Claims:We Claim:
1. A method of operating an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, comprising:
a. identified the items on the web page by user
b. display of chosen products
c. cut of time and delivery window selected by user
d. highlighting of purchase order
e. if products not available selected by user
f. searching local vendors within a 1km radius
g. delivering the products within a time
2. A method of operating an online shopping system wherein that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a customer
3. A method of submitted online orders with an online shopping system wherein the display of chosen products availability
4. A method of operating an online shopping system wherein the products not available chosen by user
5. A method of searching an online shopping system wherein the products available in store of local vendors within a suitable range
6. A method of delivering the products in an online shopping system wherein the products delivered within a time to customer
, Description:Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of electronic commerce and more particularly to providing unavailable online products to user by directing to local vendors via online shopping system.
Background of the Invention
To improve customer satisfaction, there is a need for an improved and more flexible item ordering system
There is a further need for an improved and more flexible delivery or service window capability. Known electronic shopping systems present available delivery windows to a customer based on delivery capacity and order volume, and the customer then selects one of the presented available delivery windows. However, in addition to the delivery of groceries, the online shopping system provider may permit a customer to pick up an order sometimes availability of order is not there. Further, the online shopping system provider may also offer different order types for complementary goods and services. Thus, there is a need for an electronic shopping system with the capability to present online customer service windows that are unique to different combinations of order types and pick up/delivery services provided also if order not available online what next to be done.
There is also a need for an improved and more efficient system for picking the items necessary to fill an order. With known systems, orders are received, and picking lists are created that identify the goods, their location and thus, the order in which they are to be picked. However, with known systems, pickers are assigned picking lists as needed. While such systems are adequate in most environments, in a grocery shopping system, the picking process is more complicated. First, a large grocery store has a very large number of different departments, each having many goods and brand names. To be efficient, arbitrarily assigning pickers to pick throughout the store requires that all of the pickers have a substantial knowledge regarding the brand names and locations of goods throughout the store. Such a vast knowledge is very difficult to quickly instill in a picker. Further, pickers often pick goods for different orders that are to be shipped by different carriers. With such a process, it is possible for an order to be inadvertently placed on the wrong delivery route or vehicle, thereby requiring that the order be returned and redelivered to the correct customer. Not only is the customer dissatisfied, but there is a substantial unrecoverable cost added to the order. Therefore, there is a need for an improved and more reliable order picking process.
There is a still further need for a more comprehensive post-delivery customer service. Often when a customer has a complaint with a local grocery store, the customer either makes a phone call or returns to the store. In either event, the handling and resolving of the complaint by the grocery store requires the time of a store manager or similar person. The personalized handling of customer problems on the store premises can consume a substantial amount of time and sometime the product is not available. If the requirement to service customer problems based on an online ordering and delivery service is superimposed on top of the servicing of the problems. Of walk-in customers, the customer service function can become a substantial burden on available resources. Therefore, there is a need to find a more efficient process and system for handling questions and problems that may arise with online customers.
Object of the Invention
The object of the present invention provides an online shopping system for groceries and related goods and services that is more flexible and efficient than known services.
Another object of the present invention is providing a product to customer from local nearby stores which is not available in online shopping.
Summary of the Invention
The online shopping system of the present invention permits a customer to change an order after it has been submitted by the customer on the webpage. By permitting the customer to make changes to the order after submission, the online shopping system better accommodates the needs of a customer shopping for groceries. Further, that flexibility relieves the provider of the online shopping system from having to address those customer order changes with customer service resources. Thus, that relatively simple capability has the potential of substantially improving customer satisfaction with the online shopping system and eliminating a potential substantial use of customer service resources.
In accordance with this embodiment, the invention provides an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers. The online shopping system first presents identifications of items on a web page for selection by a customer. An online display acknowledging the customer's selection of an item is then presented as well as an online display of an order cut-off time and an associated delivery window selected by the customer. The system next presents an online display permitting the customer to submit a purchase order for the item; and upon receiving a submission of a purchase order for the item, the system compares a time of submission of the purchase order to the order cut off time associated with the delivery window. An online display is then presented that accepts the customer's submission of the purchase order for the item in response to the time of submission being before the order cut-off time. One aspect of the above invention is that the online shopping system does not settle with a credit supplier of the customer until the item selected by the customer is picked from inventory but before it is delivered.
