Method and apparatus to automate consumer replenishment shopping by periodicity

Abstract

According to the present invention, a method to automate the replenishment of one or more items on a shopping list. The method comprising the steps of storing data representing an inventory of items for sale at the e-commerce site; storing one or more shopping lists, each for a plurality of consumers at the e-commerce site; storing the purchase history of the items purchased by one or more consumers at the e-commerce site; storing a predetermined periodicity of previous purchases of one or more items previously purchased from the e-commerce site by looking at a pattern of past purchase histories for one or more items; receiving a request from the at least one consumer for at least one of the shopping lists to build an active shopping list; reviewing the purchase history for the at least on consumer to determine if at least one item previously purchased from the purchase history has exceeded the predetermined periodicity including a shelf-life; prompting the at least one consumer to authorize the addition of the at least one item previously purchased, if the item has exceeded the predetermined periodicity; and adding the at least one item to the active shopping list if authorized by the at least one consumer. In an alternate embodiment, a computer readable medium and system is disclosed that corresponds to the method above.