Skip-scanning explained: Causes, risks, and solutions for retailers
As self-service solutions become increasingly popular in retail, they bring both convenience and new challenges. One of the most pressing issues is a form of shrinkage known as skip-scanning. Whether it happens by mistake or intentionally, skip-scanning is a growing concern for retailers worldwide. However, with the right strategies and tools in place, it can be significantly reduced. In this article, you’ll learn what skip-scanning is, why it happens, and how retailers can prevent it.
What is skip-scanning?
Skip-scanning is when a shopper uses a self-service or self-scanning solution but fails to scan or register all items. Forgetting to scan items can sometimes be an honest mistake, but skip-scanning specifically refers to cases where this is done intentionally.
Skip-scanning does not require a specific number of items to be classified as such – it could be one, five, or more. The key point is that some products are not registered.
Skip-scanning is considered a form of shrinkage, more specifically external shrinkage, and has become a growing issue for retailers.
Which factors facilitate skip-scanning?
The primary factor that enables skip-scanning is that shoppers themselves are responsible for registering their items. While self-service solutions offer both convenience and control, they can also create opportunities for shoplifting without being noticed.
Of course, most shoppers are honest and register all items, but there are still individuals who view self-service solutions as an opportunity to steal products.
So should all self-service initiatives be cancelled? No, the benefits of self-service solutions such as self-scanning usually outweighs the risks associated with skip-scanning, however there must be reliable security measures and routines in place, in order to minimize the amount of external shrinkage.
How can skip-scanning be prevented?
By anticipating the risk of skip-scanning, retailers can implement ways to tackle this occurrence – here are some of the most effective ways to do so:
Random and trigger-based controls
One of the most effective ways to prevent skip-scanning is for staff to perform checks at the checkout, where all items are verified against the shopper’s receipt. However, this process can be time-consuming for both staff and shoppers.
By introducing algorithm-based triggers for controls, retailers can reduce the number of checks without increasing the risk of shrinkage. Shoppers who pass a control without any issues will be exempt from further checks for a certain period, whereas those caught skip-scanning will be subjected to more frequent controls.
This approach does, however, require that all shoppers using self-service options are registered in the store’s loyalty program; otherwise, it is not possible to track who should be controlled.
Visual or auditory elements
Adding visual or auditory elements is a smart way to—either consciously or subconsciously—encourage shoppers to register all items in their basket.
Visual: Some self-checkout stations have mirrors or tv-screens where the shopper can watch themselves as they register their products. This is not for vanity: A 1976 study found that when people are placed in situations that heighten self-awareness—such as looking into a mirror—they are less likely to engage in “antinormative” behaviors like stealing.
Auditory: Most shoppers are familiar with the loud “beep” that sounds each time they register an item at a self-checkout. While this sound reassures the shopper that an item has been scanned successfully, it also helps reduce skip-scanning. Shoppers who pretend to scan items are easier to identify, since no beep is produced when an item isn’t actually registered.
“Hidden” barcodes
A more unconventional way to ensure that all items are registered is by using “hidden” barcodes printed on the products. These additional barcodes make it easier for scanners to register items, even if the visible barcode is not facing the reader.
This approach is particularly useful in self-checkout settings, where a shopper attempting skip-scanning might pretend to scan an item without showing its barcode. Since the hidden barcodes are not visible to the shopper, they cannot easily prevent the product from being registered.
The concept of hidden barcodes is not very common, but have been used by Walmart for some years.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence has gained popularity in various industries, and there is great potential for retailers to use this technology to prevent skip-scanning. This can be done in various ways, such as:
AI-based cameras
Cameras equipped with AI technology can be placed throughout the store, in shopping carts, or at checkout areas to identify items and ensure they are registered correctly. For instance, AI-based cameras can detect when a shopper scans a single apple but places ten in the basket.
They can also serve as a complementary control measure—for example, verifying that the correct product is selected when shoppers use an in-store scale.
AI-powered analysis
Artificial intelligence can also be a powerful tool for analysing consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns—insights that can help assess whether a shopper is likely to engage in skip-scanning. By processing customer data, AI can support staff in determining which shoppers should be checked.
In addition, when combined with GPS data and other tools, AI can detect suspicious movements and behaviours during the shopping trip.
Learn more about how AI can be used in grocery stores here
Are the risks of skip-scanning greater with self-scanning?
Since shoppers register items themselves while placing them in the basket, does this make self-scanning more vulnerable to skip-scanning than other self-service options?
The short answer is no. While one might assume that people attempting skip-scanning are more successful in-store, where staff may not notice, the risk ultimately depends on the security measures in place. By requiring store membership as a condition for using self-scanning, retailers gain an overview of consumer behaviour and can more easily track suspicious activity.
In addition, when combined with randomized checks, auditory elements, and AI tools, self-scanning does not present a greater risk of skip-scanning compared to other self-service solutions.
“Self-scanning does not equate to self-skipping, but it does require retailers to be mindful of their security measures. All retailers, regardless of their self-service setup, should continuously review customer flows and work toward minimizing security threats,” said Fredrik Englund, Managing Director at Datema Retail.
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