Amazon has patented new technology to ship items, before they are actually ordered.

The online retailer has developed anticipatory shipping, which works by utilising the company's algorithms and customer knowledge to try and predict what the user will order. 

It will accommodate factors such as previous purchasing habits, dwell time and the number of visits a customer makes to a particular listing to calculate the probability of them actually buying the product. Regional shopping patterns will also be taken into account, as products that sell well in a particular area will regularly be shipped to local warehouses in anticipation.

Sucharita Mulpuru, a Forrester Research analyst said: "Based on all the things they know about their customers, they could predict demand based on a variety of factors."

The patent also goes on to detail how packages could actually be shipped by filling out partial addresses, which would then be completed in-transit when an order comes through. 

Although the system could lead to the costly return of unwanted items, the company is said to hope that customers would be swayed to purchase the product on arrival. It is also considering allowing users to keep packages as a free promotional offer, designed to stimulate goodwill.