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Amazon Patent to Control Retail WiFi

In the midst of Amazon’s highly publicized acquisition of Whole Foods Market last week, the company has quietly earned itself a brand new patent. This patent will essentially control the virtual space of customers when they’re shopping in a retail store.

According to the USPTO, Amazon’s Patent 9,665,881 will prevent buyers from straying towards other retailers by essentially blocking access to rival websites. The patent states that a wireless network may be lawfully controlled inside a brick-and-mortar store to prevent shoppers from making their purchase from a competitor. Clearly, this patent is designed to ultimately direct the buyer towards Amazon for the final purchase.

“Based upon an evaluation of the identified content, a determination may be made that the consumer device is attempting to access information associated with a competitor of the retailer or an item offered for sale by the retailer. At least one control action may then be directed based upon the determination.”

New Patent Holds Unprecedented Power

The Physical Store Online Shopping Control Patent (USPTO Patent #9,665,881) was quietly granted to Amazon on May 30th while the media was busy discussing the recent acquisition of Whole Foods. However, this online shopping network-control patent may be an even bigger breakthrough for Amazon overall.

In a recent article by Forbes, the new patent is described as an algorithmic system that monitors the WiFi activity of consumers when they enter a physical retail location. The algorithm may block the buyer from accessing websites of competitors in order to direct their final purchase towards Amazon.

As the e-commerce giant enters the world of brick-and-mortar shopping, this patent will allow them to keep the same level of control and dominance in retail they have gained over the online shopping industry. Essentially, Amazon has now reverse-engineered the price-comparison method for mobile shoppers that made them famous. With new ventures in retail and plans to further their efforts in physical stores, the Physical Store Online Shopping Control Patent keeps Amazon far ahead of the competition from every angle.