Barcodes are set to be replaced by modern QR codes after more than 50 years of widespread use. GS1, the international non-profit that maintains the global standard for barcodes, is preparing to retire them in favour of a new square version capable of storing much more product information, according to the Daily Mail. Anne Godfrey, chief executive of GS1 UK, revealed that nearly half of British retailers have already updated their tills to accommodate the new codes.
"This has been in the works for some time, but Covid really accelerated it," she said. "During the pandemic, everyone got used to pointing their phones at QR codes in pubs and restaurants to access the menu." READ MORE: British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers must do one thing now to avoid higher bills Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here .
She added that QR codes providing bits of information are already appearing on many products. "Very soon we will say goodbye to the old-fashioned barcode and every product will just have one QR code that holds all the information you need." Traditional barcodes can only hold seven pieces of basic information — a product's name, manufacturer, type, size, weight, colour and, most importantly, its price.
They have become so integral to the daily operations of most supermarkets that it is impossible to purchase a product unless it has a barcode on it. When they are scanned at the till, the number on the barcode is.
