Systems and methods for facilitating pick up of products ordered by a customer by a friend or family member of the customer

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that permit a customer to purchase products from a retailer and elect an option for a friend or family member of the customer to pick up the ordered products from the retail facility of the retailer associated with the geographic location of the customer. If the friend or family member of the customer agrees to pick up the products for the customer, and if the customer agrees to have the selected friend or family member of the customer pick up the products for the customer, the friend or family member is allowed to pick up the products at the retail facility associated with the geographic location of the customer. The customer is then allowed to either pick up the products from such a friend or family member or the friend or family member may deliver the products to the customer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for facilitating pick up of products purchased over a network by a customer from a retailer, the system comprising:
 an electronic customer information database configured to store electronic data associated with friends and family members of the customer;   an order processing server of the retailer configured to process an order for a product placed by the customer, the order processing server being configured to permit the customer to elect, via a computing device of the customer, to designate a first friend or a family member of the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer;   a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the computing device configured to access the electronic customer information database to obtain the electronic data associated with the friends and family members of the customer, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
 transmit a first electronic notification to a computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer designated by the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer, the first electronic notification being configured to cause a first graphical interface to be displayed on the computing device of the first friend or family member, the first graphical interface requesting the first friend or family member of the customer to select at least one input field within the first graphical interface to indicate agreement to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer; 
 in response to a selection by the customer of the at least one input field within the first graphical interface, receive a response from the computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer indicating agreement by the first friend or family member of the customer to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer; and 
 transmit a second electronic notification to the computing device of the customer, the second electronic notification being configured to cause a second graphical interface to be displayed on the computing device of the customer, the second graphical interface indicating that the product ordered by the customer will be available for pick up from the first friend or family member of the customer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second electronic notifications comprise at least one of: a mobile app notification, a short-message-service (SMS) message, an electronic mail, and an instant messenger message. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a response from the computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer indicating that the first friend or family member of the customer does not agree to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit a query to the customer to permit the customer to designate at least a second friend or family member of the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit a third electronic notification to a computing device of the second friend or family member of the customer, the third electronic notification requesting the second friend or family member of the customer to indicate agreement to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to check authentication credentials of the first friend of family member of the customer prior to authorizing the first friend or family member to pick up the product ordered by the customer at the retail facility of the retailer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to receipt of data indicating that the product ordered by the customer has been picked up at the retail facility of the retailer by the first friend or family member of the customer, the control circuit is further configured transmit an alert to the computing device of the customer to notify the customer that the product ordered by the customer has been picked up from the retail facility of the retailer by an authorized friend or family member of the customer. 
     
     
         8 . A method of facilitating pick up of products purchased over a network by a customer from a retailer, the method comprising:
 providing an electronic customer information database configured to store electronic data associated with friends and family members of the customer;   processing, at an order processing server, an order for a product placed by the customer, and permitting, the customer to elect, via a computing device of the customer, to designate a first friend or a family member of the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer;   accessing, via a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the electronic customer information database to obtain the electronic data associated with the friends and family members of the customer;   transmitting, via the computing device of the retailer, a first electronic notification to a computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer designated by the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer, the first electronic notification causing a first graphical interface to be displayed on the computing device of the first friend or family member, the first graphical interface requesting the first friend or family member of the customer to select at least one input field within the first graphical interface to indicate agreement to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer;   in response to a selection by the customer of the at least one input field within the first graphical interface, receiving, at the computing device of the retailer, a response from the computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer indicating agreement by the first friend or family member of the customer to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer; and   transmitting, from the computing device of the retailer, a second electronic notification to the computing device of the customer, the second electronic notification causing a second graphical interface to be displayed on the computing device of the customer, the second graphical interface indicating that the product ordered by the customer will be available for pick up from the first friend or family member of the customer.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second electronic notifications comprise at least one of: a mobile app notification, a short-message-service (SMS) message, an electronic mail, and an instant messenger message. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transmitting the first electronic notification step further comprises receiving, at the computing device of the retailer, a response from the computing device of the first friend or family member of the customer indicating that the first friend or family member of the customer does not agree to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analyzing step further comprises transmit a query to the customer to permit the customer to designate at least a second friend or family member of the customer for picking up the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising transmitting a third electronic notification to a computing device of the second friend or family member of the customer, the third electronic notification requesting the second friend or family member of the customer to indicate agreement to pick up, at the retail facility of the retailer, the product ordered by the customer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising checking, via the control circuit, authentication credentials of the first friend of family member of the customer prior to authorizing the first friend or family member to pick up the product ordered by the customer at the retail facility of the retailer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, in response to receipt of data indicating that the product ordered by the customer has been picked up at the retail facility of the retailer by the first friend or family member of the customer, transmitting from the computing device of the retailer an alert to the computing device of the customer to notify the customer that the product ordered by the customer has been picked up from the retail facility of the retailer by an authorized friend or family member of the customer.