Abstract:
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for optimizing a product assortment available at a retail location based on the likelihood of products to meet customer needs. This can include obtaining a mass list of potential products from at least one publicly available source; collating the mass list into a plurality of customer needs addressable by the potential products; determining a number of the plurality of customer needs that are addressable by particular ones of the potential products and converting the number for each of the particular potential products into a score for the particular potential product, wherein a high score indicates a particular potential product addresses a high number of the plurality of customer needs; comparing the particular potential products having high scores with a retail assortment product list for at least one location; and updating the retail assortment at the at least one location to include at least one of the particular potential products having a high score based on the comparing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/332,218 filed May 5, 2016, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments relate generally to inventory management and more particularly to systems and methods for optimizing a product assortment available at a retail location based on the likelihood of products to meet customer needs. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Increasingly, retailers desire to customize product assortments in particular stores to meet their customers&#39; needs and preferences. For example, a customer in an urban area may have different shopping needs than a customer in a rural area, and suburban stores may serve more families with children than an urban store in a commercial district. 
         [0004]    Managing customer needs can be particularly challenging for retailers. Conventional approaches rely on backwards-looking or comparative sales data for existing products, without a way to evaluate new items to add. Adding one new product to a store could increase sales marginally, either because it is similar to other products already on offer or meets only a few customer needs, whereas another product, if added, could meet a wider variety of needs and therefore increase sales and customer satisfaction to a higher degree. Identifying the latter type of product by considering customer needs it would meet is a significant challenge not met by conventional approaches. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In an embodiment, a method of optimizing a retail assortment comprises obtaining a mass list of potential products from at least one publicly available source; collating the mass list into a plurality of customer needs addressable by the potential products; determining a number of the plurality of customer needs that are addressable by particular ones of the potential products and converting the number for each of the particular potential products into a score for the particular potential product, wherein a high score indicates a particular potential product addresses a high number of the plurality of customer needs; comparing the particular potential products having high scores with a retail assortment product list for at least one location; and updating the retail assortment at the at least one location to include at least one of the particular potential products having a high score based on the comparing. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, a system for optimizing a retail product assortment comprises a data scraping and processing engine configured to obtain a mass list of potential products from at least one publicly available source; and a data processing engine communicatively coupled with the data scraping engine and configured to collate the mass list into a plurality of customer needs addressable by the potential products, determine a number of the plurality of customer needs that are addressable by particular ones of the potential products, convert the number for each of the particular potential products into a score for the particular potential product, wherein a high score indicates a particular potential product addresses a high number of the plurality of customer needs, and provide an output recommendation to a buyer associated with a retail location to update a product assortment at the retail location to include at least one of the particular potential products having a high score based on comparing the particular potential products having high scores with a product assortment list for the retail location. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Embodiments may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a diagram of customer needs/problems and products that solve those needs/problems in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  is another diagram of customer needs/problems and products that solve those needs/problems in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1C  is a modified version of the diagram of  FIG. 1B  showing a result of removing one product from the assortment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of developing a utility score according to an embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of evaluating and updating a product assortment according to an embodiment. 
           [0013]    While embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Retailers, whether they have traditional brick-and-mortar storefronts or online marketplaces (or both), offer an assortment of goods for sales. In some cases, the assortment also may include services. A retailer wants its assortment to meet as many of its customers&#39; needs as possible, but identifying these needs and the products that meet them can be challenging. 
         [0015]    Many customer needs are driven by “problems” that they have. For example, and referring to  FIG. 1A , a customer may decide to bake a cake  110  and realize the recipe calls for flour  120  and granulated sugar  130  that they do not have. Three additional example customer problems or needs are depicted in  FIG. 1A : baking bread  140  (requiring flour  120  and granulated sugar  130 ); making playdough  150  (requiring flour  120 ); and making tortilla  160  (requiring flour  120 ). These examples are not exhaustive with respect to the ingredients or requirements for these particular problems (i.e., a bread recipe likely also requires yeast), but rather they are exemplary of problem-driven product needs that retail customers may have. 
         [0016]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1A , flour  120  meets many customer needs and therefore can be considered to have high utility. Granulated sugar  130  also may have relatively high utility because it, too, meets multiple problems; but the utility of granulated sugar  130 , at least in this example, may be lower than that of flour  120  because it meets fewer needs. 
