An apparatus and system for allowing customers to purchase boutique or specialty items directly from a supplier or wholesaler. The items for purchase are those conventionally available only through retailers such as local boutiques or specialty shops. An example would be salon quality hair care products. The system allows a customer to visit a website on a computer network, such as the Internet, and place an order for the product by providing information on which products are desired for purchase, the mailing address to which the products are to be sent, payment type, and optionally selecting a local retailer the customer enjoys frequenting to which the profits are to be directed. The supplier then processes the order and sends the customer the desired products, charging the customer normal retail prices. The supplier protects its business relationships with the local retailer by crediting the retailer for some or all of the profit the retailer normally would have received had it made the sale of the product. The recipient retailer is either chosen by using the retailer selected by the customer during the ordering process or, if a retailer was not chosen, by determining that product-carrying boutique which is geographically closest to the mailing address given by the customer.
A network commerce system is provided that determines a seller that sells items by considering the location of a recipient. The network commerce system includes an orderer terminal 10 handled by an orderer ordering items, and a plurality of producing/processing terminals 30 and 30' each handled by a producer and processor which produces and processes items in accordance with orders from the orderer terminal 10. In the network commerce system, the orderer terminal 10 and the producing/processing terminals 30 and 30' are interconnected via the network 100. The network commerce system includes a headquarters terminal 20 having a receiver 22 that receives an order transmitted from the orderer terminal 10 via the network 100 and a transmitter 23 that transmits an order received by the receiver 22 to the producing/processing terminal 30' via the network 100. The headquarters terminal 20 selectively determines the producing/processing terminal 30' and makes it produce and process items.
A method for processing distribution channel data integrating business information with geographic data to produce integrated data, wherein the integrated data has greater resolution than the business information. Distribution channel data is captured and correlated with the integrated data to increase the resolution of the distribution channel data.
Systems and methods are described that determine a threshold value for an authorization check, such as an age verification, that is performed at a point of sale or other point of access control where access to a product, service, location, event, or the like, is restricted to individuals who meet an authorization threshold. In embodiments associated with purchases that comprise a variety of items for purchase and a variety of associated age-related authorization thresholds, systems and methods are described for determining an age-related authorization threshold for the purchase as a whole that will authorize the purchase of the items. In embodiments in which a purchaser's authorization is checked with respect to a determined threshold value, a record of the authorization check can be stored and can subsequently be retrieved to verify that an authorization check for the encounter was carried out using the determined threshold value.
A system and method for a manufacturer to attract a customer for a distributor, via a public access network, and perform product information and ordering transactions with the customer, where the order receives the financing approval of the distributor and an associated manufacturer's representative receives a commission. The system and method includes the customer submitting a price/quotation request or product order to a host system via the public access communications network. The host system interacts with the customer, the manufacturer and the distributor in order to fulfill the customer request. The host system retrieves a customer price for the product, where the customer price is based on a predetermined pricing function that varies depending on a customer or distributor identification. The host system may also generate an order for purchase, based on the customer's request, and transmit customer information associated with the order to the distributor for financial acceptance. Upon receiving a signal representing a financial acceptance, a commission is assigned to a manufacturer's representative associated with the order, where the commission is determined based on a predetermined commission function. The host system interacts with the customer, distributor and manufacturer to insure fulfillment of the order, including shipment of the order and settlement of payments.
A system and method for a manufacturer to attract a customer for a distributor, via a public access network, and perform product information and ordering transactions with the customer, where the order receives the financing approval of the distributor and an associated manufacturer's representative receives a commission. The system and method includes the customer submitting a price/quotation request or product order to a host system via the public access communications network. The host system interacts with the customer, the manufacturer and the distributor in order to fulfill the customer request. The host system retrieves a customer price for the product, where the customer price is based on a predetermined pricing function that varies depending on a customer or distributor identification. The host system may also generate an order for purchase, based on the customer's request, and transmit customer information associated with the order to the distributor for financial acceptance. Upon receiving a signal representing a financial acceptance, a commission is assigned to a manufacturer's representative associated with the order, where the commission is determined based on a predetermined commission function. The host system interacts with the customer, distributor and manufacturer to insure fulfillment of the order, including shipment of the order and settlement of payments.
