Amazon patents anti-showrooming web search blocker

Amazon has this month been granted a patent to block in store showroomers from searching for cut price deals on products seen in store.

Showrooming has long been a pet hate of the bicycle dealer, who aside from potentially losing the sale, loses countless man hours and bears the expense of stock holding.

It is not yet clear how the patent will benefit Amazon, which short of last week’s acquisition of the Whole Foods business doesn’t focus too heavily on own-brand physical locations as yet. Indeed Amazon is often one of the sites that showroomers may turn to for deals on goods.

The patent, in theory, will counter customers linked to the store’s wifi, re-routing showroomers to incentives to buy in store, perhaps via a price-match voucher or simply by blocking the content.

You can read more about the patent on The Verge.