Retail

Ever since the barcode on a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum was scanned at a supermarket in Ohio in 1974, GS1 has made a significant contribution to the efficiency of the retail supply chain and the overall growth of the retail industry.

Manufacturers and retailers established GS1 to enable them to agree to mutually beneficial standards. Today, GS1 standards mean much more than the barcode and include standards for electronic business messaging, data synchronisation and RFID-based identification and solutions to a range of business issues.

In addition, GS1 brings together all stakeholders in the retail supply chain – manufacturers, distributors, retailers, transporters, customs organisations, software developers, local and international regulatory authorities, and more. These companies, who may in fact have conflicting business interests, work together under our leadership to agree upon standards that make the supply chain faster, more effective, less complex and less costly.

Today, GS1 is working with the retail sector on a number of key initiatives:

• GS1 DataBar is allowing more information to be stored in less space and expanding barcoding to categories such as fresh foods
• EPCglobal RFID technology is revolutionising the way that products are tracked though the supply chain and transforming product identification into product visibility.

At global level, GS1 collaborates with the main associations that gather FMCG and CPG companies together including:

• Consumer Goods Forum
• Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA)
• Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
• Efficient Consumer Response (ECR)