Modular automated retail store and system

A retail system, including:

• a plurality of automated retail store systems located at different retail sites, each said automated retail store system being adapted to store a variety of different items;
• a retail management system including a processor and communication interface, configured to receive, from a customer, order information relating to an order, and based on said order information, control the operation of said automated retail store system selected by said customer for said order;
• and
• wherein the selected said automated retail store system, under the control of said retail management system, includes one or more item retrieval systems configured to:
• (i) retrieve from a storage shelf unit identified by said retail management system one or more stored items corresponding to the items identified in said order information, and (ii) at a scheduled time before a pickup time specified in said order information, place the retrieved items into a customer locker compartment of a customer locker unit, wherein said customer locker compartment is only accessible by said customer after verification of said customer;
• wherein each said item retrieval system:
• includes a support structure extending upwards from a base and controls the operations performed by predefined modules of said item retrieval system, under the control of a store control system and/or said retail management system,
• wherein said predefined modules include the following types of modules:
• a) a storage bay module configured according to a selected one of first several predetermined configurations for storing one or more removable storage containers, each of the first several predetermined configurations specifies locations where said storage bay module is coupled to said support structure;
• b) a container actuating mechanism configured according to a selected one of second several predetermined configurations, each said container actuating mechanisms comprising container engagement means and being configured to operate under the control of said item retrieval system to perform predefined container handling operations, said predefined container handling operations including retrieving a storage container by engaging said storage container via said container engagement means from a selected retrieval location in three-dimensional space proximate to said item retrieval system, and moving the retrieved storage container to a selected target position in three-dimensional space proximate to said item retrieval system, each of the several predetermined configurations specifies a position and/or movement of one or more mechanisms and/or sensors of use with said container actuating mechanism relative to said support structure;
• and
• c) an item retrieval mechanism configured according to a selected one of third several predetermined configurations, each said item retrieval mechanism being configured to operate under the control of said item retrieval system to perform predefined item handling operations including identifying items in a retrieved storage container, retrieving a selected item from the retrieved storage container, and placing the selected item into another storage container proximate to said item retrieval system, each of the third several predetermined configurations specifies a position and/or movement of one or more mechanisms and/or sensors for use with said item retrieval mechanism relative to said support structure;
• wherein said storage bay module, said container actuating mechanism and said item retrieval mechanism are integrated into said item retrieval system along said support structure by releasably coupling to said support structure, respectively, and
• the number and/or position of said storage bay module, said container actuating mechanism and said item retrieval mechanism with respect to said support structure are configurable, respectively, based on one of the first, second and third several predetermined configurations.