After 50 years, QR kills the barcode star

Over the next few years, we’ll wave goodbye to barcodes. After 50 years of ever-present service, traditional barcodes will be phased out in favour of QR codes as part of Sunrise 2027 – an initiative by GS1, the global authority on standards for barcodes. Two-axis QR codes are superior to barcodes in their ability to store a wealth of information. This allows manufacturers to store extra data like expiry dates, supply chains and recall information for retailers. Smartphone prevalence means the public benefit too, scanning products as they shop to access sustainability or nutrition information stored online. The transition challenge is two-fold. Companies have to make the change at the packaging level, trusting retailers to make the change at the till. Most modern optical scanners can already handle QR codes – it’s just a case of updating software systems. But smaller businesses working with older hardware may have to shell out for an upgrade to keep up.