Standards organisation GS1 UK has launched a new self‑serve QR code generator, marking the next stage of the barcode-to-QR code evolution.
Describing the gradual move towards using QR codes rather than traditional barcodes as the UK’s “quiet retail revolution”, GS1 UK said its QR code generator will help more brands prepare for adoption.
The new capability makes it easier for smaller brands, and small to medium-sized enterprises to create QR codes powered by GS1. The move supports organisations looking for a simple way to get started and prepare for the transition, without changing the identifiers and standards they already rely on.
Next-generation barcodes are moving from pilots into live retail use, with the UK’s largest retailer Tesco becoming the first UK supermarket to transition an entire product range to QR codes powered by GS1 earlier this year. The grocer has adopted the next generation barcodes across its own‑label core sausage range, therefore bringing the technology into everyday use at the checkout.
GS1 UK said linear barcodes have underpinned global retail for more than 50 years and will continue to play an important role. But the next generation codes can support retailers and manufacturers – and, ultimately, customers – in understanding more about the product they are attached to.
For retailers, it could mean improved visibility of batch and date information, more accurate inventory management and greater precision during product recalls, which might help retailers and brands reduce waste, improve safety and strengthen consumer confidence.
QR codes powered by GS1 also open up new opportunities to provide shoppers with clearer, richer and more accessible product information, without changing how they shop or pay in store.
Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK, commented: “QR codes powered by GS1 build on the foundations that have served retail so well for decades.
“By linking a product’s unique GS1 identifier to trusted digital information, they support a more connected and transparent future for the industry. Making it easier for businesses to adopt this technology is an important step in helping the UK retail sector prepare for what comes next.”
Read more about what QR codes replacing barcodes can do for UK retail on Green Retail World
[image credit: Tesco]
