METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION AND DELIVERY OF GOODS ORDERED ON THE WORLD-WIDE-WEB

1 - 34 . (canceled)

35 : A method for delivering goods ordered by a plurality of customers, comprising:

enabling a plurality of customers to place orders for one or more goods from a vendor maintaining a server on a network; and

for each of the one or more goods in an order placed by a given customer, the vendor server determining whether the good is currently available at a local pick-up point geographically close to the given customer, and treating each such good separately depending on whether the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, as follows:

(i) in a case where the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, the vendor server ear-marking that good for the given customer, and

(ii) in a case where the good is not currently available at the local pick-up point, the vendor server fulfilling the order of the given customer by causing the good to be shipped to the local pick-up point in a single shipping order in combination with one or more goods ordered by others from among the plurality of customers who are also geographically close to the local pick-up point.

36 : A method according to claim 35 , wherein the orders are placed via the Internet.

37 : A method according to claim 35 , further comprising notifying a customer when an order is available for pick-up.

38 : A method for designating local receipt of items ordered from a vendor at a remote location, comprising:

enabling a customer to place an order for one or more items via a sever maintained by a vendor on a network;

enabling the customer to provide to the vendor a customer location via the vendor server;

enabling the customer to choose a local pick-up point from among local pick-up points offered by the vendor;

for each of the one or more items, the vendor server determining whether the item is currently available at the chosen local pick-up point, and treating each such item separately depending on whether the item is currently available at the chosen local pick-up point, as follows:

(i) in a case where the item is currently available at the chosen local pick-up point, the vendor server ear-marking that item for the customer, and

(ii) in a case where the item is not currently available at the chosen local pick-up point, the vendor server fulfilling the order by causing the item to be shipped to the chosen local pick-up point; and

upon receipt of the multiple items at the local pick-up point, providing notification to the customer that the order is available for pick-up.

39 : A method according to claim 38 , wherein the network is the Internet.

40 : A method according to claim 38 , further comprising enabling the customer to select from among options relating to the local pick-up point, customized based on at least one of: a type of item ordered and a pick-up capability of the customer.

41 : A method for delivering goods ordered by a plurality of customers, comprising:

enabling a plurality of customers to place orders for one or more goods from a plurality of vendors via servers maintained by the vendors on a network;

for each of the one or more goods in an order placed by a given customer, each vendor fulfilling the order by determining via the respective vendor server if the good is currently available at a local pick-up point geographically close to the given customer, and, treating each such good separately depending on whether the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, as follows:

(i) in a case where the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, the respective vendor server ear-marking that good for the given customer, and

(ii) in a case where the good is not currently available at the local pick-up point, causing the good to be shipped to the local pick-up point in a single shipping order in combination with goods ordered by those from among the plurality of customers who are geographically close to respective local pick-up points.

42 : A method according to claim 41 , wherein the orders are placed via the Internet.

43 : A method according to claim 41 , further comprising enabling a customer to select from among options relating to a pick-up point, customized based on at least one of: a type of good ordered and a pick-up capability of the customer.

44 : A computer-readable medium storing computer code that when executed causes a computer to perform a method for controlling delivery of goods, wherein the method comprises:

receiving orders for one or more goods from a plurality of customers;

determining, for each of the one or more goods, whether the good is currently available at a local pick-up point geographically close to the ordering customer, and treating each such good separately depending on whether the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, as follows:

(i) in a case where the good is currently available at the local pick-up point, ear-marking that good for the ordering customer, and

(ii) fulfilling the ordering customer's order by, in a case where the good is not currently available at the local pick-up point, causing the good to be shipped to the local pick-up point in a single shipping order in combination with goods ordered by those from among the plurality of customers who are geographically close to respective local pick-up points.

45 : A computer-readable medium according to claim 44 , wherein the network is the Internet.

46 : A computer-readable medium according to claim 44 , wherein the method further comprises enabling a customer to select from among options relating to a pick-up point, customized based on at least one of: a type of good ordered and a pick-up capability of the customer.