Patent ID: 7885856

Claim:
A network for coordinating the distribution of products from a plurality of product manufacturers to consumers wherein each of said manufacturers is an entity having at least one distribution channel that involves a retail establishment, comprising a server comprising a graphical consumer interface accessible by consumers over the interne configured to display product information to consumers for products from said plurality of manufacturers and to receive product orders from consumers directly to any of said plurality of product manufacturers; a product distribution coordinator configured to receive from a given product manufacturer a selection of a fulfillment policy, wherein said fulfillment polices are selected from: i) not accepting a consumer product order by any retailer or by said given product manufacturer; ii) fulfilling a consumer product order by said given product manufacturer; iii) fulfilling a consumer product order by a particular retailer identified by said given product manufacturer based on the particular product ordered; and (iv) fulfilling a consumer product order by placing the order to a product order list accessible by said given product manufacturer and by one or more retailers identified by said given product manufacturer; and an order flow controller configured to selectively route said consumer product orders for one or more products of a given product manufacturer in accordance with the fulfillment policies selected by said given product manufacturer such that: if the fulfillment policy selected is: i) not accepting a consumer product order by any retailer or by said given product manufacturer, the interface indicates product unavailability; ii) fulfilling a consumer product order by said given product manufacturer, the controller routes consumer product orders to said given product manufacturer for fulfillment; iii) fulfilling a consumer product order by a particular retailer identified by said given product manufacturer based on the particular product ordered, the controller routes consumer orders for the particular product to the particular identified retailer for fulfillment; and iv) fulfilling a consumer product order by placing the consumer product order to a product order list accessible by said given product manufacturer and by one or more retailers identified by said given product manufacturer, the controller routes the consumer product order to a back room manager that posts the consumer product order on the product order list from which manufacturers and retailers select an order to be fulfilled by that manufacturer or retailer.