Axios reports that “the humble and familiar barcode will soon be replaced with a more robust and muscular successor that offers far more information about the product inside.” The new 2D barcodes, the story says, “will unlock reams of online extras (for consumers) and revolutionize inventory management (for retailers) … Scanning them may tell us the field where something was grown, the factory where a garment was sewn, the sustainability practices of the company that made it — or the washing instructions … Consumers will gain online access to a trove of useful data — everything from ingredients, recipes and potential allergens to promotional offers and information about how to recycle the product.”
The technology, Axios writes, “promises to improve product safety, give us greater transparency into the origins of the items we buy, and enhance our lives with handy suggestions about how to use or prepare our purchases.
Stores will be able to respond immediately to product recalls, identifying faulty items and removing them from shelves.”
Carrie Wilkie, SVP of standards and technology at GS1 US, which is orchestrating the shift in a worldwide initiative called ‘Sunrise 2027,’ tells Axios that the 2D upgrades will “take you on an experience that the brand wants you to have.”
By 2027, the story says, “only the 2D barcodes will be accepted at registers globally.”
KC’s View:
This kind of information transparency at the consumer level is something that has been talked about for years, and I am happy to see that the infrastructure is being put into place to make it happen. The thing is, it will be critical for brands to be rigorous about accuracy as well as about using the tech to advance their own marketing efforts.
The thing is, this makes sense because it allows shoppers to be their own curators. The info all will be there, and it will be up to individuals to decide what they want to access – it will be different depending on the shopper, the category, and even current events.
The barcodes may be 2D, but they will add yet another dimension to the degree to which retailers can burnish their credentials as advocates for the shopper. If, of course, they do it right, and start the hard work of preparation now.
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