The Alyoop service is a consumer coupon distribution service based on shared shopping lists that can be accessed on a branded web site by multiple authorized persons for the purpose of creating, making additions/deletions for a visit to a retailer. This retailer independent service can be distinguished from any other coupon distribution service, since this coupon distributor will offer only current coupons matching the items on the consumer’s shopping list at the time of purchase. These coupons will be offered as pre-purchase offers, not as post-purchase offers to be used on a return visit to a retailer. This means that only relevant, current (non-expired) coupons will be offered. There will be levels of direct matching services for users levels of the service. This means that if a named branded product is on the shopping list, only coupons for that exact branded product will be offered. Additional levels of service can be offered to suggest similar items such as a cereal product from another manufacturer.

The consumer will not have to search through pages of manufacturers coupons to find ones that they may want to use. The relevant coupons will be sorted and presented to the user before the time of purchase. The pre-purchase coupons will motivate the consumer to use them as they have planned a shopping trip and they are intending to purchase matching items. The pre-purchase coupon is much more likely to be used by a consumer than a post-purchase coupon which would need to be saved for a future shopping trip, after they have already purchased a similar item and the coupon may expire before the next purchase of the same item may be made. Manufacturers will be able to place the exact coupon, matching an item on a shopper’s list before the purchase is made by using a data base matching program. This program will allow the purchaser to only see coupons that directly relate to items on their shopping list. This will save the consumer time, and allow the coupon distributor to place only timely relevant coupons in front of motivated buyers. Users of the program will appreciate the targeted approach of the manufacturer’s coupons, since they will not have search pages of offers to find the ones that they are interested in using. Manufacturers will save millions of dollars by placing the exact coupon that a consumer desires in the hands of the consumer before leaves for their next shopping trip.

To help the consumer (who is the list creator), the consumer can establish a geographic area for the list to be used at any store. This geographic area will drive the program to offer coupons, sales and other promotions for the user in that defined area. The program will be designed to “suggest” companion items, as an example: listing “hot dogs,” items like hot dog buns, mustard, relish can be displayed. The additional items can be ignored or “clicked” and added to the shopping list. The “add-on” items can also be driven by an additional parameter of available coupons for that specific zip code. Retailers and manufacturers will welcome the “up-sell” on additional items the consumer may purchase.

This targeted approach will allow manufacturers to place their best offers in the hands of motivated buyers, who have already made their decision to shop. Millions of dollars of print coupons never reach the hands of motivated consumers. Newspaper readership declines each year, but manufacturers continue to spend millions of dollars weekly in the hopes that consumers will search and find their offers. This targeted approach for pre-purchase consumers will allow manufacturers to spend their marketing and promotional dollars more effectively and show a much improved response rate for the redemption of their offers.

The entire list will be run against all relevant, non-expired, available coupons in that zip code defined area. This will help shoppers save money by being offered coupons for specific purchases that they are planning to make. Advertisers will be able to “target” coupons to users who are planning to buy specific items in a zip code defined area. The availability of coupons matching to items on a shoppers list may drive purchasers to choose the items that they are offered a coupon, rather than pay full price for similar product. This service is unique, since advertisers will be able to offer coupons to motivated buyers in a zip code defined area as the shopper is compiling, editing and using their shopping list.

Users will also be able to create or use lists in other geographic areas by entering the zip code for the location where they are planning to shop. The service will offer a USPS approved city, state, zip code matching directory to help shoppers define the area for their out of town purchases. This will allow manufacturers to target their coupons, sales and promotions to defined areas. Users can establish saved “baseline” lists for weekly purchases, vacation locations (such as Spring Break and popular vacation locations such as Disney World) and lists for special events. Lists can be established by shopping type, store, season, back to school, vacation type, location or any other user provided parameter and list name.

There is no reason to limit the number of lists a user can store in the system upon introduction of the service. The operators of the Alyoop service can set parameters at a later date for the number of stored lists, purging of accounts of users that have not accessed their lists for 6-9-12 months and reminder emails may be sent to holders of idle accounts. This user account maintenance will help advertisers and sponsors better gauge Alyoop’s service performance, since metrics will be measured against “current” account users instead of an inflated number of total accounts, which could also include “abandoned” accounts.

Sponsoring retailers will be able to offer a variety of their own lists, such as home improvement projects, sending a child off to college, outfitting your first apartment, Thanksgiving, Halloween Party, etc.

The service will have multiple levels of users:

1. Casual users: These persons would enroll with a user name, password, home zip code and provide no personal information, other than stating that they are over 18 years of age by submitting their birth date and indicating their agreement to the terms and conditions of the "User Agreement."
2. Registered users: These persons would provide the same information as Casual Users, in addition to an email address and permission for others (registered users) to access their list(s). Permission would be granted by listing the email addresses of authorized users and a secondary password.
3. Premium users: These persons would provide the same information as Casual and Registered Users and would complete a market research survey on their buying habits, interests and opt (in or out) for additional promotional emails corresponding to their purchasing behavior. Additional surveys could be offered to this group and the user rewarded with special coupons or stored value certificates for their participation.

Registered Users and Premium Users would be eligible to participate in the social networking features of the web site. The social networking features could include: sharing recipes, hobby and sports interests, and a buyer's report where members can post "great deals" that they have found and want to share them with members of similar interests. (There will be no ability to post negative shopping experiences.) Alyoop will have no responsibility for any user posted information and if unsuitable posting are made, Alyoop can remove them and deny those responsible further access to service. Alyoop will not collect or store any personal information (name, address, telephone number), credit information, social security numbers or credit card numbers. If someone's account is compromised, no information that could be used for stealing a user's identity could be obtained from the system. Alyoop will design their system with state of the art information security processes and standards to protect the system and its users.

All users will be able to create a user name with alpha and numeric characters, so the users real name will not be stored in the system. All users will remain anonymous, if users want to share their identity with other users, they can accomplish this outside of the system through email exchanges. All users will be required to "sign" an on-line User Agreement agreeing to the terms and conditions of participating in the program/service. This agreement will include "Hold Harmless" language that will protect the operators of the Alyoop service from any and all liabilities of all participants in the service including advertisers, sponsors and the users themselves.

Users of all levels of service will be able use the system at no charge. Revenue for the company will be generated from advertising, coupon distribution, promotions, sponsorship, sale of marketing and consumer behavior information, and other sources that will be determined later. Manufacturers will be able to place their offers in the hands of motivated consumers for a fraction of the costs currently expended for newspaper insert advertising and 3rd class mail solicitation. Additional levels of users can be established as consumer use is analyzed. User groups may also be further defined by using the age group definers used by the media for listening and viewer audiences.