GREENSBORO, N.C. — The checkout has changed over the years. First, cashiers manually punched in the price of an item, then the scanners made check-out much quicker, and today, there's self-check-out.

The next generation of barcodes includes a heavy emphasis on QR codes and smartphone-use. Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1974, the first universal product code (UPC) was scanned at a Marsh Supermarket ...

Just over a year later, on June 26, 1974, a packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum sold at a supermarket in Ohio became the first ...

To learn more about our editorial approach, explore The Direct Message methodology. In 2010, brands rushed to plaster QR codes on everything from movie posters to running shoe packaging. Universal ...

Next year will mark 50 years since the first product barcode was scanned. The simple system of lines, spaces, and numbers has helped track inventory and scan physical product prices. But what if it ...

Among the many changes brought about by the pandemic is the widespread use of QR codes, graphical representations of digital data that can be printed and later scanned by a smartphone or other device, ...

Tesco is replacing traditional barcodes with next-generation QR codes on its own-brand sausage packaging, intending to provide up-to-date information such as use-by dates and recyclability ...

In fact, according to Uniqode ’s State of QR Codes 2026 report, most consumers now interact with QR Codes regularly, with a ...