SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES, AND METHODS FOR MANAGING INVENTORY OPERATIONS

1 . A method comprising:

retrieving a plurality of e-mail messages associated with a user;

parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages;

associating the set of merchandise items with the user in an item database;

identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message; and

flagging an item in the item database corresponding to an item in the return e-mail message as returned.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein flagging an item in the item database corresponding to an item in the return e-mail message as returned comprises:

placing the item in the return e-mail into a returned item queue;

determining if any items in the item database are in the returned item queue; and

flagging those items in the item database and in the returned item queue as returned.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein determining if any items in the item database are in the returned item queue further comprises adding items in the returned item queue but not in the item database to the item database.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message comprises utilizing a regular expression to identify a defined pattern in the return e-mail message.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message further comprises:

extracting return information from the return e-mail message;

storing the return information in the item database;

associating one or more items in the return e-mail message with the return information, the associating including identifying a return date for the one or more items; and

automatically initiating a return for the one or more items using the return information upon detecting the return date is upcoming.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

extracting an item from the item database, wherein the item is associated with a purchased price;

retrieving a current price of the item from a third-party website associated with the item;

determining that a difference between the current price and the purchased price exceeds a predefined price adjustment threshold;

transmitting an e-mail message to the merchant associated with the item requesting a price adjustment.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising alerting the user that the difference between the current price and the purchased price exceeds the predefined price adjustment threshold.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages further comprises:

determining that one of the plurality of e-mail messages is a shipping e-mail message;

extracting shipping details for a shipping item included within the shipping e-mail message;

determining that the shipping item was delivered or cancelled based on the shipping details and flagging, correspondingly, the shipping item as delivered or cancelled in the item database;

monitoring a delivery status of the shipping item and correspondingly updating a delivery status of the shipping item in the item database; and

transmitting an alert to the user upon changing the delivery status of the shipping item.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages further comprises

identifying a frequent merchant appearing the plurality of e-mail messages;

receiving credentials associated with the frequent merchant from a user;

retrieving a web page of the frequent merchant using the credentials;

extracting an extracted item from the web page;

identifying a corresponding item in the plurality of e-mail messages corresponding to the extracted item;

augmenting details associated with the corresponding item with details associated with the extracted item; and

updating the extracted item in the item database using the augmented details.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting, from the item database, a wishlist;

selecting, from the wishlist, a wishlist item;

determining that the wishlist item is currently on sale and is associated with a sale price offered by a merchant;

determining that the sale price exceeds a price threshold;

adding the wishlist item to a sale list of items stored in the item database;

determining that the merchant is on a whitelist; and

transmitting an alert to the user including the wishlist item, a merchant identity, and the sale price.

11 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-executable instructions therein that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the operations of:

retrieving a plurality of e-mail messages associated with a user;

parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages;

associating the set of merchandise items with the user in an item database;

identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message; and

flagging an item in the item database corresponding to an item in the return e-mail message as returned.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein flagging an item in the item database corresponding to an item in the return e-mail message as returned comprises:

placing the item in the return e-mail into a returned item queue;

determining if any items in the item database are in the returned item queue; and

flagging those items in the item database and in the returned item queue as returned.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein determining if any items in the item database are in the returned item queue further comprises adding items in the returned item queue but not in the item database to the item database.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message comprises utilizing a regular expression to identify a defined pattern in the return e-mail message.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein identifying at least one of the plurality of e-mail messages as a return e-mail message further comprises:

extracting return information from the return e-mail message;

storing the return information in the item database;

associating one or more items in the return e-mail message with the return information, the associating including identifying a return date for the one or more items; and

automatically initiating a return for the one or more items using the return information upon detecting the return date is upcoming.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the operations of:

extracting an item from the item database, wherein the item is associated with a purchased price;

retrieving a current price of the item from a third-party website associated with the item;

determining that a difference between the current price and the purchased price exceeds a predefined price adjustment threshold;

transmitting an e-mail message to the merchant associated with the item requesting a price adjustment.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the operation of alerting the user that the difference between the current price and the purchased price exceeds the predefined price adjustment threshold

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages further comprises:

determining that one of the plurality of e-mail messages is a shipping e-mail message;

extracting shipping details for a shipping item included within the shipping e-mail message;

determining that the shipping item was delivered or cancelled based on the shipping details and flagging, correspondingly, the shipping item as delivered or cancelled in the item database;

monitoring a delivery status of the shipping item and correspondingly updating a delivery status of the shipping item in the item database; and

transmitting an alert to the user upon changing the delivery status of the shipping item.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein parsing the plurality of e-mail messages to identify a set of merchandise items present within the plurality of e-mail messages further comprises:

identifying a frequent merchant appearing the plurality of e-mail messages;

receiving credentials associated with the frequent merchant from a user;

retrieving a web page of the frequent merchant using the credentials;

extracting an extracted item from the web page;

identifying a corresponding item in the plurality of e-mail messages corresponding to the extracted item;

augmenting details associated with the corresponding item with details associated with the extracted item; and

updating the extracted item in the item database using the augmented details.

20 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the operations of:

selecting, from the item database, a wishlist;

selecting, from the wishlist, a wishlist item;

determining that the wishlist item is currently on sale and is associated with a sale price offered by a merchant;

determining that the sale price exceeds a price threshold;

adding the wishlist item to a sale list of items stored in the item database;

determining that the merchant is on a whitelist; and

transmitting an alert to the user including the wishlist item, a merchant identity, and the sale price.