Barcodes have revolutionised the modern retail industry in so many different ways. They make our lives easier and more efficient, and the retail industry simply would not be the same without them. There are countless reasons why barcodes are a must-have for businesses offering products to consumers. It is therefore important for any business, large or small, supplying products to retailers or consumers, to understand the basic requirements of barcodes in South Africa and abroad, and to appreciate the benefits that an integrated barcode system brings to the business.
The benefit of barcodes
Barcodes have changed the way we do business within the retail industry. Without them, in order to sell each item, it may be necessary to look it up on the sales system, especially if the sales assistants are not familiar with the product pricing. This could take quite a while and waste a lot of valuable time. It would also lead to very long queues and, inevitably, unhappy clients. Time is money and customers would prefer not to have to wait in long queues. With a barcode system, all the sales assistants have to do is to scan each individual code to process the sales – and just like that, no more unnecessarily long queues.
In addition, and most importantly, barcodes have all but removed the risk of human error at the point of sale. Manually ringing up each product is a long and tedious process. It is very easy to ring up the wrong item or incorrectly charge a client – to either the client or your business’s detriment. With barcodes, this is eliminated – what is scanned is what is on the inventory system, and is what is sold. The sales process has become much more efficient, and this efficiency has undoubtedly brought additional profit to businesses throughout the world. No business can afford to lose money. Barcodes are an important tool you can use to make sure that your business does not lose any of its profit through inefficiencies and avoidable errors.
Over the years, retailers have expanded exponentially. They have become bigger and are able to serve thousands of customers daily. The need for barcodes, for retail businesses, has become crucial with this new development trend. It would be impossible to operate within these giant retailers without the use of barcodes.
Barcodes in retail
Retail barcodes include the very popular Universal Product Code (UPC) and European Article Number (EAN) codes – together, they are found on almost all retail products worldwide. These codes originate from the US-based GS1 database (the original and only one in the world), and each one is uniquely linked to a single product (or variation of a product). Therefore it is important to ensure that any barcodes you purchase are genuine, are not in use, and will only be used by you after you purchase it. You can do so by buying directly from GS1 South Africa (which can be relatively costly for small and even medium-sized businesses), or you can go through reputable barcode resellers (and avoid the exorbitant and recurring fees).
Retail barcodes such as the UPC and EAN are used in order to make the inventory and sales processes as quick and efficient as possible. They are also used to control the inventory. Before the creation of barcodes, if retailers wanted to do a stock check, they would have to close the store for as long as it took to manually count each stock item. This wasted a lot of time and money. Barcodes have meant that these stores do not have to close in order to keep check on their stock levels. All the stores have to do is scan each item into the sales system in order for it to be counted.
There are even specific bulk goods barcodes called ITF-14 codes (also called case or box codes) that are used to accept bulk stock into a retailer’s inventory. These codes are linked to the individual EAN codes on the products inside the box. Having these ITF-14 codes makes it easier for retailers to stock your products. However, not all retailers will require them. It is best to check with your specific retailer whether they want these specific codes or whether they are happy for you to only have UPC or EAN codes.
In these competitive times, it is necessary to do everything in your power to stand out from your competitors. Barcodes are one way of doing this. They bring professionalism to any business and make it clear that you are here to stay, that you are committed to running a thriving, well-run operation. Both your retailers as well as any competition will know that you mean business.
The need for retail barcodes does not stop here. They help in the ordering process by making sure you know what your stock levels are at all times. It is very important for stores to remain well stocked. When clients know that they can get everything they want or need from your store, they will not go anywhere else. They will become regular clients and thus provide a steady flow of income.
All about the bottom line
As you can see, barcodes are a must-have within the retail industry. They streamline the whole sales process from start to finish and ensure the business runs as efficiently as possible, and therefore generates profits efficiently and effectively. A retail business with barcoded products stands out among those that don’t, and without a doubt is a business that is on the right track to greater success.
Barcode Solutions is the most popular barcode reseller in South Africa selling a wide range of barcodes from the official GS1 database at highly competitive rates – barcodes that you buy from us are yours to use forever. Our team is always on hand to answer all of your questions and we are happy to supply you with all the information you need in order to make the right decision for your business. Do not hesitate to contact us for a quote.
Share