Shopping Cart not combining identical items

[ArgyleWinery.com]

A funny quirk -

http://argylewinery.com is set up to allow the customer to select product quantity prior to adding the item to the shopping cart. Once an item is added to the shopping cart, it shows up fine. If a cusotmer goes back to place other items in the cart and eventually adds the same item again, it shows up as two separate line items in the shopping cart - like "Product A = Quantity 5" AND "Product A = Quantity 1".

Shouldn't ShopSite recognize the fact that Product A was just added twice and thereby mark it as "Product A = Quantity 6" and not two separate entries of 1 and 5? Mercantec SoftCart makes this distinction. ShopSite should too... right?

If anyone has an explanation or solution, I would sincerely appreciate it.

[Jeff]

"Product A = Quantity 5" AND "Product A = Quantity 1".
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Could both be Product A but with differences in options (size or color) or in info the customer supplies to the store in a text box such as separate greeting cards.

I like the SS method.

And in rare cases where there is truly no difference, the customer should be able to understand the transaction at checkout (where he could even combine the two into one if it bothered him)

[ArgyleWinery.com]

Jeff,

Thanks for the speedy reply! In the case of my store, Product A = Product A. There are no differences in size, weight, etc. We sell wines, so Product A might be a 2003 Reserve Pinot Noir. If I add that to the cart more than once, it shows up as two line items.

Clearly, the customer should be able to notice this and combine manually, however the customer shouldn't have to.

Also, with quantity discounts involved, having a line item of xQantity and another line item of yQuantity, the discount may not be applied. If x and y quantities were intelligently combined by ShopSite, the customer wouldn't have to do QA on his own order to get his volume discount.

I suppose it is a minor issue for some/most, but in my case it has some importance.

Thanks again,

[Jeff]

"but in my case it has some importance. "

Yes, I see where it would be important in a store that offers quantity discounts which we don't do. Plus I suppose you often sell lots of the same product (and have no product options).