The official transition to QR codes and other two-dimensional barcodes, known as Sunrise 2027, is now less than three years away. These new barcodes can store much more information than just a product ID and price.

You might already be excited about the many possibilities 2D barcodes bring. Think, for example, of being able to offer more transparency to consumers with comprehensive ingredient and allergen information on every product or keep closer tabs on inventory with batch and lot numbers and access to real-time expiration dates.

If you aren’t yet aware of Sunrise 2027, or need to know more about the benefits it promises consumers, retailers, and suppliers alike, then make sure to read “Check It Out: Barcodes Enter the Next Dimension” and “Scanning the Horizon: Take Steps Today to Prepare for the Barcode Evolution” from the past two issues of NACS Magazine.

But even if you’re excited and ready to march into the next dimension of barcodes, you might not be sure what exactly you need to do to get there.

GS1, the not-for-profit organization that is leading the barcode transition and has long set and maintained the standards for barcode systems worldwide, said that most importantly, retailers need to ensure their POS systems are updated and capable of scanning 2D barcodes. For some, that may require new technologies, software, or equipment.

“No matter what type of business you are—whether you’re the single owner of one store or a huge national chain—you have the same starting point, which is getting to a minimum viable product,” said Ned Mears, the senior director of global standards for GS1 US. “The goal of Sunrise 2027 is that, by the end of 2027, all retailers will be able to scan a 2D barcode at point of sale and do at least everything you can today with a 1D barcode.”

But the process of getting there will look different for each retailer. Mears walked through some of the steps required, the technology upgrades retailers might need to make, and what retailers should be asking their solutions providers to ensure a successful transition.

Start Small

At minimum, the first phase of the Sunrise 2027 transition will require that retailers can scan a 2D barcode at checkout—essentially that means that the scan of a QR code will capture at least the product identifier, also known as the Global Trade Item Number®, or GTIN®, and link it to the product’s associated price in the retailer’s system so that the item can be transacted with that scan.

If you think of the transition in “crawl, walk, and run” phases, that would be the “crawl” stage, Mears said. To crawl, the first thing retailers need to do is ensure they’re not using a laser-based scanning system—the new barcodes will require image-based scanners, which may mean a capital investment for retailers who don’t yet have them.

The first phase also requires a conversation with your solution providers, Mears continued. “Solution providers across the United States and around the world have been very proactively updating their software to scan 2D barcodes using GS1’s Digital Link standards. This allows the scanners to pull data from the updated barcodes using different modes that can serve up the data how a retailer wants it.”

For more on the steps required to prepare for Sunrise 2027, check out the November 2024 issue of NACS Magazine.