The online shopping system of the present invention has a further capability of providing to a customer available service windows for different order types. In other words, if a customer is ordering groceries, a first set of available service or delivery windows is provided to the customer for selection; however, if a different order type is being submitted, for example, for flowers, catering services or a pick up order, respectively different sets of available service windows are provided to the customer. This added flexibility permits the provider of the online shopping system to better schedule and allocate resources.
In accordance with this embodiment, the invention provides an online shopping system that first presents an online display permitting a customer to select one of two order types and one of two service types, each of the order types being limited to specific items and/or services not available with other order types. Thereafter, in response to receiving an online request from the customer to display service windows for selected order and service types, the system retrieves all possible service windows for the selected order and service types over a time and/or date interval. Next, the online shopping system identifies available service windows for the selected order and service types by eliminating service windows that first, have a time and date earlier than a current time and date plus a lead time for the selected order and service types and second, exceed system resources to pick and deliver items selected by the customer associated with the selected order and service types. The system then presents to the customer an online display of the available service windows for the selected order and service types. In one aspect of this invention, the order types are grocery, flowers, catering services and liquor; and the service types are delivery, pick up and print a shopping list.
The online shopping system of the present invention provides a substantially improved method of assigning pick routes and delivery of goods from nearby shop. A large grocery store has a very large number of different goods and brand names that are spread over a large area. Normally, personnel are assigned to work departments, for example, meats, produce, etc.; and after a period of time, such personnel become very familiar with the goods, their location, the brand names and the age of the inventory in such departments. Thus, with the present invention, the assignment of pick routes for orders is determined by the experience and preference of a picker for a area of the store. Thus, the very important labor intensive picking process is performed with greater efficiency, and there are fewer picking errors.

In accordance with this embodiment, the invention provides an online shopping system that determines pick routes by first detecting an available picker and identifying a picker's preferred pick zone. Next, the system retrieves all orders having items to be picked and having imminent departure times and then, prioritizes the orders based on orders that have items in picker's preferred pick zone. The system then assigns orders in order of highest priority to a pick route.
Brief description of Drawings:
FIG. 1 is a Flow-chart identifying and operating within the online shopping system
Detailed Description of Invention:
Referring to FIG. 1 the online shopping system has the capability of providing different order types, for example, groceries, flowers, liquor, catering, etc. and different service types, for example, delivery, pick up, print shopping list, etc. Further, the online shopping system has the capability of determining and displaying to the customer a set of available service windows that arise from different combinations of order and service types. Available service windows are time windows on a date when the order can be delivered or picked up that are selectable by a customer. For example, available service windows for grocery orders will be different from available service windows for catering services; and available delivery windows for flower orders or liquor orders will be different from grocery and catering service delivery windows. Further, available service windows for the delivery of grocery orders will be different from the available service windows for the pick-up of grocery orders. After selecting an available service window, the customer proceeds to select items for purchase on the order.
A further feature of the online shopping system is that upon the customer selecting an available service window, the system provides for display to the customer an order cut off time and date. The order cut-offs time and date is normally a few hours before the start of the service window, and is normally determined by the system administrator. After submitting the order for fulfilment and logging out of the online shopping system, the customer can at any time before the order cut off time and date use a customer computer to again log in to the online shopping system and change the submitted order without charge or penalty.
At some time after the order cut-off time and date, a dispatcher first, utilizes a delivery route system to assemble orders into desired delivery routes. Delivery routes can be created manually by the dispatcher or another person, or the dispatcher computer and server can be programmed to create the desired delivery routes. Further, there are various known strategies that may be implemented to create desired delivery routes. Thereafter, at, the orders on each delivery route are assigned to one or more pick routes. Another feature of the online shopping system is the utilization of pick zones and pickers that have a preference for a pick zone. Most often the pickers are personnel who normally restock inventory in the store. Further, those personnel are most familiar with the location, brand names, age and quality of items in the area or zone of the store that they restock. For example, a person who normally works in the produce department is familiar with the location of the different types of produce, the age of the produce and its quality. Hence, if that person is asked to do picking, he or she will operate most efficiently in, and have a preference to pick items in, the produce department. Similarly, a person who normally works in the pet foods area will have the physical capability of being able to pick and handle the heavier pet foods packages.
In a first step user put an order on online shopping site then in second step if desired Products available in online shopping site then if it yes, then it delivered to customer. If it is no then it looks for same product in other local vendors, the products available in nearby store within 1 km range. Last step is delivering a product within an hour.