Patent ID: 7590567

Claim:
A method of operating an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, the method comprising: presenting identifications of items on a web page for selection by a customer, presenting an online display acknowledging the customer's selection of selected items; presenting an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window selected by the customer; presenting an online display permitting the customer to submit a purchase order for the selected items; receiving a submission of a purchase order for the selected items from the customer; comparing a time of submission of the purchase order to the order cutoff time associated with the delivery window selected by the customer; presenting an online display accepting the customer's submission of the purchase order for the selected items in response to the time of submission being before the order cutoff time; thereafter, picking the selected items for delivery; thereafter, pricing the purchase order for the selected items; thereafter, settling the purchase order for the selected items with a credit supplier; and then, delivering the selected items to the customer.