Fifty years ago today, industry leaders in the retail grocery sector agreed on a single standard for product identification: the barcode. This early collaboration led to the birth of GS1, and GS1 Taiwan is proud to be one of the 116 member organisations we have grown into, all working together to transform how businesses operate worldwide. Join us this year as we celebrate our past while we look toward the future and the transformative impact we continue to have on businesses, people—and society. Visit our website to learn more, and check out our video below to watch our story!

Since 3 April 1973, GS1 has worked alongside industry to change lives through discovery and innovation. From the first barcode scan in a supermarket to enabling more reliable and transparent supply chains across many industries, GS1 has much to look back on and even more to look forward to!

For the last 50 years, GS1 has been behind the “beep” you hear at checkout. More than 1 billion products carry GS1 barcodes, and 6 billion times a day, GS1 barcode numbers are scanned. Through the decades, this “beep” and trusted product data have connected businesses to consumers and medical professionals to patients, keeping our food fresh, our medications safe, and our deliveries on time.

And now, taking us into the future, we are proud to introduce the next-gen barcode powered by GS1—unlocking a world of endless possibilities:
• Consumers have easy access to information about the products they buy.
• Retailers and manufacturers can enhance the overall shopping experience they offer.
• Businesses can operate more efficiently, saving time and money.
• Access to data supports sustainability initiatives.
• All while still driving the checkout process at retail!

GS1 has been there for industry’s digital transformation and is paving the way forward with the future of barcodes. Learn more about the next-gen barcode and discover why 2 million companies across the globe trust GS1 standards to share their product data.