Tired of slow supermarket queues with operators manually looking up products with no barcode and just a PLU? Now with GS1 DataBar, an innovative, intelligent barcode, a solution for scanning and managing loose, fresh and chilled products exists.
Using new barcodes such as GS1 DataBar can significantly assist retailers in the more efficient management of the fresh category by improving product availability, sell-out and reducing wastage. While the fresh category represents a significant percentage of turnover and profit margin, management of these products poses many challenges including efficient replenishment and price markdown. GS1 DataBar barcodes are unique in that they present a real solution to the challenge of barcoding and scanning very small products as well as time-sensitive loose and fresh produce. Today at the checkout a PLU or price look up is used to sell these non-barcoded items. While PLU works, it causes checkout delays and can cause issues such as incorrect identification of the product and its price.
GS1 DataBar delivers on several fronts for retailers. One, it can be printed with the barcode number at an incredibly small size enabling the scanning of previously hard to mark small items. This is critical for fresh produce, especially items such as exotic or organic fruits which may command a premium price. Secondly, GS1 DataBar can encode additional information such as expiry or best before dates, vital for stock rotation and preventing the sale of expired products.
Using GS1 DataBar and expiry date information additionally enables automatic price markdown systems. Tills can be enabled to apply a specific percentage discount to a product depending on the number of shelf-life days remaining. This saves on labour and label costs. Independent research has shown that shoppers are willing to accept products with a short shelf life if they are being given a discount.
The features of GS1 Data- Bar not only speed up checkout operations but also deliver on customer satisfaction and expectations with regard to fresh and chilled produce. For any retailer serious about tackling shrink,be that through food wastage or underpriced selling,GS1DataBar presents a real and tangible solution.
For more information contact GS1 on 01-2080660. GS1 is a global, not-forprofit, neutral standards body.
Source: Computers in Business – Innovative Solution for Scanning Fresh Produce
