A technique for customizing purchase incentives, such as discount coupons
and the like, based on whether a consumer buys a promoted item or a
competitive item, and on the price of the promoted item relative to the
competitive item. The system identifies promoted or competitive products
in a consumer's order, and selects an incentive that is appropriate for
the price differential between the promoted and competitive items, and for
the purchase choice already made between the promoted and competitive
items. a different incentive is provided for the different pricing and
choice combinations, in an effort to maximize sales for the promoted item,
and the different incentives are stored in an incentive matrix accessed by
product purchased and by consumer profile as determined from whether the
consumer bought the more expensive item, the less expensive item, or one
of two equally priced items.