June 27, 2024 Industry news
Today, more than ever, consumers and regulatory bodies are demanding more product information such as usage instructions, safety, ingredients, nutrition, certifications, and advice on how to recycle packaging.
There is an ongoing need for greater transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain to mitigate risks and improve customer service.
While the ubiquitous linear barcode has served us well for the past 50 years, something more powerful is needed to meet the growing data demands of our hyper-connected world.
To meet these new demands, the consumer goods industry will transition to QR codes powered by GS1. These new, smarter symbols not only store far more information than their linear predecessors, they can also be scanned by both smartphones and point of sale (POS) scanners.
This opens up whole new world of possibilities, providing all the information consumers and stakeholders across the supply chain need.
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. 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.”
Jon R. Moeller
Chairman of the board, president and CEO, Procter & Gamble
The next chapter of our collaboration with industry
The global effort to make this vision for the future of retail a reality is now underway.
GS1 globally and locally, and a group of leaders from multi-nationals, retailers, manufacturers, have declared that the transition to QR codes powered by GS1 will be essential as an innovative and forward-looking response to today’s business and consumer needs.
The aim is QR that codes powered by GS1 should be widely adopted around the world, with manufacturers using these next generation barcodes on their product packaging and retailers having the ability to scan them at POS.
Joint industry statement
To achieve this, industry must come together to adopt a unified approach if we are to improve efficiency, safety, and sustainability across the retail and consumer goods industries at a global scale.
So, to advance this collaborative global effort, 22 leaders from the world’s biggest companies have signed a joint statement calling for the transition to QR codes powered by GS1. This statement, which has been signed by Alibaba.com, Carrefour, IGA, JD.com, Lidl, L’Oreal, Nestlé, P&G and Savencia.
