5 Ways 2D Barcodes Help 
Retailers Build Shopper Trust and Loyalty

Retailers, Explore how Retail Barcode Scanners will Support you in Leveraging GS1’s Sunrise 2027 Initiative to Tighten Operations and Increase Customer Value

Retailers, Sunrise 2027 will make shopping smarter, safer and more personalized. Led by GS1 US, this initiative will help stores serve value- and values-driven shoppers through web-enabled 2D barcodes.

• A 2024 survey pointed to data-driven experiences being crucial for wooing back shoppers whose brand and store loyalty plummeted from 79% in 2022 to 66% in 2024.

What is Sunrise 2027?

Imagine a smartphone scan cutting waste, streamlining recalls and boosting basket sizes — Sunrise 2027 makes it possible. In 2027, retailers and food producers will shelve the one-dimensional Universal Product Code (UPC) for data-rich 2D barcodes. These matrix-style barcodes horizontally store reams of data, allowing stores to leverage smartphone scanners and deliver a richer shopping experience that builds customer confidence and improves retail operations in the five key ways below.

The Five Ways Sunrise 2027 Will Improve Shopping and Store Loyalty

1. Enhanced Consumer Safety

Product traceability via 2D barcodes will enable grocers to proactively manage recalls — a trust-building asset in the wake of nationwide incidents, such as 2024’s listeria-tainted meat. In most instances, 2D barcode data will enable associates to quarantine spoiled SKUs before stocking. If a recall occurs later, inventory scanners and smartphone soft scans can confirm a product’s status.

• For example, in Thailand, 7-Eleven stores use 2D barcodes to prevent expired goods from being sold by automatically triggering a "stop-sale" at checkout.

2. Personalized Recommendations and Discounts

2D barcodes will help retailers tailor grocery runs with:

• Curated coupons and product pairings: Scanning prosciutto could highlight discounts on complementary items like citrus mocktails or prosecco.
• Recipe suggestions and shopping lists: Using an Android QR code reader or an iOS scanner on thin-crust pizza shells could give time-strapped customers a complete meal plan that boosts transaction sizes.

Custom discounts tied to loyalty programs will likely help shoppers feel understood and drive revenue. That last benefit is crucial for the average grocer who survives on a 1.6% profit margin per this 2023 industry-wide survey.

3. Greater Product Transparency

Shoppers are conscientious of food hypersensitivity. A 2D barcode will provide:

• Nutritional and allergen information
• Certifications such as Kosher, Halal or organic
• Details on bioengineered ingredients or sustainable production

Food allergy data prevents life-threatening reactions. Via 2D barcodes, producers, like PepsiCo, Inc., can flag newly discovered allergens versus costly package updates. Instant access to information reduces complaints and returns, easing stress on associates and aiding retention.

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that retail suffers from a 4.3% "separation rate," outpacing the 3.5% average across all other sectors.

4. Reduced Spoilage and Waste

Americans waste 133 billion pounds of food annually, according to the FDA; 2D barcode data and checkout scanners fight the problem. For instance, this grocery chain cut spoilage by 40% with 2D barcodes that offer progressively steeper discounts as an item nears expiration.

• The same grocer leveraged 2D barcodes to minimize ordering errors among hard-to-distinguish produce varieties, reducing overhead.

5. Origin and Sourcing Transparency

Shoppers increasingly care about their food’s origin. So, 2D barcodes provide:

• Details on catch or harvest zones, factory sites and production
• Certifications for sustainability, such as B Corp status
• Recycling and composting instructions

This data can build deeper connections with your values-driven customers who gravitate toward retailers and brands that align with their priorities.

How Retailers Win Loyalty with Better Barcodes

Through Sunrise 2027, retailers can deliver safer, smarter and more sustainable shopping. These innovations could enhance trust, reduce friction and improve value — all without requiring major changes from patrons. Behind the scenes, chains will migrate to advanced barcode readers that already scan 2D barcodes, and retailers offering scan-and-go shopping apps may upgrade mobile scanning software.

Curious how Sunrise 2027 can improve your retail, agriculture or logistics role? Contact Code — our experts will help you leverage every 2D barcode advantage.