JP7751314B2 - Product sales system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a product sales system. More specifically, it relates to a product sales system that can reduce the amount of waste of fashion items, primarily clothing.

Consumers have traditionally focused on product safety, particularly food, and when choosing a product, they are increasingly interested in the product itself and the ingredients that make up it.

For this reason, product providers provide their products by listing information about the ingredients, origin, and manufacturing date of the products and their raw materials on labels affixed to the product packaging or by recording it on an IC tag.

However, simply providing written or recorded information attached to products makes it easy to falsify or counterfeit that information, and in fact, information has been falsified or counterfeited in some cases, leading to low consumer trust and making it difficult for consumers to select products with confidence.

The inventors of the present invention have therefore proposed a technology in which food is provided with a sample of raw material powder made from powdered ingredients, rather than simply attaching written or recorded information to the food (Patent Document 1).

The technology described in Patent Document 1 above makes it possible to "visualize" food quality, allowing consumers to choose foods with peace of mind, but it is difficult to directly link this to reducing "food waste," which has become a problem in recent years.

The inventors of the present invention have therefore proposed a technology for selling a set of "food that has not passed its expiration date" and "food that has passed its expiration date (expired food)" (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-5656 Patent No. 7089316 specification

However, the need to reduce waste is not limited to food.
In particular, in the fashion industry, where trends come and go rapidly, large amounts of fashion items, mainly clothing, are disposed of.

The present invention was devised in light of the above points, and aims to provide a product sales system that can reduce the amount of fashion items that are discarded.

To achieve the above objective, the product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and comprises: an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information, including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales, for specified items sold by the product sales system; a coordination information recording means for recording coordination information using the specified items; and an output means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first item, which is one of the specified items, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and outputting to the consumer's terminal the coordination information using the first item and the discontinued item in stock.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information, including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales, for specified items sold by the product sales system; coordinate information recording means for recording coordinate information using the specified items; and output means for, upon receiving from a consumer's terminal a request for output of information on a first item, which is one of the specified items, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and outputting to the consumer's terminal, if the discontinued item is out of stock, the coordinate information recorded in the coordinate information recording means that uses the first item and the specified item that is in stock; and, if the discontinued item is in stock, the coordinate information recorded in the coordinate information recording means that uses the first item and the discontinued item that is in stock.

Furthermore, the product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and comprises: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information for specified products sold by the product sales system, including information on the number of products in stock and information on the start of sales; coordination information search means for checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and searching for coordination information using the first product and the discontinued product in stock, on the condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the specified products, is received from a consumer's terminal; and output means for outputting the coordination information searched for by the coordination information search means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and comprises: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information for specified products sold by the product sales system, including information on the number of products in stock and information on the start of sales; coordination information search means for checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, on the condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the specified products, is received from a consumer's terminal, and, if the discontinued product is out of stock, searching for coordination information using the first product and the specified product that is in stock; and, if the discontinued product is in stock, searching for coordination information using the first product and the discontinued product that is in stock; and output means for outputting the coordination information searched for by the coordination information search means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information, including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales, for specified items sold by the product sales system; search signal output means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first item, which is one of the specified items, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and outputting a search signal to a specified coordination information search means for searching for coordination information using the first item and the discontinued item in stock; and output means for outputting the coordination information searched for by the coordination information search means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information, including information on the number of items in stock and the start of sales, for specified items sold by the product sales system; search signal output means for outputting a search signal to a specified coordination information search means to search for coordination information using the first item and the specified item in stock if a request for output of information on a first item, which is one of the specified items, is received from a consumer's terminal; and output means for outputting the coordination information searched for by the coordination information search means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information, including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales, for specified items sold by the product sales system; coordinate information generation means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first item, which is one of the specified items, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and generating coordinate information using the first item and the discontinued item in stock; and output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and comprises: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information for specified products sold by the product sales system, including information on the number of products in stock and information on the start of sales; coordinate information generation means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first product, which is one of the specified products, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the discontinued product is out of stock, generating coordination information using the first product and the specified product that is in stock; and if the discontinued product is in stock, generating coordination information using the first product and the discontinued product that is in stock; and output means for outputting the coordination information generated by the coordinate information generation means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information for specified products sold by the product sales system, including information on the number of products in stock and information on the start of sales; a generation signal output means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first product that is one of the specified products, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and outputting to a specified coordinate information generation means a generation signal for generating coordinate information using the first product and the discontinued product that is in stock; and an output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to the consumer's terminal.

The product sales system of the present invention is a product sales system for selling discontinued fashion items, and includes: inventory information recording means for recording inventory information for specified products sold by the product sales system, including information on the number of products in stock and information on the start of sales; a generation signal output means for, upon receiving a request from a consumer's terminal to output information on a first product, which is one of the specified products, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the discontinued product is out of stock, generating coordination information using the first product and the specified product that is in stock; and if the discontinued product is in stock, outputting a generation signal to a specified coordination information generation means for generating coordination information using the first product and the discontinued product that is in stock; and an output means for outputting the coordination information generated by the coordination information generation means to the consumer's terminal.

