https://blog.closient.com/tags/2d-barcodes/Recent content in 2D Barcodes on Closient BlogHugoen-usFri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://blog.closient.com/barcode-is-evolving-what-it-means-for-your-brand/Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://blog.closient.com/barcode-is-evolving-what-it-means-for-your-brand/<hr> <p>The barcode on the back of your product has looked the same since 1974. That black-and-white stripe pattern - the UPC - was designed to speed up grocery checkout lines. It did that job remarkably well. So well, in fact, that it hasn&rsquo;t fundamentally changed in over fifty years.</p> <p>That era is ending.</p> <p>GS1, the global standards organization that manages the barcode system, is leading a transition from traditional 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes - specifically QR codes powered by a standard called GS1 Digital Link. The target date is 2027. Major retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Target are already onboard. And the implications for every brand that puts a product on a shelf are significant.</p>https://blog.closient.com/retailers-already-moving-to-qr-codes/Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://blog.closient.com/retailers-already-moving-to-qr-codes/<p>In early 2025, Tesco launched its second trial of QR codes at the checkout. Twelve own-brand fresh produce and meat products across roughly 20% of UK stores now carry 2D barcodes - and on some of those products, the traditional UPC barcode has already been removed entirely.</p> <p>Not supplemented. Not placed alongside. Removed.</p> <p>That is not a pilot program in the conventional sense. That is a retailer with over 4,000 stores making an operational decision about how products get scanned and sold. And Tesco is far from alone.</p>