Patent ID: 7734495
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method of allocating retail shelf space for a product segment based on sales data indicating past transactions of consumers of products in the product segment, said method comprising: defining a product segment of products based on a shared characteristic of the products; defining a plurality of buyer groups, each group based on consumers who purchase a first product from said defined product segment within a defined time period; for each buyer group, determining a preference for the consumers in each buyer group to purchase a second product from the defined product segment via a computer processor, said second product being other than the first product and said second product serving a different primary purpose than said first product, said determining comprising calculating a preference index relating the first product and the second product as a function of the sales data; and allocating the retail shelf space for the defined product segment of products based on the determined preference, wherein determining the preference comprises calculating the preference index as a function of an expected product segment mix and an expected buyer group mix, wherein the expected product segment mix corresponds to a percentage of the second product purchased with respect to the total number of products purchased within the product segment after excluding the first products, wherein the expected buyer group mix corresponds to the percentage of the second product purchased with respect to the total number of products purchased by the buyer group after excluding the first products.