Walmart’s Mind-Boggling Self-Checkout Feature May Be Making It Harder for Shoplifters

New checkout technology at Walmart and other stores may be making it even more difficult for people to shoplift.

Shoppers are now able to scan certain items at the self-checkout counter by simply moving the item over the scanner, without having to actually scan a visible barcode.

Invisible barcodes, which are featured on Walmart Great Value store brand items and, though not visible to the eye, are located all over the product, were initially introduced via the retail chain's partnership with Digimarc in 2019.

According to Digimarc, the technology allows "packages [to] be printed all over with hundreds of barcodes without disturbing the package design."

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Multiple items can also be registered (i.e. scanned) at the same time.

According to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Digimarc's invisible barcode technology has the "potential to fundamentally change the checkout process."

The new technology was launched in an effort to speed up the checkout process at the resister, both for shoppers and employees, as well as eliminate the need to search for a visible barcode.

Why Shoplifting at Walmart Is a Bad Idea

It's possible that Walmart's new checkout process via Digimarc may be making it even harder for would-be shoplifters to swipe unpaid items at the register.

According to Daily Mail, "if an item with an invisible barcode is moved over the self-checkout, in an attempt to appear as if it has been scanned but hasn't, the computer will still pick up the item and register it for payment."

Instead, it seems would-be shoplifters who pretend to scan an item at the self-checkout register without any intention to actually pay for said item, will be charged for the item as the invisible barcodes are registered by the system automatically.

However, Walmart says the new technology was not launched in any pointed attempt to curb shoplifting.

In a statement via e-mail, a rep for the corporation tells PopCrush: "The connection PopCrush is attempting to make between a technology we are testing from Digimarc and retail theft/crime is completely inaccurate and unfounded. Walmart is always testing new ways to enhance the experiences for our customers, members and associates, and our work with Digimarc is no different."

Ed. note: PopCrush itself is not attempting to make any connection between Walmart and Digimarc's self-checkout technology and shoplifting crime; we are simply sharing a report from Daily Mail.

Walmart, like many other retail stores, is known for keeping a close eye on customers during checkout in an effort to detect shoplifting attempts and prevent product loss.

According to Business Insider, the chain uses "cameras to monitor registers for items that have not been scanned and notifies employees of the missed item. Employees overseeing the self-checkout stations can monitor the registers from mobile phones and, in the case of issues, pause the machines to prevent customers from checking out."

It's been reported over the years that Walmart will have shoplifting offenders arrested, while some claim the company will even build cases against repeat offenders, though this is unconfirmed.

Shoplifters at Walmart will sometimes be detained by an in-store loss prevention officer until local authorities arrive, according to reports.