Walmart is cracking down on shoplifters.
With its new self-checkout technology, it’s harder to sneak out unscanned items. Shoppers can now scan items just by moving them over the scanner. No need for a visible barcode.
This is thanks to invisible barcodes, found on Walmart’s Great Value products. They’re all over the product but can’t be seen.
Walmart introduced this in 2019 through a $3 million partnership with Digimarc.
Digimarc says the tech allows packages to be covered with hundreds of barcodes without messing up the design. Now, multiple items can be scanned at once.
A TikTok video shows a Walmart customer using this tech, scanning Great Value items without looking for a barcode.
@sushiissogoodomg And walmart still doesnt have tap to pay 🙄 #fyp #viral #relatable #greatvalue ♬ original sound - sushiissogoodomg
“Omg guys you can literally just scan the item anywhere and it’ll go through,” the video text says.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon believes this could change how we check out. It speeds things up for shoppers and workers, which was the goal behind this.
In 2022, Walmart deepened its partnership with Digimarc to further optimize store operations. And it’s helping prevent theft too.
If an item with an invisible barcode passes over the scanner without being scanned, the computer still registers it.
So, shoplifters pretending to scan an item will be charged for it anyway. Bet that’s a surprise they won’t expect.