Hardware Podcasts

349 - Why all your UPC barcodes might be going away soon! Ned Mears from GS1

People of Packaging · 18 May 2026 · 35m

What this episode covers

Ned Mears, Senior Director of Global Standards at GS1 US, explains the industry-wide shift from 1D UPC barcodes to 2D barcodes under the 'Sunrise 2027' initiative. He details how adding dynamic data like expiration dates can reduce food waste by up to 40% and enable serialized identity for inventory management. Mears discusses the convergence of RFID and QR codes, allowing brands to capture direct consumer data and control digital experiences at the point of sale.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
GS1, Walmart
Products
Domino, QR code, RFID
Also
Sunrise 2027

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