Inventive barcode blocker ends misery of double scanning in multipacks
An ingenious barcode blocker is set to offer retailers a new weapon in their battle to overcome a major headache at the tills. A brand new packaging material which stops the widespread problem of “double scanning” in multipacks is about to launch on the market.
An ingenious barcode blocker is set to offer retailers a new weapon in their battle to overcome a major headache at the tills. A brand new packaging material which stops the widespread problem of “double scanning” in multipacks is about to launch on the market.
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 revolutionary new material is the brainchild of Hi-Cone, the international leader in multi-packaging for beverage, food and consumer goods, and is the result of ten years’ painstaking development, with a multi-million pound budget.
It contains a special chemical additive which prevents scanners from reading the barcodes on individual cans or bottles - only the one on the multipack can be registered.
Hi-Cone developed it in response to major concerns from retailers who are losing large sums of money as consumers are charged for just one can or bottle rather than the whole pack, which could contain up to 12 items.
The revolutionary new material is the brainchild of Hi-Cone, the international leader in multi-packaging for beverage, food and consumer goods, and is the result of ten years’ painstaking development, with a multi-million pound budget.
It contains a special chemical additive which prevents scanners from reading the barcodes on individual cans or bottles - only the one on the multipack can be registered.
Hi-Cone developed it in response to major concerns from retailers who are losing large sums of money as consumers are charged for just one can or bottle rather than the whole pack, which could contain up to 12 items.
Double scanning is a growing problem in the UK and throughout Europe as infrared scanners become increasingly sensitive and multipackaging materials more lightweight.
The barcode blocker will be available in special orders of Hi-Cone’s environmentally-friendly multi-packaging for cans and PET or glass bottles.
UK retailers and brands 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.
However, this is an expensive solution and makes stock control more difficult.
Across Europe, retailers are understood to be considering heavy penalties for brands when barcodes double scan.
The barcode blocker will be available in special orders of Hi-Cone’s environmentally-friendly multi-packaging for cans and PET or glass bottles.
UK retailers and brands 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.
However, this is an expensive solution and makes stock control more difficult.
Across Europe, retailers are understood to be considering heavy penalties for brands when barcodes double scan.
Hi-Cone is discussing the commercial rollout with several customers in the fast moving consumer goods industry, who view this as a great innovation.
Ton Hoppenbrouwers, Hi-Cone’s European Director of Business Development, said: “Double scanning is a real problem for retailers so we are delighted to have found a solution with this remarkable breakthrough. It fits well in our win-win strategy, by offering new packs which deliver benefits to both retailers as well as beverage companies.
“Following Hi-Cone´s MIN=MAX strategy, these new multipacks offer added value, without increasing weight or volume to the packaging supply chain”
Source: Hi-Cone
Ton Hoppenbrouwers, Hi-Cone’s European Director of Business Development, said: “Double scanning is a real problem for retailers so we are delighted to have found a solution with this remarkable breakthrough. It fits well in our win-win strategy, by offering new packs which deliver benefits to both retailers as well as beverage companies.
“Following Hi-Cone´s MIN=MAX strategy, these new multipacks offer added value, without increasing weight or volume to the packaging supply chain”
Source: Hi-Cone
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