Traditional barcodes are becoming a thing of the past! They will be replaced by QR codes by 2027

A familiar image for almost 50 years, the barcode is found on the packaging of almost every consumer product in the world. But these standard barcodes will be replaced by a more capable successor, QR-style 2D codes, by 2027. In this way, consumers will be able to learn more about a product easily.

Barcodes are obsolete

The familiar barcode square, filled with thin and thick vertical lines, has been in use for decades. We can say that the functionality of these barcodes, which are used universally in consumer products, is limited. On the other hand, 2D versions, which can hold much more information encoded in both horizontal and vertical axes, have a much more capable structure. Unlike the standard 12-digit barcode, its 2D versions (a version of QR codes) that look like a square or rectangle with many small, individual dots can contain much more information about a product.

According to the reports, these QR-style 2D codes will allow stores to instantly respond to product recalls, detect faulty products and remove them from the shelves. In addition, it will be able to mark foods that are nearing their expiration date and offer discounts before they expire. In addition, consumers will have access to a range of useful data online, including everything from ingredients, recipes and potential allergens to promotional offers and information on how to recycle the product.

Desired to switch to 2D barcodes by 2027

QR codes have continued to grow in popularity since they were first used to label car parts in Japanese factories in 1994. However, we can say that the biggest increase occurred during the pandemic. Puma was the first company to announce the use of 2D barcodes in its US stores and products. These barcodes will link to information about the sneakers’ materials and the company’s sustainability efforts. Internationally, these codes are used in Japan, Australia and New Zealand to indicate the freshness and shelf life of food.

GS1 US, the nonprofit standards organization that oversees the barcode industry, is behind the ‘Sunrise 2027’ initiative, which aims to transition to fully 2D barcodes by 2027. A test kit has also been released recently for retailers to assess their readiness to transition to 2D.