         [0017]    Identifying products like flour  120 , in particular, but also sugar  130 , which solve multiple customer problems, is a retailer goal. Moreover, retailers would like to identify products like these that are not already stocked at a particular location, such that by adding a relatively small number of new products to the available product assortment the retailer is able to meet a relatively large number of customer needs. Utility scores can be extrapolated from individual products to product assortments, and adding individual products with high utility scores can improve the utility score of the product assortment at any particular retail location. 
         [0018]    This can be seen in  FIGS. 1B and 1C .  FIG. 1B  depicts a product assortment  170  that includes all of the products necessary to completely resolve five customer needs or problems  172   a ,  172   b ,  172   c ,  172   d ,  172   e . Referring to  FIG. 1C , if one product  170   a  is removed from product assortment  170 , four customer needs  172   a - d  become unmet because product assortment  170  no longer includes each product associated with those needs  172   a - d  when product  170   a  is removed from assortment  170 . With only one ( 172   e ) of five problems ( 172   a - 172   e ), the utility score of assortment  170  would fall from 100% in  FIG. 1B  to 20% in  FIG. 1C . Looking at this from another perspective, if the current product assortment  170  at a retailer is that depicted in 
         [0019]      FIG. 1C , adding one product  170   a  to assortment  170  increases the utility score of assortment  170  from 20% to 100%. In reality, a utility score of 100% may be practically impossible to obtain, but a goal for any retailer—and a goal of embodiments of the systems and methods discussed herein—is to identify and offer product assortments with optimized (i.e., high) utility scores to meet as many customer needs as possible. In other words, embodiments enable and consider quantification of value on a product-by-product basis, and assortment-wide, based on the number of problems each product is connected with and therefore partially or completely “solves.” 
         [0020]    A task, then, is to identify customer problems or needs, and then products that solve those problems or needs. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a master product assortment is developed at  210 . Theoretically, the master product assortment includes every possible product that could meet a customer need or solve a customer problem. Practically speaking, the master product assortment is a large-scale assemblage of products that can solve customer problems, but it may not identify every product to solve every problem of every customer because of information access and availability; theoretically, however, this is the goal. In some situations, the master assortment may be limited to fit a retailer&#39;s scope. For example, a grocery retailer may not be interested in trying to meet customer apparel needs, and therefore developing a master assortment at  210  for that grocery retailer may intentionally exclude apparel and other product categories. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, developing a master assortment at  210  includes implementing large-scale data collection and scraping tools to collect data from publicly available sources, such as via the internet  310 . These tools can scrape data  320  from recipes, parts lists, instruction sets and manuals, social media sites, project lists, patterns, supply lists, books, magazines, blogs, articles, and virtually any other source. In one embodiment these tools include a data scraping engine, which can be one or more of the engines  330  in  FIG. 3 . For example, a recipe for baking bread published on a cooking website includes a list of all of the ingredients and tools required; this can include flour, sugar, yeast, etc., as well as a loaf pan in which to bake the bread and a cooling rack on which to cool the bread after baking. An instruction set on a do-it-yourself website for installing a faucet can require the faucet kit, a wrench, a bucket, rags, and silicone caulk. A supply list on, e.g., PINTEREST, for a children&#39;s art project can include construction paper, glue, glitter, scissors, pipe cleaners, and markers. 
         [0022]    A goal at  210  is to assemble and collate a huge volume of data  320  in order to identify as many potential customer problems/needs, and corresponding solutions, as possible. In some embodiments, this can be carried out by one or more analytics engines  330  executing data scraping and collating algorithms and techniques to obtain a mass list of potential products. In other embodiments, additional data scraping engines can be implemented in operation and/or communication with data processing and analytics engines of engines  330 . This could be advantageous because the volume of data to be scraped and collated can be tremendous, outside the realm of what could be obtained manually by human users. Engines  330  are referred to collectively but can comprise disparate engines and/or computer systems in embodiments, or integrated engines and/or computing systems in other embodiments. 
