- 50 years after the barcode was first scanned, 22 leaders from
some of 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
- Signatories include industry champions like Alibaba, Carrefour,
IGA, JD.com, J.M. Smucker, Mondelēz, Lidl, L’Oréal, Nestlé,
P&G, and Savencia
- This initiative aims to have QR Codes with GS1 standards widely
adopted by retailers and manufacturers globally by the end of
2027
On the 50th anniversary of the barcode being scanned for the
first time, 22 industry champions – including marketplaces such as
Alibaba, retailers like Carrefour and manufacturers like Procter
& Gamble, are calling for the global adoption of QR Codes with
GS1 standards. Powered by GS1, the neutral and not-for-profit
standards organisation behind the barcode, these QR Codes can give
access to a wealth of product information easily accessible via
smartphones – which is expected to completely revolutionise the
consumer experience.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625448760/en/
The barcode scan - then and now. (Photo:
Business Wire)
Since the first scan in 1974, the collaboration between
retailers and manufacturers through GS1 has led to the widespread
adoption of the original barcode. This technology is the trusted
universal method for product identification, with over 1 billion
items carrying barcodes that are scanned more than 10 billion times
daily, enhancing supply chain efficiencies worldwide. Today, global
industry leaders are again uniting in the transition to QR Codes
with GS1 standards, a 2D barcode also known as QR Code powered by
GS1.
“The first barcode scan forever changed how we buy and sell
products,” said Renaud de Barbuat, President and CEO of GS1.
“Fifty years on, industry champions have come together calling for
the transition to QR Codes powered by GS1. This collaborative
effort is set to transform in new ways how we shop, eat, and live.
We believe this marks the start of a second barcode revolution –
making products more traceable and transforming the consumer
experience, thereby unlocking the future of retail.”
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 – giving access to all the information consumers
need and desire, improving traceability, and driving efficiencies
through the supply chain, while still enabling scanning at
checkout.
- Smarter choices: with information no longer limited by
packaging space, QR Codes powered by GS1 can enhance the consumer
experience by allowing brands to share additional information
including video tutorials, style advice, suggested recipes or other
information relevant to their purchase.
- Sustainable insights: with increasing consumer demand to
understand the environmental impact of products, QR Codes powered
by GS1 can connect consumers to information such as where a product
was sourced, its components, carbon footprint, and guidance on
recycling or reusing packaging.
- Safer food: alongside health and nutrition, QR Codes
powered by GS1 can facilitate access to regulatory information,
detailed allergy advice, and 'Best Before' or 'Sell By’ dates –
allowing expired foods to be rejected at checkout, and those close
to expiry to be sold at reduced rates – leading to a reduction in
food waste.
Companies will need to evaluate their internal technology and
processes to make the most of QR Codes with GS1 standards. Adding
more detailed product information into QR Codes can be done
gradually, allowing businesses to plan changes at their own
pace.
“Consumers demand more information about the products they’re
purchasing, regulators require the disclosure of more information
and there’s an ongoing need to more effectively track and trace
products through the supply chain,” said Jon R. Moeller,
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, The Procter & Gamble
Company. “We can resolve this with 2D barcodes with GS1
standards inside – a single barcode that has the power to provide
all the information consumers need and desire, improve traceability
through the supply chain, and scans at checkout.”
QR Codes with GS1 standards should be widely adopted by the
end of 2027
This industry initiative is a groundbreaking, collaborative
effort to advance global standards for efficiency, safety, and
sustainability across the retail and consumer goods industries. The
companies who have joined forces with GS1 are a combination of
leading brand owners, retailers and marketplaces that have a
combined market value of over $1.5 trillion USD. These companies
operate in over 160 countries and reach billions of consumers
worldwide – paving the way for the project’s success.
The goal of this collaboration is that by the end of 2027 QR
Codes with GS1 standards should be widely adopted. To achieve this,
a coordinated effort is necessary between manufacturers and
retailers: 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.
“We expect that the transition to QR Codes with GS1 standards
will happen gradually around the world, but one thing is certain:
those that accelerate through this transformation the fastest will
be best positioned to unlock valuable new capabilities and provide
more benefits to their customers, shoppers, and consumers,” said
Mark Batenic, Chairman of the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA)
and Chairman of the GS1 Management Board.
The shift has already begun with the new technology being tested
in 48 countries across the world, representing 88% of the world’s
GDP.
The complete list of companies that have signed the industry
global joint statement is the following: Alibaba (Taobao &
Tmall Group), AS Watson Group, Barilla Group, Carrefour, 7-Eleven
(CP ALL Thailand), Dr. Oetker, IGA, JD.com Group (Jingdong), Lidl
International, L’Oréal, Master Kong (Tingyi Holding Corp.), Mengniu
Group, Metro, Migros Ticaret A.S., Mondelēz International, Nestlé,
The Procter & Gamble Company, Savencia Fromage & Dairy, The
J.M. Smucker Co., Tsingtao Beer Group, WH Group (Henan Shuanghui
Development Co.), and Yili Group.
You can access the global joint industry statement here.
There are several types of next generation 2D barcodes. The QR
Code is the most widely used in retail, while the GS1 DataMatrix is
commonly used in healthcare. To learn more about QR Codes powered
by GS1’s, please visit this page.
About GS1
GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that provides
global standards for efficient business communication. We are best
known for the barcode, named in 2016 by the BBC as one of “the 50
things that made the world economy.” GS1 standards improve the
efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical
and digital channels in 25 sectors. We enable organisations of all
types and sizes to identify, capture and share information
seamlessly. Our scale and reach – local Member Organisations in 118
countries, more than 2 million user companies and 10 billion
transactions every day – help ensure that GS1 standards create a
common language that supports systems and processes across the
globe. Find out more at www.gs1.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625448760/en/
Media contact details Carlos Carnicero Urabayen Senior
Manager PR & Media carlos.carnicero@gs1.org +32 2 788 78 91