Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing perishable product return requests submitted by customers to a retailer from which the customers purchased these perishable products. A customer is permitted to submit a perishable product return request via an interface that permits the customer to input one or more reasons for returning the product and upload a photograph of the product. After a customer submits the return request, the system analyzes various product return evaluation factors (including the customer’s trust score, historical product quality data, historical product return attempts by the customer, etc.) in order to determine whether to process the customer’s product return without requiring the customer to return the product in person at a store of the retailer, or whether to require the customer to return the product in person.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are systems and methods for an augmented display system. A computing system can determine whether a physical object is absent from a designated location in a facility in response to data retrieved from the database. The computing system can insert a virtual element in a planogram corresponding to the designated location of the facility in response to determining the physical object is absent. The computing system can augment via interaction with the application executing on the portable electronic device.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are systems and methods for an augmented display system. A computing system can determine whether a physical object is absent from a designated location in a facility in response to data retrieved from the database. The computing system can insert a virtual element in a planogram corresponding to the designated location of the facility in response to determining the physical object is absent. The computing system can augment via interaction with the application executing on the portable electronic device.