GS1 US Celebrates 50-Year Barcode 'Scanniversary'

GS1 US, the neutral not-for-profit information standards organization best known as the administrator of Universal Product Code (UPC) barcodes, commemorates 50 years since the monumental debut of the first barcode scan ("Scanniversary"), marking a pivotal moment in retail history. On June 26, 1974, a 10-pack of Wrigley's chewing gum adorned with a UPC was scanned at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, igniting an era of retail and supply chain automation. Today, the barcode is used to identify over 1 billion products and is scanned more than 10 billion times daily, serving as a cornerstone of global commerce.

While the UPC has endured for 50 years to aid price lookup at point-of-sale (POS), new two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, like QR codes powered by GS1, are emerging on product packaging to provide consumers with detailed product information. A 2024 GS1 US consumer survey showed that 77% of consumers believe that product information is important when making a purchase and 79% of shoppers are more likely to purchase products with a scannable barcode/QR code (via smartphone) that provides the information they want.

Through industrywide collaboration facilitated by GS1, brands globally are beginning their transition from UPCs to new 2D barcodes, or QR codes, on product packaging, and retailers have set a target date to accept them at checkout by 2027 – a GS1 US initiative labeled Sunrise 2027. These GS1 web-enabled barcodes combine the capability and standards of the UPC and QR code to function at cash registers, offer rich product data from the brand that shoppers can access with a simple smartphone scan, and can help power retail inventory management, visibility, and traceability. Additionally, 20 of the world's biggest companies – including Procter & Gamble (P&G), L'Oreal and Nestlé – have signed a global joint statement calling for the adoption of these next-generation barcodes to revolutionize the consumer experience.