- 78 per cent say brands and retailers are failing to invest in tech for visually impaired shoppers
- 85 per cent want the UK Government to make accessibility support mandatory in stores
- RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) – “This new GS1-driven system removes in-store barriers for blind shoppers”
London, 08 December 2025 - More than seven in 10 (71 per cent) severely visually impaired people find food shopping a challenge – with nearly three quarters avoiding it as a result (71 per cent).
It comes as 83 per cent say information on food packaging is difficult or impossible to access, and 73 per cent of those with sight loss believe little thought is given to designing packaging for people without sight.
GS1 UK commissioned research to understand accessibility challenges as part of its wider work to make shopping more inclusive, alongside collaborations with tech firms like Zappar and Navilens.
It found that buying food isn’t just inconvenient for visually impaired people – but also emotionally draining, exclusionary and a significant barrier to independence that can come with high risks.
In fact, 41 per cent purchased food only to discover later it contained an ingredient they avoid or cannot eat – and 37 per cent have experienced allergic reactions because they couldn’t read food labels.
It emerged that the biggest barriers are small or hard-to-read text (56 per cent), poor lighting (40 per cent), ever-changing product placement (23 per cent) and lack of staff support (22 per cent).
Inaccessible shop layouts (17 per cent), no access to audio descriptions or mobile app support (14 per cent), and lack of braille or raised symbols (13 per cent) also made the list, leaving 26 per cent feeling stressed, 23 per cent frustrated and 21 per cent anxious when trying to identify products on shelves.
Vicky Blencowe, a volunteer with the Sight Loss Council – who has sight loss due to being diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease – said: “I’m a bit unadventurous, it’s difficult to explore new products when you can’t read the labels. Consistency is key. We need accessible QR codes across everything — not just in the cereal aisle or on a few products.
“The ability to scan from a distance and instantly get information would be a miracle for shoppers like me – and having information on the products stored and accessible quickly in a consistent way would make shopping easier, fairer, and far more inclusive.”
More than half (53 per cent) have had to ask strangers for help reading labels, which made 36 per cent feel uncomfortable, and 83 per cent stick to familiar brands to avoid accessibility challenges.
Visually impaired consumers feel ignored: 78 per cent believe brands and retailers have not invested enough in technology to support them and only 22 per cent think any thought is given to designing packaging with accessibility in mind.
85 per cent support the UK Government making it mandatory for shops to provide more accessibility support, including staff training, larger writing and audio descriptions via scannable QR codes.
When asked what would make shopping easier, respondents wanted large, high-contrast print (56 per cent), consistent layouts (43 per cent) and staff trained to assist visually impaired customers (37 per cent).
QR codes powered by GS1 solve this by acting as a digital gateway – shoppers simply scan and access product details through their device, with screen readers and assistive technologies such as Zapvision, Be My Eyes, and Seeing Ai ensuring the information is read aloud and easy to navigate.
Large print is highly desired, but often impractical because packaging space is limited. QR codes solve that problem in a different way: they connect shoppers to digital content that works with screen readers, making vital details like ingredients, portions, allergens and storage advice accessible to everyone.
QR codes are already proving their value: 40 per cent of visually impaired shoppers have used them to access product information and 80 per cent would use them if widely available.
These smart codes enable smartphones to read packaging aloud, share essential product information, restore confidence and support independence for visually impaired shoppers with brands choosing to adopt the existing solution, facilitating safer, inclusive shopping.
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK, said: “As we head into the festive season, a time that should be joyful, it’s unacceptable that so many shoppers face such barriers. Food shopping can be the cause of not just frustration and stress but real anxiety too.
“There is strong demand for change and with better, more inclusive options available, it’s time for brands and retailers to take action to make shopping easier for everyone.
“While large, high-contrast print is desirable, it’s often impractical due to limited space on packaging. QR codes powered by GS1 offer more than regular QR codes – they make vital details like ingredients, allergens and storage advice accessible through screen readers and assistive apps. This ensures consistency and compatibility across products, restoring independence for visually impaired shoppers.”
Darren Tan, Ecosystem Manager at Zappar, said: “This research confirms what shoppers with sight loss have been saying for years: the information is there, they just can’t access it. Accessible QR codes fix that instantly using the apps people already rely on. The technology is ready to scale. What’s needed now is consistency across retailers, so shoppers aren’t left guessing at the shelf.”
Daphne Mavroudi-Chocholi, Managing Director of RNIB Enterprises, said: “RNIB champions truly accessible design. Accessible QR codes give brands a straightforward way to deliver on this and transform the shopping experience for blind and partially sighted people – and anyone with a print disability. The faster companies get on board, the quicker everyone benefits.”
Notes to editors
For further information or requests for interviews, contact Max Fairhurst, max.fairhurst@redbrickroad.com, 07799 739438, or Alex Cox, alexander.cox@gs1uk.org, 07464946769
About the research
Research by OnePoll – MRS Compliant and members of British Polling Council. A sample of 500 UK adults who are visually impaired (with a minimum of 100 people having a severe or worse visual impairment) – conducted between 31 October to 7 November 2025.
About GS1 UK
Whether online, in store or in a hospital, the common language of GS1 global standards is helping our community of more than 60,000 organisations across the UK to uniquely identify, describe and track anything, creating greater trust in data for everyone. From product barcodes to patient wristbands, GS1 standards have been transforming the way we work and live for 50 years. We are now embarking on the next 50 years of industry transformation delivered through QR codes powered by GS1.