Patent ID: 8577740

Claim:
A system, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and one or more processors coupled to said memory; wherein said instructions are executable by at least one of said one or more processors to implement an order management system; wherein said order management system is configured to: receive orders for inventory items, wherein each of the ordered inventory items is ordered from one of a plurality of merchants, wherein at least some of said received orders are placed on behalf of a given one of a plurality of customers and include respective unique identifiers that correspond to said given customer, wherein each given one of said plurality of merchants is registered to receive inventory fulfillment services provided by a fulfillment services provider for inventory items offered in commerce by said given merchant, wherein the fulfillment services provider is distinct from said plurality of merchants, wherein the inventory fulfillment services include shipping inventory items to customers, and wherein at least two of said plurality of merchants are configured to present their own independent respective shopping interfaces to said customers; dependent upon said respective unique identifiers, determine that said at least some of said received orders comprise at least two inventory items each ordered from a different respective merchant of said plurality of merchants on behalf of said given customer; in response to said determining, instruct said fulfillment services provider to ship the at least two inventory items to said given customer in one or more shipments, wherein at least one shipment of said one or more shipments comprises two or more of the at least two inventory items each ordered from said different respective merchant, and wherein each of said different respective merchants is a merchant of record for its respective ordered inventory item.