The Chinese Zhejiang province (65 million inhabitants), GS1 & GS1 China signed a joint announcement for an ambitious Global Migration to 2D project.

After almost fifty years transforming how we buy and sell products, retail barcodes are now evolving to respond to new business and consumer needs. This is why GS1 has launched the Global Migration to 2D initiative, leading industry sectors around the world through the transition from 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes.

1D barcodes continue to support the complexity of modern, global business, simplifying numerous supply chain processes where data flows quickly, efficiently and securely in a wide range of sectors. However, as consumers, businesses and regulators demand more and better product information, it is time to bring barcodes to the next level.

A new project by GS1 China and Zhejiang Provincial Administration for Market Regulation (abbreviated as Zhejiang AMR) will gradually implement 2D barcodes for millions of products in the Zhejiang province of China, which has a population of 65 million people. Over 7,000 food production companies will take part in this project and 200 stores of the largest merchandise retail chain in Zhejiang will undertake system upgrades to do POS checkouts with 2D barcodes.

It is expected that by the end of 2023, all products of 80% of all food companies in Zhejiang Province will have 2D barcodes printed on the package.