Here, by having the output means output coordination information using the "first product" and the "outdated product in stock" to the consumer's terminal, it is expected that this will lead to the purchase of the "outdated product."

Furthermore, when there are no out-of-date products in stock (in other words, when there are no out-of-date products to sell), outputting coordination information using the "first product" and a "predetermined product in stock" to the consumer's terminal is expected to lead to the purchase of the "predetermined product in stock."
In this case, "specific products in stock" necessarily means "products that are not outdated products," considering that there is no stock of "outdated products."

Even if an item does not qualify as an "out-of-date" item this season, if it remains unsold it will qualify as an "out-of-date" item next season. Therefore, stimulating consumer purchasing desire for items that do not qualify as "out-of-date" items will reduce next season's "out-of-date" items, and as a result, will reduce the amount of fashion items that are discarded.

Incidentally, a certain amount of sales can also be expected by outputting to the consumer's terminal coordination information using only the "outdated product" (coordination information that does not use the "first product"), rather than coordination information using the "first product" and the "outdated product."
However, for a person (consumer) who wishes to purchase the "first product," the product that they want to obtain (purchase) is the "first product," so even if coordination information using only "outdated products" (coordination information that does not use the "first product") is output to the consumer's terminal, it cannot be said that it meets the needs of the person (consumer) who wishes to purchase.
Therefore, in this invention, by outputting coordination information using the "first product" and the "outdated product" to the consumer's terminal, it is possible to meet the consumer's need to obtain (purchase) the "first product" while also stimulating their desire to purchase the "outdated product."

In addition, if the product sales system is equipped with a "coordination information recording means" for recording coordination information, the coordination information can be recorded within the product sales system, and the coordination information can be output from the output means to the consumer's terminal without exchanging coordination information with an external party (outside the product sales system).

Furthermore, if the product sales system is equipped with a "coordination information search means" that searches for coordination information, even if the coordination information is not recorded within the product sales system, the coordination information can be exchanged with an external party (outside the product sales system), and the coordination information can be output from the output means to the consumer's terminal.

Similarly, if the product sales system is equipped with a "search signal output means" that outputs a search signal to a specified coordinate information search means to search for coordinate information, even if the coordinate information is not recorded within the product sales system, it can output coordinate information from the output means to the consumer's terminal by working with an external coordinate information search means and exchanging coordinate information with the outside (outside the product sales system).

Here, when the coordination information search means searches for coordination information recorded in external information recording means separate from the product sales system (for example, when searching recording means that records only coordination information), the search targets are limited, allowing for quick searches and smooth coordination information searches.

Furthermore, when the coordination information search means searches for coordination information published on the Internet, it is possible to search through a vast amount of information, including the latest coordination information, and it is expected that coordination information that meets the consumer's needs will be found.

Furthermore, when the coordination information search means searches for coordination information recorded in the Internet information recording means that records information that has been made public on the Internet, the search only targets information recorded in the Internet information recording means. Compared to searching for coordination information made public on the Internet (coordination information made public on the Internet, not limited to information recorded in the Internet information recording means), the amount of information searched is less, but search results can be obtained more quickly by creating a search index.

Furthermore, if the product sales system is equipped with a "coordination information generation means" that generates coordination information, even if coordination information is not recorded within the product sales system or externally (outside the product sales system), coordination information can be generated and output from the output means to the consumer's terminal.

Similarly, if the product sales system is equipped with a "generation signal output means" that outputs a generation signal for generating coordinate information to a specified coordinate information generation means, even if the coordinate information is not recorded within the product sales system or externally (outside the product sales system), the product sales system can cooperate with an external coordinate information generation means to generate coordinate information, and the coordinate information can be output from the output means to the consumer's terminal.

Here, when the coordinate information generation means generates coordinate information (coordinate information output by the output means) based on "information recorded in the information recording means provided in the product sales system," the coordinate information can be generated without exchanging information with an external party (outside the product sales system). However, this does not apply if the coordinate information generation means is provided externally (outside the product sales system).

Furthermore, if the coordinate information generation means generates coordinate information (coordinate information output by the output means) based on "information recorded in external information recording means separate from the product sales system," coordinate information can be generated by exchanging information with an external party (outside the product sales system) even if the information is not recorded within the product sales system.

Furthermore, when the coordination information generation means generates coordination information (coordination information output by the output means) based on "information published on the Internet," it can use a vast amount of information, including the latest information, as a base, making it possible to generate coordination information that meets consumer needs.

Furthermore, when the coordinate information generation means generates coordinate information (coordinate information output by the output means) based on "information recorded in the Internet information recording means which records information published on the Internet," the amount of information used as a base is inferior compared to when the coordinate information generation means uses only information recorded in the Internet information recording means as a base (information published on the Internet, not limited to information recorded in the Internet information recording means), but it can use a larger amount of information as a base, and it is expected that coordinate information that satisfies consumers will be generated.

