Constrained large-data markdown optimizations based upon markdown budget

Abstract

A markdown budget user interface is provided that implements access to large-scale computational resources capable of concurrently manipulating a number of multi-million item data sets and that allows a retailer to specify inputs. The inputs include a markdown budget constraint that applies across all retailer stores, a group of store-product data sets that each include initial prices and markdown start prices of different combinations of products within all of the retailer stores, and a markdown objective, selected from a group including profit, revenue, and sales volume, to be maximized within the markdown budget constraint. The inputs are received from the retailer using the markdown budget user interface and the large-scale computational resources are invoked to determine a markdown recommendation that includes an indication of the store-product data sets that satisfy both the markdown budget constraint and the markdown objective. The markdown recommendation is provided to the retailer.