         [0023]    A result of  210  is an assembled master assortment of potential products, collated as solutions to customer needs/problems. This master assortment can be stored in a database of or communicatively coupled to engines  330 . The assortment can include a tally of the total number of customer needs/problems that are addressed by the master assortment as well as a number of times each discrete product is called for in solving those problems. For example, in  FIG. 1A , there are four needs/problems  110 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160  depicted, with flour  120  solving four needs/problems and sugar  130  solving two needs/problems. The more needs/problems a product addresses, the higher the value of that product (e.g., flour&gt;sugar in the example of  FIG. 1A ). 
         [0024]    Engines  330  can execute algorithms and implement techniques to collate the raw scraped data in this master assortment, for example in ways similar to as depicted in  FIGS. 1-2 . For example, engines  330  can use secondary words and terms to identify meaning (e.g., a supply list calling for “markers” could refer to any or all of: writing or coloring tools; plastic pieces used in needlecrafts to mark numbers of stitches; game pieces; or small stakes used in gardening to label planting areas or plants), and in embodiments the data scraping and collating algorithms can sort the solution with the proper need/problem. Over time, engines  330  can “learn” and become more sophisticated in order to determine which meaning is applicable from context, and can update the data scraping and collating algorithms accordingly. Because of the volume of data scraped and collated, user intervention may not be required or even desired, as previously mentioned, though in embodiments engines  330  can flag identified problems or solutions for manual review or confirmation. In still other embodiments, user definition of problems or solutions can be included, for example in situations in which a new problem is identified, a new solution becomes available, or the like. The need for manual intervention can be reduced by setting up a schedule for updated scraping and collating to ensure new problems and new solutions are identified and considered. 
         [0025]    At  220 , an index tool for determining utility scores is developed. In one embodiment, this is done by comparing the master assortment with an assortment to be evaluated. The assortment to be evaluated can be the current product assortment  340  available at a retail location, a proposed product assortment, or some other product assortment. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , generally there will be some overlap between the master assortment and the evaluated assortment already, and a goal can be to maximize this overlap. In other embodiments, a new assortment can be formulated from the master assortment, rather than by comparing an existing or proposed assortment therewith. 
         [0026]    A utility score is provided at  230  as a result of the activity at  220 . This utility score relates to the assortment to be evaluated with respect to the master assortment. For example, assortment to be evaluated  340  has a utility score of 60%, meaning it meets 60% of the identified customer needs/problems. As a result of information from analytics engines  130 , and considering the master assortment, an updated assortment  350  that adds  20  new, higher utility products may have a utility score of 75% according to engines  330 . In addition to adding new, higher utility products, updated assortment  350  also can remove existing lower utility products, for example to create shelf space for the new products. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, engines  330  can provide a list of products identified at  220  and  230  in the master assortment that are not in assortment to be evaluated  340 , and the list can be offered in rank of utility as recommendations for addition to updated assortment  350  in order to improve the utility score and ultimately increase sales and improve customer satisfaction by meeting more needs/problems. Sales floor space, product availability and profit can then be considered against the recommendations to make a final determination with respect to whether any of those products will be added to updated assortment  350 . 
         [0028]    In still other embodiments, engines  330  can consider other factors in determining a utility score of a product or assortment. For example, frequency of purchase probability is a helpful factor that can be considered. A flat screen television may meet many customer needs/problems, but because it is less frequently purchased than other items it may receive a lower score. Another factor can be seasonality (e.g, holidays, warm-weather items, etc.). Still other factors include profit margin, area of floor space, and secondary product need drivers (e.g., boxed dinner kits can meet many customer needs/problems and also themselves require purchase of meat, fresh vegetables, butter, oil, and other ingredients added to that which is provided in the kit), among other factors. 
         [0029]    The analysis and scoring can be repeated periodically, for example some time after an assortment is updated in order to check the efficacy of the update, or to consider new customer needs/problems that may arise. This repetition can be carried out on-demand or according to a schedule. It also can be possible, in some circumstances, to compare one retailer&#39;s assortment with the assortment of a competitor retailer in the same market. This can provide the retailer with helpful information for, e.g., understanding a change in market share or making product assortment changes in order to drive a change in market share. 
