GS1 Australia has used the 52nd anniversary of the first barcode scan to urge Australian businesses to upgrade their point-of-sale (POS) systems to read 2D barcodes, such as QR codes, alongside traditional barcodes.
Marking World Barcode Day on 26 June, the standards body warned that many older systems would not meet future operational requirements as retail shifts to 2D codes. Both formats carry the GTIN, the global standard for product identification, but 2D barcodes hold far more data.
That additional data includes batch and expiry dates, sustainability credentials and links to digital content. GS1 said the codes support better product safety, stronger traceability and more personalised consumer experiences, advantages it described as critical across food and non-food markets.
GS1 Australia CEO, Maria Palazzolo, said the change was more than a technology upgrade.
“2D barcodes will soon redefine how organisations operate and how consumers make decisions,” Palazzolo said.
The codes are already being adopted by major global retailers, with GS1 saying the shift is accelerating across compliance, traceability, operational efficiency and consumer engagement. The body said businesses that prepared now would be best placed to meet rising consumer demand for transparency.
Palazzolo said retailers that acted early would “lead the next era of modern commerce”.
To capture the benefits, GS1 said businesses needed POS systems capable of reading both traditional and 2D barcodes, and urged brands and technology providers to assess their systems.
GS1 Australia introduced barcoding to Australia in 1979 and provides supply chain standards across more than 25 industry sectors. The member-based not-for-profit has more than 24,000 member companies and is part of a global network operating in over 120 countries. The first barcode was scanned at a supermarket in Ohio, in the United States, in 1974.
