GoKawiilGS1 moves to replace UPC barcodes with 2D QR-style codes by 2027
Retail standards body GS1 is phasing out the decades-old UPC barcode system in favor of two-dimensional codes, similar to QR codes, that can hold far more data than today's barcodes. The transition traces back to Masahiro Hara's 1994 invention of the QR code at Denso, which Denso chose not to patent-enforce, allowing free global adoption. GS1's 'Sunrise 2027' initiative aims to have retailers equipped to scan the new codes within the next few years.
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A shift away from UPC barcodes could let retailers access richer product data at checkout, such as expiration dates, batch numbers, or recall information, potentially improving inventory management and food safety tracking. Because the original barcode system created a network effect that took years to reach critical mass, a similar industry-wide coordination challenge may determine how quickly 2D codes become universal. The free, unpatented nature of the QR code format likely eased adoption in other contexts and could similarly lower barriers for retailers and manufacturers this time.
- GS1 is leading an industry push to replace UPC barcodes with 2D codes by 2027.
- The QR code was invented in 1994 by Denso engineer Masahiro Hara and released without patent royalties.
- Widespread retailer and manufacturer coordination, as with the original UPC rollout, will likely determine adoption speed.
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Published there as: “Barcodes are about to go extinct”
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