Methods and apparatus for facilitating transport of items between a store and a customer via a customer access portal

A method for transporting a first grocery item (102) between a customer (104) and a store (110) via a customer access portal (310) coupled to the store, wherein:

• the store comprises at least one inventory management computing device (120) including memory (124) storing an inventory management application (128) executed by the inventory management computing device and a database storing product information for the plurality of products, the product information including a product code for each product of the plurality of products;
• the customer access portal (310) comprises:
• a user interface (316 A);
• a user interaction area (320);
• a portal door (314) to control access by the customer to the user interaction area;
• and
• an interior safety door (318) to control access to an aisle space (312) that facilitates transport of the first grocery item between the user interaction area and the store;
• the first grocery item is identified by a first product code (106);
• and
• the customer places an order with the store and receives an order number (108) corresponding to the order, via a user software application operating on a computer, cellular device, or other device (316B) communicatively coupled to the inventory management computing device or via the user interface (316 A) of the customer access portal (310), wherein the order includes the first product code for the first grocery item,
• the method comprising:
• A) receiving, via the user interface (316 A) of the customer access portal (310) or the computer, cellular device or other device used by the customer (316B), the order number (108) corresponding to the order;
• and
• B) automatically opening the portal door (314) of the customer access portal to allow access by the customer to the user interaction area (320) while maintaining the interior safety door (318) closed to prevent access by the customer to the aisle space between the user interaction area and the store.