Here’s a small truth nobody puts on the packaging: a product can be perfect and still get rejected. A good product, good design and a good price. Someone asks which product barcode it is and the beginning of the sale is postponed. Smart sellers buy product barcode numbers before their first purchase.
What Is a Barcode Actually Doing?
It works mostly with product names. It is simple and highly valuable. A unique identifier for each item is established that keeps its description accurate throughout its life. This facilitates the rapid processing of orders and the delivery of goods to customers is accelerated as these items are compatible with logistics systems that automate the process.
Can You Read the Number?
Sellers can even benefit from the number, as Indian barcodes typically start with 890; the number allocated to GS1 India. Then comes your company code, then your product code. The last digit in it is a control character that checks the correctness of the number; these numbers are called GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) and have worldwide recognition.
Who Gives You a Real Barcode?
Short answer: GS1 India. It’s the only body authorised to issue barcodes to Indian businesses selling online or offline. So Barcode Registration with them is the real starting line. Once you register, you get a Global Company Prefix, which is the national product data repository. Then we need to generate unique numbers for each product, one after another.
What Changes Behind the Scenes?
Inventories are automatically updated as each item is sold, making it easier for corporations to identify items that are depleting fast and may soon be out of stock. Pickers in warehouses will pick the right product and packers will put the correct product in the box, reducing shipping errors. Returns drop. Fewer mistakes also means fewer refunds. Shoppers will have an easier time tracking their packages since they will know when to expect them.
What Do Shoppers Gain?
Plenty. By scanning, a wealth of information about the product can be obtained, including reviews. There are already apps that allow shoppers to do this, check the number against a database to make sure that what they are buying is genuine. Counterfeiter will be caught and reported, increasing the credibility of their suppliers. Such a reputation is invaluable for brands.
Which Type Fits Your Product?
Retail goods usually take GTIN 13. Smaller items often use an eight-digit code. QR codes and Data Matrix are also used, in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular, and GS1 128 is used to encode logistics units. The choice of the code should be dictated by the product and not the other way around. If you’re unsure, ask first. Printing the wrong one is an expensive mistake.
Where Is This Heading?
QR codes, mostly. They can carry expiry dates, manufacturing dates, licences, nutrition details, and usage steps, plus a link to your official site. RFID and blockchain are also being used to improve supply chains. They may not be useful at the moment, but the more flexible system will have more opportunities in the future.
So, Where Do You Start?
It’s time to get started, registering products with the relevant agencies and creating barcodes. Perhaps it will be useful to research what barcode types exist and which product barcode types are relevant to your product and do a few samples of various labels; having everything in one Excel file will be much more convenient than sifting through dozens of them. Do it now and a retailer’s question becomes a thirty second reply instead of a month long scramble. Honestly, it’s one of the simplest ways to look like a serious seller. Small code. Big difference.
