THE RETAIL AND CONSUMER GOODS INDUSTRIES SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO QR CODES WITH GS1 STANDARDS

On this day in 1974 in Troy, Ohio, USA, the first scan of a barcode made it easier—and faster—for people to shop. Join us in celebrating the “beep” of progress and see what’s next!

On the 50th anniversary of the first barcode scan, 20 industry champions – including marketplaces such as Alibaba.com, retailers like Carrefour and brand owners like Procter & Gamble, are calling for the global adoption of QR Codes with GS1 standards. These QR Codes are expected to completely revolutionise the consumer experience.

Since its inception in the 1970’s, retailers and manufacturers have worked with GS1 to adopt the original barcode as the universal way to identify products, and it’s now used in over 1 billion products and scanned more than 10 billion times a day. Today, global industry leaders are again uniting for the second barcode revolution – to support the global transition to QR Codes powered by GS1.

Revolutionising the consumer experience 
Unlike traditional barcodes, QR Codes powered by GS1 can connect consumers to extensive amounts of product information to elevate their experience – including usage and recycling instructions, safety, nutritional information, and industry certifications.

With information easily accessible via smartphones, this opens a range of new possibilities for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers alike – providing all the information consumers need and desire, improving traceability, and driving efficiencies through the supply chain, while still enabling scanning at checkout.

Sunrise 2027
The companies who have joined forces with GS1 are a combination of leading brand owners, manufactures and marketplaces that have a combined market value of over $1.3 trillion USD. These companies operate in over 150 countries and reach billions of consumers worldwide – paving the way for the project’s success.

The goal of this collaboration is ambitious, yet clear: by the end of 2027, QR Codes with GS1 standards should be widely adopted. To achieve this manufacturers should start implementing QR Codes with GS1 standards on product packages, while retailers should ensure their point of sale (POS) scanners are equipped to read the new barcodes.

The shift has already begun with the new technology being tested in 48 countries across the world, representing 88% of the world’s GDP.---50 years after the barcode was first scanned, 20 leaders from the world’s biggest companies sign a global joint statement calling for the transition to QR Codes with GS1 standards to revolutionise the consumer experience.

To learn more about QR Codes powered by GS1’s, please visit GS1 "2D in Retail" webpage.