on the system 10 employed, the coupons 46 may be mailed or emailed to the shopper 12, immediately dispensed to the shopper 12 after the return of the cart 14 from a coupon dispenser 44 mounted on the cart 14 or corral 18, or dispensed to the shopper 12 from a coupon dispenser 44 during the shopper's next visit to the store 16. For the last embodiment, the shopper 12 may be notified by mail or email that coupons 46 of the pending coupons 46. Further, when the shopper 12 returns to the store 16, the detectors 24, 28 will recognize the shopper 12 and identify the cart 14 selected. The controller 48 will then instruct the coupon dispenser 44 to provide the shopper 12 with coupons 46 for the selected goods. In this manner, the shopper 12 is rewarded for returning the cart 14 on his previous shopping visit.
While the particular System and Method for Shopping Cart Accountability Using Coupon Incentives as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
