2023-05-07 13:55:00
It was on June 26, 1974, in a grocery store located in Troy (a city in the State of Ohio), that the first barcode was scanned. It featured on a pack of Juicy Fruit-branded chewing gum, which wasn’t quite randomly chosen: For the designers, it was to show that even the smallest item might sport a barcode. machine readable.
The barcode was obviously the assurance of spending less time at the checkout, but also the possibility for traders to better manage their stocks. In recent years, with the proliferation of self-service checkouts, it had even contributed to the reduction of staff in some supermarkets. For customers, refusing to use this type of fund was almost a political act.
But the era of the barcode is almost over. The non-profit organization GS1 USwhich oversees its use around the world, recently announced that according to its estimates, the current one-dimensional barcodes will be phased out in 2027. They will then be replaced by 2D codes, similar to QR codes, Explain Axios.
The replacement of legacy codes is part of an initiative called Sunrise 2027: they will give way to a more elaborate system, capable of storing more information than a simple juxtaposition of vertical lines. Important advantage of these 2.0 barcodes: they will be compatible with use on the internet and can be easily flashed with a smartphone.
A whole range of possibilities should open up thanks to this new system, Hackaday explained. The new barcodes (which deserve to be renamed, since they will no longer have bars) will allow access to product information, discount coupons or mini-sites.
Transition enabled
Before 2027, a long transition phase will begin during which new 2D codes will begin to appear on certain packaging, coexisting with ancestral barcodes. At GS1 US, this period has been planned for a long time, and the organization notably provides a guide that will allow merchants to update their system, apparently at no cost.
Some brands have already taken the plunge, such as Puma, whose products sold in the United States already carry 2D barcodes. For the moment, these lead to a site evoking the composition and durability of the articles in question.
Across the Atlantic, some soda machines also use this system, like those that can be found in France in some fast-food chains – including Five Guys. They make it possible to choose your drink from your smartphone, without even having to touch the screen of the machine.
In Japan, Australia and New Zealand, 2D codes are currently being tested to provide information on the condition and expiry date of certain fresh products. In five years, these cousins of the QR code should be part of our daily lives and appear absolutely everywhere.
1683472597
#farewell #barcodes #planned
