A retrieval support system includes a database (16) which stores commodity image data; a retrieval unit (13) which acquires commodity image data having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of input image data, from the database (16), with respect to the input image data; and a condition setting unit (18, 32) which sets a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions. The retrieval unit (13) performs retrieval of the commodity image data based on the retrieval condition set by the condition setting unit (18, 32). The commodity image data acquired by the retrieval unit (13) and information relating to a commodity different from a commodity corresponding to the commodity image data are output together.