Barcode Scanner for Show Only?

It is very frustrating shopping at a supermarket where they have lots of barcode scanner but none is working. It is ok if there is a price tag on the product but there is none. On top of that the products on the shelf are mix with other products. Even if there is a price on the shelf, we are not sure which one belongs to the particular product that I wanted to buy. Is it so difficult to buy a good quality barcode scanner? I see plenty of good quality barcode scanner online. No need to travel all the way to US to get them.