SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY FOR RECOMMENDING PURCHASES FOR A SHOPPING INTENT

摘要

Techniques are disclosed for optimizing online shopping. In one aspect, purchase items are recommended to a user based on the total purchasing costs of the recommended purchase items. In one embodiment, the total purchase cost includes not just the price of the purchase item but also includes weighted costs based on non-price purchasing cost factors. In another aspect, data is maintained that represents social relationships between members of a network of users and purchase recommendations are made to a user based on the relatedness between the user, the item and the other members of the network. In yet another aspect, purchase recommendations are made based on the best time to purchase a purchase item. In another aspect, item retailers can offer purchase item incentives to users based on the identity of and information about the shopper to whom the incentive is offered including bundling incentives with a unified redemption code.