Furthermore, if the output means uses the product sales system to output coordination information using the second product from among the coordination information recorded in the coordination information recording means in response to a request from the terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the discontinued products, the consumer will be able to obtain coordination information for the purchased fashion item even after purchase, which is expected to increase the consumer's incentive to purchase "discontinued products."

Furthermore, if the coordination information search means uses the product sales system to search for coordination information using the second product in response to a request from the terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the out-of-date products, and the output means outputs the coordination information using the second product searched for by the coordination information search means to the consumer's terminal, the consumer will be able to obtain coordination information for the purchased fashion item even after the purchase, which is expected to increase the consumer's incentive to purchase "out-of-date products."

Furthermore, if the coordination information generation means uses the product sales system to generate coordination information using a second product in response to a request from the terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the out-of-date products, and the output means outputs the coordination information using the second product generated by the coordination information generation means to the consumer's terminal, the consumer will be able to obtain coordination information for the purchased fashion item even after purchase, which is expected to increase the consumer's incentive to purchase "out-of-date products."

By the way, the terms "first product," "second product," "predetermined product," and "fashion item" used here can refer to any fashion-related product, such as clothing (clothes, underwear, etc.), accessories (brooches, necklaces, handbags, scarves, gloves, tie clips, etc.), jewelry (jewelry, etc.), cosmetics, shoes, clothing accessories (masks, etc.), ornaments (glasses, sunglasses, etc.), and clothing accessories (wigs, hats, etc.).

Also, "outdated product" refers to a model that has become outdated as the latest model comes on the market.

The product sales system of the present invention makes it possible to reduce the amount of discarded fashion items by reducing unsold out-of-date products.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a configuration example of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the configuration of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining still another example of the configuration of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") will be described.
Here, in this embodiment, the explanation will be based on the spring season of 2023. Therefore, products sold before the spring season of 2023 are considered "outdated products." The explanation will also be based on the assumption that the spring season is February to April, the summer season is May to July, the fall season is August to October, and the winter season is November to January.
The explanation will be given in the following order.
1. First embodiment 2. Second embodiment 3. Third embodiment 4. Modification

1. First embodiment
[Configuration of the present invention]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a product sales system to which the present invention is applied, and is an example of the configuration of a system for providing (selling) products 1A to 1D.
Although the following description will be given on the case where four types of products, namely product 1A to product 1D, are sold, it goes without saying that the number of types may be three or less, or five or more.

Here, product 1A is a skirt that was sold in the spring 2023 season (specifically, April 2023). In other words, it is a product that began selling in April 2023 and does not fall under the category of an "outdated product."
Product 1A has a list price of 20,000 yen.

Product 1B is a spring coat that was sold in the spring 2023 season (specifically, March 2023). In other words, it is a product that was first sold in March 2023 and does not fall under the category of an "outdated product."
Product 1B has a list price of 30,000 yen.

Product 1C is a skirt that was sold in the spring 2022 season (specifically, April 2022). In other words, it is a product that began selling in April 2022 and is an "outdated product."
Product 1C has a list price of 20,000 yen.

Here, although the list price of product 1C is 20,000 yen, since it is an "outdated product", it will be sold at a reduced price (discount).
In this embodiment, for "outdated products," if they have been on sale for less than 13 months, they are discounted by "20% off the list price," if they have been on sale for less than 25 months, they are discounted by "30% off the list price," and if they have been on sale for more than 25 months, they are discounted by "50% off the list price." Since product 1C has been on sale for 12 months, it is sold for 16,000 yen (20% off the list price).

Product 1D is a lipstick that was sold in the spring 2022 season (specifically, February 2022). That is, it was released in February 2022 and is an "outdated product." The expiration date of the product is February 2025.
Product 1D has a list price of 5,000 yen.

Here, although the list price of product 1D is 5,000 yen, since it is an "outdated product," it will be sold at a reduced price (discount).
In this embodiment, the discounts are made as described above, and since 14 months have passed since the product 1D was first sold, it is sold for 3,500 yen (30% off the list price).

The product sales system 11 shown in Figure 1 has inventory information recording means 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D, inventory information confirmation means 15, coordination information recording means 16, and information output means 17.

Here, the inventory information recording means 14A is configured to be able to record at least information 14Aa on the name of product 1A, information 14Ab on the inventory quantity of product 1A, information 14Ac on the sales period of product 1A, information 14Ad on the expiration date of product 1A, and information 14Ae on the price of product 1A.
Specifically, the name, stock quantity, sales period, expiration date, and price of product 1A that does not fall under the category of "outdated product" are recorded. However, since product 1A is a skirt and does not have an "expiration date," expiration date information 14Ad is not recorded.

