Systems and methods for time-based advertising

A non-transitory, machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

• receiving, over a communication network, first information representative of a bar code associated with a first item from a mobile device, wherein the mobile device scans the bar code associated with the first item;
• accessing second information associated with the first item based on the first information representative of the bar code;
• storing, in a database, the second information associated with the first item purchased by a buyer utilizing the mobile device associated with the buyer for a product user, the product user being a different person than the buyer, the second information comprising a first identification of the first item, a time of purchase of the first item, a second identification of the product user, and an age of the product user at the time of purchase of the first item;
• receiving web browsing data from the mobile device being used by the buyer over the communication network, the web browsing data being based upon monitoring, by the mobile device, web browsing of the buyer;
• determining, based upon the web browsing data that is received, whether the buyer is currently browsing at a shopping website utilizing the mobile device, resulting in a determination;
• responsive to the determination being that the buyer is currently browsing at the shopping website, querying the database to determine a current age of the product user;
• responsive to the current age of the product user meeting a threshold, determining a message to send to a virtual assistant associated with the buyer;
• and
• sending, over the communication network, the message to the virtual assistant associated with the buyer, the message presented by the virtual assistant associated with the buyer to inform the buyer of a suggested second item for the buyer to purchase for the product user, the suggested second item being age-appropriate for the product user at the current age of the product user, wherein the virtual assistant comprises a stand-alone device including a speaker, wherein the virtual assistant is separate from the mobile device, wherein the virtual assistant provide the message over the speaker.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a processing system including a processor, over a communication network, first information representative of a bar code associated with a first item from a mobile device, wherein the mobile device scans the bar code associated with the first item;
• accessing, by the processing system, second information associated with the first item based on the first information representative of the bar code;
• storing in a database, by the processing system, the second information associated with the first item purchased by a buyer utilizing the mobile device associated with the buyer for a product user, the second information comprising a first identification of the first item, a time of purchase of the first item, a second identification of the product user, who is a different person than the buyer, and an estimated age range of the product user at the time of purchase of the first item;
• receiving, by the processing system, web browsing data from the mobile device being used by the buyer over the communication network, the web browsing data being based upon monitoring, by the mobile device associated with the buyer, web browsing activity of the buyer;
• determining, by the processing system, based upon the web browsing data that is received, whether the buyer is currently viewing a webpage of a shopping website utilizing the mobile device, resulting in a determination;
• responsive to the determination being that the buyer is currently viewing the webpage of the shopping website utilizing the mobile device, calculating, by the processing system, a current age range of the product user, the current age range being calculated via a comparison of a current date with the estimated age range of the product user that is stored in the database;
• responsive to the current age range of the product user meeting a threshold, determining, by the processing system, a message to send to a virtual assistant associated with the buyer;
• and
• sending the message, by the processing system, over the communication network, to the virtual assistant associated with the buyer, the message informing the buyer of a suggested second item for the buyer to purchase for the product user, the suggested second item being age-appropriate for the product user at the current age range of the product user, wherein the virtual assistant comprises a stand-alone device including a speaker, wherein the virtual assistant is separate from the mobile device, wherein the virtual assistant provides the message over the speaker.