A method and system whereby a consumer creates a shopping list using a portable barcode scanner and an intelligent base-station. The entered barcodes are downloaded to the base-station from the barcode scanner. The base-station retrieves related barcode information from a barcode database via the Internet. The barcode database can belong to a merchant, or a generic shopping service.The base-station can be a consumer's computer, or some other smart electronic device. The base-station maintains a predictive shopping list database for all barcodes entered via the barcode scanner. The database learns the shopping consumption habits of the consumer over a period of time and ensures that when the consumer is ready to shop no previously needed, but currently forgotten, items are left off of the shopping list.The consumer uses this method to shop in a store, or via Mail-Order/Telephone-Order or on the internet using the created shopping list.