In addition, the inventory information recording means 14B is configured to be able to record at least information 14Ba on the name of product 1B, information 14Bb on the inventory quantity of product 1B, information 14Bc on the sales period of product 1B, information 14Bd on the expiration date of product 1B, and information 14Be on the price of product 1B.
Specifically, the name, stock quantity, sales period, expiration date, and price of product 1B that does not fall under the category of "outdated product" are recorded. However, since product 1B is a spring coat and does not have an "expiration date," expiration date information 14Bd is not recorded.

In addition, the inventory information recording means 14C is configured to be able to record at least information 14Ca on the name of product 1C, information 14Cb on the inventory quantity of product 1C, information 14Cc on the sales period of product 1C, information 14Cd on the expiration date of product 1C, and information 14Ce on the price of product 1C.
Specifically, for product 1C that corresponds to an "outdated product," its name, number in stock, sales date, expiration date, and price (price discounted from the list price) are recorded. However, since product 1C is a skirt and does not have an "expiration date," expiration date information 14Cd is not recorded.

In addition, the inventory information recording means 14D is configured to be able to record at least information 14Da on the name of the product 1D, information 14Db on the inventory quantity of the product 1D, information 14Dc on the sales period of the product 1D, information 14Dd on the expiration date of the product 1D, and information 14De on the price of the product 1D.
Specifically, for the product 1D that corresponds to the "outdated product," the name, the number of items in stock, the sales date, the expiration date, and the price (the price discounted from the list price) are recorded.

In addition, the coordinate information recording means 16 is configured to be able to record coordinate information for the products (product 1A, product 1B, product 1C, product 1D) sold by the product sales system 11.

Specifically, the following items (1) to (10) are recorded.
(1) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1B" (2) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1C" (3) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1D" (4) Coordination information using "products 1B, 1C" (5) Coordination information using "products 1B, 1D" (6) Coordination information using "products 1C, 1D" (7) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1B, 1C" (8) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1B, 1D" (9) Coordination information using "products 1B, 1C, 1D" (10) Coordination information using "products 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D"

Furthermore, the inventory information checking means 15 is configured to be able to check the information recorded in the inventory information recording means 14A to 14D when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (i.e., product 1A to product 1D).
Specifically, when a request is made from consumer terminal 13 to output information on products 1A to 1D, information 14Ab on the stock quantity of product 1A, information 14Bb on the stock quantity of product 1B, information 14Cb on the stock quantity of product 1C, and information 14Db on the stock quantity of product 1D are accessed to confirm the stock quantities.

In addition to "Inventory quantity information 14Ab for product 1A," "Inventory quantity information 14Bb for product 1B," "Inventory quantity information 14Cb for product 1C," and "Inventory quantity information 14Db for product 1D," the inventory information confirmation means 15 also checks "Expiration date information 14Ad for product 1A," "Expiration date information 14Bd for product 1B," "Expiration date information 14Cd for product 1C," and "Expiration date information 14Dd for product 1D." It then determines that product 1A is out of stock if expiration date information 14Ad for product 1A has passed; that product 1B is out of stock if expiration date information 14Bd for product 1B has passed; that product 1C is out of stock if expiration date information 14Cd for product 1C has passed; and that product 1D is out of stock if expiration date 14Dd for product 1D has passed.

In addition, when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (i.e., product 1A to product 1D), the information output means 17 is configured to be able to output "information on the product requested by the consumer" and "coordination information for the product requested by the consumer" to the consumer terminal 13.

Specifically, when a consumer requests information about product 1A, the information output means 17 outputs the following information:

(1. Product 1A is out of stock)
When the product 1A is out of stock as a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, "information on the product 1A" and "coordinate information on the product 1A" are not output, but "the product 1A is out of stock, so the product 1A cannot be sold" is output.

(2. If product 1A is in stock)
If the inventory information confirmation means 15 finds that product 1A is in stock, the following information about product 1A is output: "information 14Aa on the name of product 1A,""information 14Ab on the number of items in stock of product 1A,""information 14Ac on the sales period of product 1A,""information 14Ad on the expiration date of product 1A," and "information 14Ae on the price of product 1A."

Furthermore, the "coordination information for product 1A" that is output when product 1A is in stock is as follows:

(2-1. When product 1C and product 1D are in stock)
When the result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15 shows that the product 1C and the product 1D are in stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C", coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D", and coordinate information using "product 1A", "product 1C" and "product 1D" are output as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, the coordinate information (2), (3), (7), (8), and (10) described above is output. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only the coordinate information (2) and (3) is output.

(2-2. If product 1C is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, when the product 1C is in stock (when the product 1D is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C" is output as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, the coordinate information (2) and (7) described above is output. However, if the product 1B is out of stock, only the coordinate information (2) is output.

(2-3. If product 1D is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, when the product 1D is in stock (when the product 1C is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D" is output as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, the coordinate information (3) and (8) described above is output. However, if the product 1B is out of stock, only the coordinate information (3) is output.

