For over 50 years, the barcode has been an important part of life. Most of the buyers barely notice that thing. It sits on the back of a cereal box, the corner of a shampoo bottle, the label of a frozen meal, or the tag on a piece of clothing. At checkout, it does one simple job: it identifies the product and helps complete the sale.
But that familiar black and white striped code is reaching the end of its role as retail’s main information carrier. A major global shift known as GS1 Sunrise 2027 is now underway, and it could change how products are packaged, scanned, tracked, recalled, and understood by consumers. The change centers on the move from traditional 1D (one-dimensional) barcodes to 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes, including QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix codes.
At first, that may sound like a technical update that only retailers and manufacturers need to worry about. In reality, it has the potential to change the relationship between shoppers and the products they buy.
The barcode of the future will not just say, “This is the product.” It will be able to say where it came from, what is inside it, how to recycle it, whether it has been recalled, whether it is authentic, and how it fits into different regulatory or sustainability requirements. In other words, the humble barcode is becoming a product passport.
What is GS1 Sunrise 2027?
The term GS1 sunrise 2027 refers to an international transition towards the usage of the 2D barcodes at the POS (point of sale) in retail by the year 2027. The global standards body behind the product identification systems, GS1, is serving as a guide to this change across the brands, retailers, supply chains, and manufacturers.
The traditional barcodes, generally known as ID barcodes, have served retailers for decades. They are simple, widely used, and trustworthy. However, they are limited in what they can hold. A normal linear barcode usually classifies a product, but it does not convey the deeper layers of data that contemporary customers, supervisors, sellers, and supply chains progressively need.
Much more data can be stored in 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes. According to a study conducted by QRNow, QR codes can transfer information more quickly and carry a lot more data than 1D (one-dimensional) barcodes. This is important since price and availability are no longer the only aspects of the purchasing experience. Transparency, safety, sustainability, and trust are becoming more and more important.
Customers are interested in learning more. Retailers require improved traceability. Packaging for brands must be effective in all markets. Regulators anticipate easier access to product details. All of those demands can no longer be met by a single printed label. That is where 2D barcodes come in.
Why are the barcodes now changing?
The traditional barcodes were built for a different era of retail. It was particularly designed for speedy checkout, basic identification of the products, and controlling the inventory. These needs are still important, but they are not enough for today’s ever-changing world.
Nowadays, the products are manufactured in a different country and packed in another country, further distributed across several markets, sold offline or online, with the various rules of the different regions of the world. On the other hand, consumers or customers are increasingly asking detailed questions before purchasing. The questions revolve around “Is this product safe for my allergy?” Or “Is the packaging sustainable or recyclable?”
The traditional barcodes usually cannot answer these kinds of questions on their own. The 2dimensional codes can connect the buyers, regulators, and retailers to the richer product data over a single scan.
This is why GS1 Sunrise 2027 is more than a checkout update. It is part of a larger movement toward digital transparency in retail.
The buyers are driving the shift.
79% of consumers would be more likely to buy things if they could use their cellphones to scan codes for further information, according to a significant finding from QRNow’s research.
This is indicative of a change in customers’ purchasing habits as they look for easy access to information about nutrition, fitness, beauty, and other products. The use of two-dimensional barcodes improves suitability for consumers by allowing them to rapidly access detailed information without the need for conventional techniques. This helps brands create consumer confidence by enabling them to convey product information in a clear and concise manner.
What does this mean to the brands?
The switch to two-dimensional barcodes is both a huge opportunity and an urgent deadline for businesses; 2026 has been designated as a crucial year for preparation. Before 2027, brands must perform comprehensive audits of their product data and packaging to guarantee preparedness. Since this shift is not just a design change but a significant data problem, it entails arranging and ensuring the accuracy and accessibility of product information tied to new barcode formats. The underlying information product names, batch data, ingredients, allergens, expiration dates, sourcing information, recycling instructions, and regulatory information must be carefully managed; merely putting a QR code is not enough. Improved cooperation between packaging teams, compliance divisions, marketing departments, supply chain partners, and retailers will be necessary for successful implementation.
Instead of relying on last-minute repairs, brands that start planning early will be in a better position to test their packaging, update systems, train employees, and create meaningful consumer experiences.
On the other hand, people who put things off could run into avoidable problems like friction at the register, delayed packaging, and insufficient product information.
Why are the retailers required to prepare too?
Retailers are essential to the switch to 2D barcodes by 2027. GS1 anticipates that they will be prepared to scan these at the point of sale and throughout the supply chain. In real-world retail settings where efficiency is crucial, this shift requires extensive testing of point-of-sale systems, scanners, and internal procedures.
A successful implementation can improve a number of areas, including safety alerts, product recalls, traceability, inventory management, and authentication. For instance, better batch-level data in food retail can result in more accurate recalls, giving consumers safer information and enabling merchants to reduce business interruptions.
The rise of the product passport
The establishment of a common product passport, which functions as a digital information source connected to tangible objects, is an extension of the 2D barcode notion. A product’s ingredients, sustainability claims, supply chain specifics, and compliance data can all be included in this passport. Customers, merchants, shipping companies, and regulators are just a few of the stakeholders who can use this customized data. The real potential of 2D barcodes is found in their ability to link a variety of data to the right person at the right time, greatly improving visibility and operational effectiveness throughout the retail environment.
QR codes vs the GS1 Data Matrix: Difference and why it matters for trust?
QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix codes are two widely used 2D barcode types. QR codes are user-friendly and are seen in restaurants, on packaging, and in marketing. GS1 DataMatrix codes are used in regulated spaces like healthcare and pharmaceuticals, particularly where space and compliance are critical. Brands should evaluate how each can best be used for consumers and their operations. The flexibility of 2D barcodes is superior to that of conventional barcodes. Trust plays an important role in retail: consumers are becoming less and less inclined to believe claims made about products. The use of 2D barcodes facilitates transparency by connecting the product to verified information, warnings, and recalls. They allow brands to dynamically change product information, which makes it easier to meet changes in regulations and sustainability requirements while still making sense in terms of packaging.
The Sustainability Angle and What Shoppers Can Expect.
The 2D barcodes will provide a more sustainable solution by eliminating excess packaging. Scannable codes enable brands to fit in more information without overloading physical labels. Important safety and compliance details will be retained on packages. 2D codes enable cleaner packaging and enable easy access to detailed information digitally, such as recycling information and sourcing information. Consumers will be initially exposed to more QR codes and the traditional bar code. Scanning products may become commonplace for checking allergens, comparing details, and accessing instructions. The checkout process should be fast enough, but provide more information without any extra hassle. The biggest difference is that psychological products will provide information that is not contained on the label.
The retail segment of the future is more transparent.
One to two-dimensional barcodes are a major change in retail, providing more context and supply chain visibility to products. This change is part of the GS1 Sunrise 2027 campaign, which seeks to make shopping a smarter and more transparent experience. It gives consumers better confidence in what they buy, better systems and traceability for retailers, and an opportunity to build trust with consumers through better information for brands. 2D barcodes will change the way consumers trust in the future, while traditional barcodes were used to power modern checkouts.