         [0030]    Embodiments can be applied to brick-and-mortar, physical retail outlet product assortments or online assortments. Embodiments also can compare the two in order to improve local offerings and make a brick-and-mortar outlet more competitive with online outlets. Embodiments also can be scaled, from evaluating assortments and determining scores at individual retail locations to evaluating scores across sales regions or geographic areas or retailer-wide at an organizational level. This scaling can be applied at different levels and in different ways; for example, it may be helpful to evaluate apparel at a regional level but grocery items store-by-store. 
         [0031]    The utility scores, rankings, product suggestions and lists, and other information discussed herein can be presented via a user interface. In one embodiment, the user interface can comprise a buyer portal  360  via which a buyer or purchasing personnel for the retailer can access the information, interact with the system and input commands and place orders for products associated with updated assortment  350 . In one embodiment, buyer portal  360  can comprise a computer system associated with the retailer and accessible in a variety of ways, such as via a desktop or laptop computer, tablet device, smartphone device, or other fixed or mobile computing device that is part of or communicatively coupled to a network of the retailer. Buyer portion  360  or a related device can provide output reports of the recommendations and information generated by or used in the systems and methods discussed herein. In one embodiment, these reports can be generated at the direction of engines  330 . 
         [0032]    Embodiments provide systems and methods for objectively comparing the effectiveness of different product assortments, including in different formats. In contrast with conventional approaches, the systems and methods discussed herein are focused on and driven by meeting customer needs and solving customer problems and look to increase doing so by improving product assortments. Instead of merely looking at past sales and profit data, embodiments of the systems and methods discussed herein identify particular products to proactively add to an available assortment. 
         [0033]    In embodiments, the system and/or its components or systems can include computing devices, microprocessors, modules and other computer or computing devices, which can be any programmable device that accepts digital data as input, is configured to process the input according to instructions or algorithms, and provides results as outputs. In an embodiment, computing and other such devices discussed herein can be, comprise, contain or be coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) configured to carry out the instructions of a computer program. Computing and other such devices discussed herein are therefore configured to perform basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations. 
         [0034]    Computing and other devices discussed herein can include memory. Memory can comprise volatile or non-volatile memory as required by the coupled computing device or processor to not only provide space to execute the instructions or algorithms, but to provide the space to store the instructions themselves. In embodiments, volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or static random access memory (SRAM), for example. In embodiments, non-volatile memory can include read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM, hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape, or optical disc storage, for example. The foregoing lists in no way limit the type of memory that can be used, as these embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
         [0035]    In embodiments, the system or components thereof can comprise or include various modules or engines, each of which is constructed, programmed, configured, or otherwise adapted, to autonomously carry out a function or set of functions. The term “engine” as used herein is defined as a real-world device, component, or arrangement of components implemented using hardware, such as by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA), for example, or as a combination of hardware and software, such as by a microprocessor system and a set of program instructions that adapt the engine to implement the particular functionality, which (while being executed) transform the microprocessor system into a special-purpose device. An engine can also be implemented as a combination of the two, with certain functions facilitated by hardware alone, and other functions facilitated by a combination of hardware and software. In certain implementations, at least a portion, and in some cases, all, of an engine can be executed on the processor(s) of one or more computing platforms that are made up of hardware (e.g., one or more processors, data storage devices such as memory or drive storage, input/output facilities such as network interface devices, video devices, keyboard, mouse or touchscreen devices, etc.) that execute an operating system, system programs, and application programs, while also implementing the engine using multitasking, multithreading, distributed (e.g., cluster, peer-peer, cloud, etc.) processing where appropriate, or other such techniques. Accordingly, each engine can be realized in a variety of physically realizable configurations, and should generally not be limited to any particular implementation exemplified herein, unless such limitations are expressly called out. In addition, an engine can itself be composed of more than one sub-engines, each of which can be regarded as an engine in its own right. Moreover, in the embodiments described herein, each of the various engines corresponds to a defined autonomous functionality; however, it should be understood that in other contemplated embodiments, each functionality can be distributed to more than one engine. Likewise, in other contemplated embodiments, multiple defined functionalities may be implemented by a single engine that performs those multiple functions, possibly alongside other functions, or distributed differently among a set of engines than specifically illustrated in the examples herein. Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. 
         [0036]    These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the invention. 
         [0037]    Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the invention may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the invention may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the invention may comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0038]    Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein. 
         [0039]    For purposes of interpreting the claims for the present invention, it is expressly intended that the provisions of Section 112, sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.