(2-4. When product 1C and product 1D are out of stock)
If the result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15 is that the products 1C and 1D are out of stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1B" is output as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, the coordinate information of (1) above is output. However, if the product 1B is out of stock, the coordinate information is not output.

In this embodiment, the explanation is based on the spring season of 2023. That is, the explanation is given by taking as an example a case where information on products 1A and 1B that do not fall under the category of "outdated products" is recorded in the inventory information recording means 14A and 14B, and information on products 1C and 1D that fall under the category of "outdated products" is recorded in the inventory information recording means 14C and 14D.
However, whether or not a product is an "outdated product" depends on the reference date (reference season), so whether or not a product recorded in the inventory information recording means is an "outdated product" will be determined taking into consideration the reference date (reference season).

Specifically, if a fall/winter fashion item that goes on sale in fall 2022 is called Product A, and a spring/summer fashion item that goes on sale in spring 2022 is called Product B, then (1) until the winter 2022 season, neither Product A nor Product B will be considered an "out-of-date product," (2) in the spring 2023 season, Product A will not be considered an "out-of-date product," while Product B will be considered an "out-of-date product," and (3) from the fall 2023 season onwards, both Product A and Product B will be considered "out-of-date products."

More specifically, the inventory information confirmation means 15 uses the date (season) on which the consumer requested the information as the base date (in other words, the date on which the inventory information confirmation means 15 checks the inventory quantity as the base date), determines whether each of the products recorded in the inventory information recording means 14A-14D is an "outdated product," and then checks the inventory information for products 1A-1D.

As a result, even if the information recorded in the inventory information recording means 14A-14D does not change (specifically, if the information on the sales start dates of products 1A-1D does not change), the information output by the information output means 17 will change depending on the reference dates (1), (2), and (3).

In addition, the information output means 17 is configured to be able to output "coordination information for the purchased product" in response to a request from a consumer who has purchased an "outdated product (Product 1C, Product 1D)."

For example, in response to a request from a consumer who has purchased "product 1C," the coordinate information (2), (4), (6), (7), (9), and (10) described above is output.
When coordinate information is requested after a purchase, all coordinate information for the purchased items is output regardless of whether or not items 1A to 1D are in stock.

[effect]
In the product sales system 11 to which the present invention is applied, even if a consumer desires information on product 1A (in other words, does not desire information on products 1B to 1D), sales promotion of products 1B to 1D is realized by outputting coordination information using products 1B to 1D, provided that products 1B to 1D are in stock.

Furthermore, by outputting coordinate information using product 1A about which the consumer desires information (in other words, which the consumer wishes to purchase), sales promotion of products 1B to 1D can be further realized.
That is, rather than outputting coordination information unrelated to the "product (product 1A) that the consumer wishes to purchase," by outputting coordination information using the "product (product 1A) that the consumer wishes to purchase," sales promotion of products 1B to 1D can be further realized.

Furthermore, if there is stock of "outdated" products such as product 1C or product 1D, the coordination information for product 1C or product 1D can be output preferentially, thereby promoting sales of product 1C or product 1D and preventing the disposal of product 1C or product 1D, thereby reducing the amount of discarded fashion items.

In addition, by outputting coordination information not only at the time of purchase but also after purchase, sales of "outdated" products can be further promoted.

2. Second embodiment
[Configuration of the present invention]
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the configuration of a product sales system to which the present invention is applied, and is an example of the configuration of a system for providing (selling) products 1A to 1D, similar to the first embodiment.
In the following, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same points as the first embodiment will not be described.

The product sales system 21 shown in Figure 2 has inventory information recording means 14A to 14D, similar to the first embodiment.

The product sales system 21 also has a coordinate information search means 18 (instead of the "coordinate information recording means 16" in the first embodiment, the second embodiment has a "coordinate information search means 18").

Here, the coordinate information search means 18 is configured to be able to access a coordinate information recording means 14 E that is provided separately from the product sales system 21 .
The coordinate information recording means 14E records coordinate information 14Ef (information corresponding to the coordinate information recorded in the "coordinate information recording means 16" in the first embodiment) of the products (products 1A to 1D) sold by the product sales system 21, and the coordinate information search means 18 accesses the coordinate information recording means 14E and searches for the coordinate information.

In other words, when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (products 1A to 1D), the coordinate information search means 18 is configured to be able to search for "coordinate information for the product requested by the consumer."

For example, if a consumer seeks information on product 1A, they would perform the following search:

(1. Product 1A is out of stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 shows that the product 1A is out of stock, the search for "coordinate information for product 1A" is not performed.

(2. If product 1A is in stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 is that product 1A is in stock, the following occurs.

(2-1. When product 1C and product 1D are in stock)
When the result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15 shows that the product 1C and the product 1D are in stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C", coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D", and coordinate information using "product 1A", "product 1C" and "product 1D" are searched for as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (2), (3), (7), (8), and (10) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is searched for. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (2) and (3) is searched for.

