Patent ID: 8401914
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of running a retail operation, the method comprising: providing a retail store comprising a customer shopping area and a non-customer storage area annexed to the customer shopping area, the customer shopping area being open to customers for shopping, the non-customer storage area being inaccessible to customers for shopping and having a predetermined organization for storing products for sale in the retail store; displaying products for sale in the customer shopping area, the products comprising a first product and a second product, wherein at least one copy of the first product is displayed in the customer shopping area, wherein at least one copy of the second product is displayed in the customer shopping area; displaying unique product identification codes in connection with products displayed in the customer shopping area, wherein a first unique product identification code is displayed in connection with the first product, and a second unique product identification code is displayed in connection with the second product; storing additional products for sale in the non-customer storage area in accordance with a predetermined organization adapted for storing products, the additional products comprising one or more predetermined variations of the first product; providing a database containing information of the one or more predetermined variations of the first product; providing a mobile application running on a mobile device for interfacing between a customer carrying the mobile device and a computer system associated with the retail store, the mobile application being capable of generating and sending a product information request in response to inputting a unique product identification code into the mobile device; receiving, from the mobile application of the mobile device, a first request for information of variation products of the first product (a first variation product information request), which comprises the first unique product identification code; subsequent to receipt of the first variation product information request, referring to the database to obtain information of the one or more predetermined variations of the first product and transmitting the obtained information to the mobile device for displaying thereon, wherein the obtained and transmitted information comprises availability of the one or more predetermined variations of the first product; receiving a first request for retrieval of a variation of the first product (a first variation product retrieval request) from the mobile application of the mobile device, the first variation product retrieval request comprising selection of one of the one or more predetermined variations of the first product on the mobile application; subsequent to receipt of the first variation product retrieval request, retrieving a copy of the one or more predetermined variations of the first product from the non-customer storage area and placing the retrieved copy at a predetermined location of the retail store for the customer's examination; and processing to check out the retrieved copy in the retail store.