50 years ago, the GS1 barcode was scanned for the first time, and since then each “beep” makes it easier and safer to buy and sell product.
Industry leaders came together to transform the way we shop and created the barcode. From that point forward, a simple scan at checkout connected a physical product to its digital identity—and information that could be shared throughout the supply chain and with consumers.
For five decades, every beep of a barcode—with GS1 standards behind it—has powered trust for everyone everywhere.
The next generation of barcodes
GS1 is now supporting a global transition to QR codes powered by GS1 that allow everything, from scanners to smart phones, to easily obtain information about a product.
Explore our history
50 years ago, on 3 April 1973, the GS1 barcode was created and forever changed the way we shop, although our history goes even further back to a beach in Florida in 1948. Though now a part of everyday life around the world, the ubiquitous barcode is often taken for granted—or even ignored.
The leaps in innovation the barcode has enabled would have been beyond our imagination half a century ago. From powering supply chains and digitalisation, to ecommerce, protecting people and helping save the planet… it has become the beeping heart of so much, with over 10 billion scans a day.
As we celebrate this milestone, GS1 barcodes continue to be the catalyst for digital transformation and progress.