Barcode blocker ends double scanning in multipacks

An ingenious barcode blocker is set to offer retailers a new weapon in their battle to overcome problems at the tills with new packaging material that stops the widespread problem of double scanning.

Today’s highly sensitive price scanners sometimes mistakenly register the barcode of a single can or bottle in a multipack rather than the whole product itself, so significantly undercharging the customer.  The new material, produced by Hi-Cone, one of the leading suppliers in multi-packaging for beverage, food and consumer goods, and is the result of a ten year development program.

A special chemical additive prevents scanners from reading the barcodes on individual cans or bottles, but allows it to read the one on the multipack.  Hi-Cone developed it in response to concerns from retailers who were losing money by consumers being charged for one can or bottle instead of rather the whole pack.  The barcode blocker will be available in special orders of Hi-Cone’s environmentally friendly multi-packaging for cans and PET or glass bottles.

Retailers and brand owners currently have to resort to supplying two separate sets of can and bottles to avoid double scanning – those for individual sale which all have barcodes and those for multipacks which do not.  This is an expensive solution and makes stock control more difficult, and some retailers are understood to be considering heavy penalties for brands when barcodes double scan.