TechSpot reports traditional barcodes are heading the way of the dinosaur to pave the way for QR codes by 2027. The 2D quick response code can contain far more information than a twelve-digit vertical UPC barcode. And after fifty years of service, retail establishments will phase out the outdated tech in favor of its more modern counterpart. So where were you when the QR code finally killed the barcode?
The 2D QR code can tell you more about a product than a barcode.
Firstly, it’s not specifically “QR codes” that will replace barcodes; instead, two-dimensional codes that resemble a QR code. So, similar to how Bandaids are a specific brand of bandages, QR codes are a type of 2D code.
Regardless, because 2D codes can contain far more information, they stand to revolutionize consumer goods. Although, they’ve existed for nearly forty years in their own right (David Allais developed the first 2D-style barcode in 1987).
Mostly everyone knows how QR codes (or 2D barcodes) work by now, and pretty much every smartphone can scan them. So it was only a matter of time before they became the retail standard.
Rather than only learning basic nutritional information, consumers can scan a food product and learn far more. For example, they’ll tell you where the product was grown or sourced from, its expiration date, and how to prepare it best.
Why now, after so many decades?
According to Axios, a nonprofit called GS1 created the “Sunrise 2027” movement to push for the switch to 2D codes. The change presents massive upsides for inventory management on the commercial side, along with consumer benefits.
Additionally, according to GS1 senior vice principal of standards and technology Carrie Wilkie, the AI revolution sped up the process. “As brands and retailers make more investments in AI and robotics, they need that in a machine-readable format,” Wilkie said.