(2-2. If product 1C is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, if the product 1C is in stock (when the product 1D is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C" is searched for as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (2) and (7) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is searched for. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (2) is searched for.

(2-3. If product 1D is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, if the product 1D is in stock (when the product 1C is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D" is searched for as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (3) and (8) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is searched for. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (3) is searched for.

(2-4. When product 1C and product 1D are out of stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 is that product 1C and product 1D are out of stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1B" is searched for as coordinate information for product 1A.
That is, the coordinate information corresponding to (1) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is searched for. However, if product 1B is out of stock, coordinate information is not searched for.

In addition, when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (i.e., product 1A to product 1D), the information output means 17 is configured to be able to output "information on the product requested by the consumer" and "search results (coordination information) from the coordination information search means 18" to the consumer terminal 13.

Specifically, when a consumer requests information about product 1A, the information output means 17 outputs the following information:

(1. Product 1A is out of stock)
When the product 1A is out of stock as a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, "information on the product 1A" and "coordinate information on the product 1A" are not output, but "the product 1A is out of stock, so the product 1A cannot be sold" is output.

(2. If product 1A is in stock)
If the inventory information confirmation means 15 finds that product 1A is in stock, the following information about product 1A is output: "information 14Aa on the name of product 1A,""information 14Ab on the number of items in stock of product 1A,""information 14Ac on the sales period of product 1A,""information 14Ad on the expiration date of product 1A," and "information 14Ae on the price of product 1A."

Furthermore, if product 1A is in stock, the coordinate information that is the search result of the coordinate information search means 18 is output. Note that if products 1B to 1D are out of stock, the coordinate information is not output.

In addition, the coordination information search means 18 and information output means 17 are configured to search for and output coordination information in response to requests from consumers who have purchased "outdated products (product 1C or product 1D)."

For example, in response to a request from a consumer who has purchased “product 1C,” the coordinate information search means 18 searches for coordinate information corresponding to the above-mentioned (2), (4), (6), (7), (9), and (10), and the information output means 17 outputs the search results (coordinate information) to the consumer terminal 13.
When coordinate information is requested after a purchase, all coordinate information using the purchased product is output regardless of whether products 1A to 1D are in stock.

[effect]
In the product sales system 21 to which the present invention is applied as described above, the coordinate information search means 18 can search for coordinate information recorded outside the product sales system 21 (coordinate information recording means 14E), so even if the "coordinate information for products 1A to 1D" is not recorded within the product sales system, the information output means 17 can output coordinate information to the consumer terminal 13.

[Modification 1]
In the second embodiment described above, the coordinate information search means 18 searches the coordinate information recording means 14E as an example, but the search target does not necessarily have to be the coordinate information recording means 14E. For example, it is also possible to search for "coordinate information published on the Internet" or "coordinate information recorded in an Internet information recording means that records information that has been published on the Internet."

[Modification 2]
In the second embodiment described above, an example is given in which the product sales system has a coordinate information search means 18 within it, but it is sufficient if the coordinate information can be searched for, and the coordinate information may be searched for in cooperation with a coordinate information search means 18 provided outside the product sales system 21.
For example, the product sales system 21 may output a search signal to the external coordinate information search means 18, and the coordinate information search means 18 may search for coordinate information.

3. Third embodiment
[Configuration of the present invention]
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining yet another example of the configuration of a product sales system to which the present invention is applied, and is an example of the configuration of a system for providing (selling) products 1A to 1D, similar to the first embodiment.
In the following, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same points as the first embodiment will not be described.

The product sales system 31 shown in Figure 3 has inventory information recording means 14A to 14D, similar to the first embodiment.

The product sales system 31 also has a coordinate information generation means 19 (instead of the "coordinate information recording means 16" in the first embodiment and the "coordinate information search means 18" in the second embodiment, the third embodiment has a "coordinate information generation means 19").

Here, the coordinate information generating means 19 is configured to be able to access an information recording means 14 G that is provided separately from the product sales system 31 .
The information recording means 14G records various information 14Gg (various information not limited to the coordinate information of products 1A to 1D), and the coordinate information generating means 19 generates coordinate information of products 1A to 1D based on the information 14Gg recorded in the information recording means 14G.

For example, coordination information using "Product 1A" and "Product 1B" is generated using general-purpose generative AI based on information 14Gg, using "Product 1A name information 14Aa" and "Product 1B name information 14Ba" as input information. Furthermore, by adding information (preferences, etc.) of consumers seeking information on sales products (Products 1A to 1D) to the input information, coordination information that better meets consumer needs can be generated.

In other words, when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (product 1A to product 1D), the coordinate information generation means 19 is configured to generate "coordinate information for the product requested by the consumer."

For example, if a consumer requests information about product 1A, the following would be generated:

(1. Product 1A is out of stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 shows that the product 1A is out of stock, the "coordinate information for product 1A" is not generated.

