In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention a retailer
may receive a request from a group of customers for a reward the group desires
to earn by making purchases at the retailer. In response to such a request the
retailer determines purchasing conditions the group must satisfy in order to earn
the reward. The purchasing conditions may be determined based on, for example,
a value of the reward (e.g., a cost of the reward to the retailer), a number of
customers in the group, and/or a time by which the group desires to earn the reward.
The purchasing conditions may be determined such that the retailer realizes at
least a predetermined profit after the cost of providing the reward is considered.
The methods of the present invention may be implemented at an online and/or brick-and-mortar retailer.