Patent ID: 7346536

Claim:
A purchase supporting method of supporting network-based shopping that provides combination information to online shopping customers when shopping over a network to purchase merchandise, comprising: selecting particular lead customers from among electronically stored general customers; storing information about the particular lead customers separately from the general customers; collecting over the network from the particular lead customers feedback combination information concerning the merchandise that the particular lead customers purchased, where the feedback combination information comprises information inputted by the particular lead customers and information indicating the particular lead customers' objective findings about using the merchandise in combination with other different merchandise; during online shopping sessions when the shopping customers have indicated over the network an interest in purchasing the merchandise, providing over the network to the shopping customers collected individual feedback combination information concerning using the merchandise in combination with other different merchandise; and associating information related to usefulness of the feedback combination information with the feedback combination information; wherein the information about the particular lead customer includes a reference to the feedback combination information and the reference is associated with identification information of the particular lead customer who sent the feedback combination; and wherein the particular lead customer is provided with an opportunity to purchase discounted merchandise based on incentive points earned by the particular lead customer when the information related to usefulness is considered useful.