(2. If product 1A is in stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 is that product 1A is in stock, the following occurs.

(2-1, if product 1C and product 1D are in stock)
When the result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15 shows that the product 1C and the product 1D are in stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C", coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D", and coordinate information using "product 1A", "product 1C" and "product 1D" are generated as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (2), (3), (7), (8), and (10) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is generated. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (2) and (3) is generated.

(2-2. If product 1C is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, when the product 1C is in stock (when the product 1D is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1C" is generated as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (2) and (7) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is generated. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (2) is generated.

(2-3. If product 1D is in stock)
As a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, when the product 1D is in stock (when the product 1C is out of stock), coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1D" is generated as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (3) and (8) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is generated. However, if product 1B is out of stock, only coordinate information corresponding to (3) is generated.

(2-4. When product 1C and product 1D are out of stock)
If the result of checking by the inventory information checking means 15 is that the products 1C and 1D are out of stock, coordinate information using "product 1A" and "product 1B" is generated as coordinate information for the product 1A.
That is, coordinate information corresponding to (1) recorded in the coordinate information recording means 16 of the first embodiment is generated. However, if product 1B is out of stock, coordinate information is not generated.

In addition, when a consumer requests information on a product for sale (i.e., product 1A to product 1D), the information output means 17 is configured to be able to output "information on the product requested by the consumer" and "information generated by the coordinate information generation means 19 (coordinate information)" to the consumer terminal 13.

Specifically, when a consumer requests information about product 1A, the information output means 17 outputs the following information:

(1. Product 1A is out of stock)
When the product 1A is out of stock as a result of confirmation by the stock information confirmation means 15, "information on the product 1A" and "coordinate information on the product 1A" are not outputted, but "the product 1A cannot be sold because it is out of stock" is outputted.

(2. If product 1A is in stock)
If the inventory information confirmation means 15 finds that product 1A is in stock, the following information about product 1A is output: "information 14Aa on the name of product 1A,""information 14Bb on the number of items in stock of product 1A,""information 14Ac on the sales period of product 1A,""information 14Ad on the expiration date of product 1A," and "information 14Ae on the price of product 1A."

Furthermore, if product 1A is in stock, coordinate information generated by coordinate information generation means 19 is output. Note that if products 1B to 1D are out of stock, coordinate information is not output.

In addition, the coordination information generation means 19 and information output means 17 are configured to generate and output coordination information in response to requests from consumers who have purchased "outdated products (product 1C or product 1D)."

For example, in response to a request from a consumer who has purchased “product 1C,” the coordinate information generation means 19 generates the coordinate information (2), (4), (6), (7), (9), and (10) described above, and the information output means 17 outputs the generated coordinate information to the consumer terminal 13.
When coordinate information is requested after a purchase, all coordinate information for the purchased items is output regardless of whether or not items 1A to 1D are in stock.

[effect]
In the product sales system 31 to which the present invention is applied as described above, the coordinate information generation means 19 can generate coordinate information for products 1A to 1D, so that even if the coordinate information is not recorded inside or outside the product sales system, the information output means 17 can output the coordinate information to the consumer terminal 13.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described third embodiment, the coordinate information generating means 19 generates coordinate information based on information recorded in the information recording means 14G. However, the basic information does not necessarily have to be recorded in the information recording means 14G. For example, the coordinate information of products 1A to 1D may be generated based on "information published on the Internet" or "information recorded in an Internet information recording means that records information that has been published on the Internet."

[Modification 4]
In the above-described third embodiment, the explanation is given using an example in which the product sales system has a coordinate information generation means 19 within it, but it is sufficient if the coordinate information can be generated, and the coordinate information may be generated in cooperation with a coordinate information generation means 19 provided outside the product sales system 31.
For example, the product sales system 31 may output a generation signal to an external coordinate information generating means 19, and the coordinate information generating means 19 may generate coordinate information.

4. Modified Examples
In the above-described first to third embodiments, the explanation is given using the example of a case where a consumer requests information on product 1A (a product that does not fall under the category of an "outdated product"), but the product for which the consumer requests information may also be an "outdated product."
For example, when a consumer requests information on product 1C, the information output means 17 outputs coordinate information using "product 1C" and "product 1D."

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Merchandise sales system 12 Internet 13 Consumer terminal 14A Stock information recording means 14B Stock information recording means 14C Stock information recording means 14D Stock information recording means 14E Coordinate information recording means 14G Information recording means 15 Stock information confirmation means 16 Coordinate information recording means 17 Information output means 18 Coordinate information search means 19 Coordinate information generation means 21 Merchandise sales system 31 Merchandise sales system

Claims (20)

