Sunrise 2027: Prepare Product Data Before Packaging

Prepare for retail 2D barcodes with reliable product records, durable scan destinations and a practical pilot for manufacturers and brands.

TonyTradePublished 2026-09-10

Product packaging connected to digital product information

The packaging decision that also creates a digital channel

A shopper scans a pack to find instructions. A distributor scans the same product to confirm its specifications. Both journeys fail if the destination is a generic home page or an outdated PDF. For a manufacturer preparing retail packaging, the useful question is what each visitor should be able to do after the scan.

GS1’s Ambition 2027 sets an industry goal for retail checkouts to read and process compliant two-dimensional barcodes alongside existing linear barcodes by the end of 2027. It is a readiness goal, not a universal deadline to remove every EAN or UPC barcode. The sources below describe that distinction.

Start with the retail partner and the product owner

Ask the receiving retailer which symbols and encoded data its checkout can accept, which packaging approval process applies, and whether it still needs the existing linear barcode. Have the brand owner confirm who controls product identifiers and packaging artwork before a supplier starts printing.

For private-label manufacturers, ownership matters as much as technical compatibility. Record who can approve a destination change, who maintains the website after the supply agreement ends, and who responds if a scan opens the wrong product. A short written responsibility record prevents a printed code from becoming an unmanaged dependency.

Give every product variant a dependable destination

GS1 Digital Link URI syntax allows identifiers to connect with web resources. A conventional marketing QR code that opens a website is not automatically a barcode suitable for retail checkout; validate the selected design with the relevant partners.

Create a working product record that joins the approved identifier, supplier SKU, variant, target market, document version, landing-page address and content owner. Treat a change of pack size or model as a review trigger, rather than silently reusing the previous page.

Consider a hypothetical kettle supplied with different plugs to two markets. The visitor should reach the correct model instructions and local support information, not a page for a visually similar version. The record should make that distinction explicit before the artwork is approved.

Build the page around the reason for the scan

A useful mobile destination opens with the product name and a recognizable image, followed by the most likely task: find instructions, check specifications, obtain support or contact the distributor. Keep essential information readable without account creation. Put model-specific downloads beside a visible version or issue date.

For export manufacturers, prepare the language needed by the destination market and make language switching visible. If a translation is unavailable, provide a clear alternative and a contact route. Avoid silently directing a buyer to a different model or to a language they cannot use.

Keep commercially sensitive reseller pricing and customer records behind appropriate access controls. The public product page should contain information approved for the person holding the package.

Preserve the link when the website changes

Packaging can remain in circulation after a website redesign. Keep the printed destination under durable ownership and maintain its route when the CMS or commerce platform changes. Assign responsibility for domain renewal, destination availability and document updates.

Write a retirement rule before launch: an older product may need an archived manual and support contact long after it disappears from the current catalogue. A working archive is more useful than redirecting every discontinued product to the home page.

Pilot the complete journey before a print run

Choose one product family and one receiving market. Confirm the identifier mapping, have the barcode and print quality checked by the appropriate partner, and test the final packaging with the intended scanning equipment. A phone opening a page does not establish checkout compatibility.

For the digital journey, test a normal mobile connection, the language selector, the exact manual download and the support action. Confirm that two similar variants never resolve to the same incorrect record. Change a document in the trial environment and check that the printed address remains usable.

The acceptance record should name the tested product, packaging revision, destination, device or retail test environment, result and responsible owner. Resolve failures before scaling to more packaging.

Measure useful visits, then expand

Once the journey works, distinguish product-page visits from actions such as manual downloads and support enquiries. Separate staff validation scans from ordinary visits where they are explicitly identifiable. A scan is a visit opportunity; it is not proof of a sale or a qualified lead.

The first deliverable is a small, maintainable connection between an approved product record, a durable destination and a useful customer action. That provides a practical foundation for adding more products and markets without making every packaging change a new website project.