The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 12, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2005
Shail Mehta, Boston, MA (US);
Reed B. Breneman, Kings Mills, OH (US);
John C. Stauffer, Framingham, MA (US);
Douglas K. Mciver, Cambridge, MA (US);
Vishwamitra S. Ramakrishnan, Belmont, MA (US);
Zhidong LU, Boxboro, MA (US);
Pavandeep S. Kalra, Shrewsbury, MA (US);
Brian Sheppard, Concord, MA (US);
Shail Mehta, Boston, MA (US);
Reed B. Breneman, Kings Mills, OH (US);
John C. Stauffer, Framingham, MA (US);
Douglas K. McIver, Cambridge, MA (US);
Vishwamitra S. Ramakrishnan, Belmont, MA (US);
Zhidong Lu, Boxboro, MA (US);
Pavandeep S. Kalra, Shrewsbury, MA (US);
Brian Sheppard, Concord, MA (US);
Oracle Int'l. Corp., Redwood Shores, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention provides methods and apparatus for optimizing markdown scheduling that group multiple retail sites into bins (or buckets) for purposes of scheduling markdown pricing on an item (or group of related items) sold by those sites. The groupings can be based, for example, on a metric that is a function of the current inventory of the item (or items) and its expected sales at each site. A markdown schedule is generated for the combined grouping of stores in each bucket, rather than for the individual stores that make up that bucket, thereby speeding price optimization determination. A report of those schedules can be used, for example, by pricing managers or other personnel to set prices at the sites. Alternatively, or in an addition, the schedules can be used in conjunction with an inventory control system to set prices for the items and/or on RFID or other electronic shelf displays.