Research by discount code specialist VoucherCode has revealed how packaging is contributing to the £468bn product abandonment at self-service tills across the UK supermarkets.
VoucherCloud embarked on the research to build knowledge on customers' shopping habits and attitudes towards technology. It involved the participation of 2,481 consumers who had used self-scan at least once while doing their grocery shop and were then asked about their experiences using such retail technology.
The study by VoucherCloud listed scanning packaging, long queues or failure of staff to help customers when something goes wrong as contributors to the product abandonment problem.
Sonia Whiteley-Guest, group commercial director at Sun Branding Solutions, believes that if the future of grocery retail is unstaffed stores, then "brands and retailers need to ensure that the basics are in place to deliver the seamless service that shoppers expect".
Barcodes tend to fail at till point either because of "flawed data quality or poor image quality", she told ESM.
"Packaging material can play a large part in tampering with the readability of the barcode – for instance, barcodes printed on a clear film bag can run into problems when the coloured contents of the pack are inserted and cause an issue with colour contrast. Meanwhile metals can entail issues with reflection," she stated.
“Another challenge is the fact that the end of the barcode production sits with the printer who the brand owner often has the least control over."
Accuracy of print quality should be a service all reputable Reprographics agencies provide but all too often can’t, she stressed.
“It’s no surprise then that frustration with packaging that won’t scan leads to abandoned products at till points; or put another way, has contributed to the £486bn worth of purchase loss."
It could have an even greater impact, she adds. "Packs that fail to scan will kill impulse purchasing. If customers struggle to scan a product, it provides too much dwell time to think about the purchase. That leads to them changing their mind and leaving without that extra buy."
Ultimately, if the print clarity is good enough, then a barcode will scan, she argues.
"Supermarkets need to invest in self-service scanners that are productive and fast scanning to lead the customer through the transaction – an area where discounters Aldi and Lidl have concentrated."
Having intuitive customer-led prompts and gimmicky voiceovers are great, but if the core functionality doesn't deliver – the ability to successfully scan a product – we can only expect more abandoned sales, she concluded.
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