A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a coordinate information recording means for recording coordinate information using the predetermined product;
and an output means for, on condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and outputting to the consumer terminal the coordinate information recorded in the coordinate information recording means that uses the first product and an out-of-date product that is in stock ;
The output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold in the product sales system;
a coordinate information recording means for recording coordinate information using the predetermined product;
an output means for, on the condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the obsolete product is out of stock, outputting to the consumer terminal the coordinate information recorded in the coordinate information recording means that uses the first product and the predetermined product that is in stock, and if the obsolete product is in stock, outputting to the consumer terminal the coordinate information recorded in the coordinate information recording means that uses the first product and the obsolete product that is in stock ,
The output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that time are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. The product sales system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the output means outputs the coordination information using the second product from among the coordination information recorded in the coordination information recording means in response to a request from a terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the discontinued products, using the product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold in the product sales system;
a coordinate information search means for checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and searching for coordinate information using the first product and the out-of-date product that is in stock, on the condition that a request to output information on a first product that is one of the predetermined products is received from the consumer's terminal;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information searched by the coordinate information search means to the terminal of the consumer ;
The coordinate information search means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that time are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a coordinate information search means for, on the condition that a request to output information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the obsolete product is out of stock, searching for coordinate information using the first product and the predetermined product that is in stock, and if the obsolete product is in stock, searching for coordinate information using the first product and the obsolete product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information searched by the coordinate information search means to the terminal of the consumer ;
The coordinate information search means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a search signal output means for, on condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and outputting a search signal to a predetermined coordinate information search means for searching for coordinate information using the first product and the out-of-date product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information searched by the coordinate information search means to the terminal of the consumer ;
The search signal output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a search signal output means for, on the condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from the consumer's terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the obsolete product is out of stock, searching for coordinate information using the first product and the predetermined product that is in stock, and if the obsolete product is in stock, outputting a search signal to a predetermined coordinate information search means for searching for coordinate information using the first product and the obsolete product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information searched by the coordinate information search means to the terminal of the consumer ;
The search signal output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. the coordinate information search means searches for coordinate information using the second product in response to a request from a terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the discontinued products, using the product sales system;
8. The product sales system according to claim 4, wherein the output means outputs coordination information using the second product searched for by the coordination information search means to a terminal of the consumer. The coordinate information search means
8. The merchandise sales system according to claim 4, claim 5, claim 6 or claim 7, wherein coordinate information recorded in an external information recording means separate from said merchandise sales system is searched for. The coordinate information search means
8. The merchandise sales system according to claim 4, claim 5, claim 6 or claim 7, wherein coordinate information published on the Internet is searched for. The coordinate information search means
8. The merchandise sales system according to claim 4, claim 5, claim 6 or claim 7, wherein coordinate information recorded in an internet information recording means that records information that has been made public on the internet is searched for. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a coordinate information generating means for checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means and generating coordinate information using the first product and the out-of-date product in stock, on the condition that a request to output information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from the consumer's terminal;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to a terminal of the consumer ;
The coordinate information generating means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a coordinate information generating means for, on the condition that a request to output information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the obsolete product is out of stock, generating coordinate information using the first product and the predetermined product that is in stock, and if the obsolete product is in stock, generating coordinate information using the first product and the obsolete product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to a terminal of the consumer ;
The coordinate information generating means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that time are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a generation signal output means for checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and outputting a generation signal to a predetermined coordinate information generation means, on the condition that a request for output of information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, for generating coordinate information using the first product and the out-of-date product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to a terminal of the consumer ;
The generated signal output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. A product sales system for selling outdated fashion items,
an inventory information recording means for recording inventory information including information on the number of items in stock and information on the start of sales for predetermined items sold by the product sales system;
a generation signal output means for, on condition that a request to output information on a first product, which is one of the predetermined products, is received from a consumer terminal, checking the inventory information recorded in the inventory information recording means, and if the obsolete product is out of stock, generating coordinate information using the first product and the predetermined product that is in stock, and if the obsolete product is in stock, outputting a generation signal to a predetermined coordinate information generating means for generating coordinate information using the first product and the obsolete product that is in stock;
an output means for outputting the coordinate information generated by the coordinate information generation means to a terminal of the consumer ;
The generated signal output means
The information on the sales start time recorded in the inventory information recording means is checked, and based on the season at the time of checking, products sold in a season prior to that season are determined to be outdated products.
Product sales system. the coordinate information generating means generates coordinate information using the second product in response to a request from a terminal of a consumer who has purchased a second product, which is one of the discontinued products, using the product sales system;
The product sales system according to claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the output means outputs the coordinate information using the second product generated by the coordinate information generating means to the terminal of the consumer. The coordinate information generating means
The merchandise sales system according to claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the coordinate information is generated based on information recorded in an information recording means included in the merchandise sales system. The coordinate information generating means
16. The merchandise sales system according to claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the coordinate information is generated based on information recorded in an external information recording means separate from the merchandise sales system. The coordinate information generating means
The merchandise sales system according to claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the coordinate information is generated based on information published on the Internet. The coordinate information generating means
The merchandise sales system according to claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the coordinate information is generated based on information recorded in an internet information recording means that records information that has been made public on the internet.