Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for tracking retail performance. A system configured to practice the method monitors transactions at a merchant point of sale and determines, from the transactions, a sales rate for a product. If the sales rate for the product goes below a target sales rate associated with the product, the system identifies a responsibility hierarchy associated with the product, wherein the responsibility hierarchy indicates a chain of responsible parties for the product, and sends an alert for the product to at least one of the responsible parties. The alert can be an audible alert, a visual alert, a vibration, a printed alert, a list entry, and/or a database entry. The system can send the alert to a responsible party and/or a supervisor of the responsible party. The alert can be associated with a period of time to resolve the alert.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for playing music at a cash register and for performing price scanning. A method for playing music at a cash register includes, for each item scan, selecting a note from a set of song instructions, and, as feedback for each respective item scan, playing the selected note as part of a sequence to output at least part of a song. A price scanner scans an item in a store, retrieves a price for the item and additional information, and outputs the price for the item and at least one suggestion based on the additional information. A retail store server selects song instructions which can be executed to produce notes of a song, and distributes at least a portion of the song instructions to a cash register for output in response to an item scan.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a waste collection device. The device has a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, and a back side. The bottom side has a first front ridge and a second back ridge. The back side has a plurality of holes. In one aspect, at least one of the top, bottom, left, and right sides extends beyond the back, and at least one of the top, bottom, left, and right sides has a slot into which a scraper can be inserted behind the back side to block at least a portion of the plurality of holes. The back side can connect to the bottom side horizontally closer to the second back ridge than where the back side connects to the top. Also disclosed is a base which interfaces with the waste collection device. Other desirable variations are also disclosed herein.