Patent ID: 7386477

Claim:
A method for delivering a best local price of an item of merchandise, comprising: obtaining information identifying an item of merchandise that a user desires to purchase; determining a physical location of the user; querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the information identifying the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the physical location of the user; and in response to the query: identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers: identifying the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase at the best local price; generating a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose respective user profiles are similar to, within a similarity threshold, a user profile associated with the user; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers: identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer.