Patent ID: 8170915

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for assisting a customer in ordering a product from an online store via a computer network, the computer network including at least a customer interface system in communication with a storage system, the customer interface system facilitates ordering the product, and the storage system facilitates storage of the product, the method comprising: providing availability information to the customer regarding the product via the customer interface system, and allowing the customer to purchase via the customer interface system to assist the customer in ordering the product, wherein the availability information is provided via a database configured to be accessed by the customer interface system, and informs the customer that the product can be pre-ordered when the product is not currently in stock but available by a specific date; providing delivery timing information regarding the product to the customer via the customer interface system even when the product is not currently in stock, to assist the customer in ordering the product; subsequently receiving a customer order for the product from the customer via the customer interface system; receiving the product at a physical storage location for storing a plurality of products of the online store that allows a plurality of customers to purchase from the online store, and the product becoming in stock after the receiving; automatically updating the availability information in the database, based on the product changing from not being in stock to being in stock, after receiving the customer order, wherein the customer order has a status, which depends on the product's availability information, and which is updated in view of the product changing from not being in stock to being in stock; allowing the customer to access information regarding the updated status of the customer order, which depends on the product's availability information, via the customer interface system; and managing, by the storage system, the physical storage location, wherein the storage system is configured to access another database regarding products in the physical storage location, the another database not being the database of the customer interface system, wherein information in the another database is configured to indicate whether the product is in stock at the physical storage location, and wherein the availability information for customers is related to the product being in stock or not being in stock at the physical storage location.