a shopping system for consumable items including : a display module including a plurality of display items , wherein each of the display items is not itself available for purchase but visually represents a corresponding one of the consumable items available for purchase , wherein purchase codes associate the display items to the respective consumable items , and the purchase codes are collected by a customer ; a customer - operated shopping list assembly system operative to assemble a shopping list corresponding to purchase items the customer wishes to purchase and a quantity for each of the purchase items ; a service point that receives the shopping list with delivery instructions from the customer ; and a warehouse and packing facility that stores the consumable items and on receipt of the shopping list from the service point , packs and arranges delivery of the consumable items according to the shopping list and the instructions .