Walmart Apollo, LLC

Tina M Kurtz

Douglas E Humphrys

Yurgis Mauro Bacallao

David Martin Nelms

Leslie Irvin

Kyle F Graham

Stephanie Garman

A communication protocol provides for a smartphone transmitting location information to a control circuit and the control circuit then determining whether the smartphone is within a predetermined distance of a particular facility, and, when true, determining whether a temporal flag is active for the smartphone. If true, the control circuit does not respond to the smartphone. When the smartphone is within the predetermined distance of the particular facility and that temporal flag is not active, however, the control circuit transmits an in-app alert to the smartphone to provide the user with an opportunity to indicate whether the user will now take a particular action, or not. When the smartphone transmits a not-now message to the control circuit, the latter sets the aforementioned temporal flag.

Communications protocol method

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for processing a merchandise return transaction. A system for processing a merchandise return transaction comprising: a user interface for allowing direct entry of information by a customer without assistance from a worker; a database; and a control circuit coupled to the user interface and the database, the control circuit configured to execute the return transaction by: obtaining from the customer identifier relating to a purchase transaction in which at least one item was previously purchased; identifying a product item from the purchase transaction to be returned; obtaining from the customer a reason for the product item to be returned; obtaining from the customer a preferred tender for the return transaction; authorizing the return; and providing instructions to the customer for returning the product item to a retail facility.

System and method for self-service returns

A system for transporting merchandise returned by a customer from a customer service area or a retail store to a back storage area of a retail store comprises a customer facing device for use by a retail store customer to enter return merchandise data; a scanning device for identifying the returned merchandise; and at least one conveyor belt at the retail store for transporting the returned merchandise from the customer service area to the back storage area.

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Rogers, AR, United States of America

Tina M Kurtz