In this article we’ll break down what information is actually in a barcode and how you can learn more about the item then the store may want you to know.įirst, a couple myths to dispel. Myth #1: UPC Barcodes contain name and price data inside their bars.įalse. Every retail product you’ve bought uses a UPC or EAN barcode so the store can uniquely identify the item. The barcode image and number mean the same exact thing, it’s a simple 12 (or 13) digit ID number. A good analogy is a phone number, phone numbers are 10 digits but do not store any data or your name inside that short number. The barcode graphic that you see (the vertical black bars) are spaced out in an exact distance and method to equal the human readable number beneath the image. Each store’s point of sale system database has data (company name, price, restocking information, etc.) that is directly tied to the UPC and EAN barcodes inside their particular store. The laser at the register is reading the spaces/distances between all the bars on the barcode, then matches that ID number to what each individual store has inside their database. If you covered a single line of the barcode it would not scan, since you’re removing one of the digits needed to look up the item in the store’s register. Myth #2: Store’s check-out registers (POS systems) are connected to global databases.įalse. In this day and age everything is connected to the internet, so it’s easy to assume that a retailers inventory system is too. But keeping accurate track of tens of thousands of physical items is something that still needs auditing.even by hand sometimes. The same is true for where pricing data comes from, each retailer negotiates with the vendor on a set private price (internal cost) and a set public price (what you see at the register or on the package). This pricing is agreed upon long before the item is ever shipped and placed on the store’s shelves. ![]() This pricing data can be different from store to store, as some stores may have larger buying power or can negotiate more favorable terms with the manufacturer. While there are barcode scanning applications that do connect to databases found online, these are not what stores use for their internal systems. ![]() Where does the product information come from? Each store has their own internal database that they reference for pricing and other information. If the barcode doesn’t store any data, where does the name, price and inventory levels come from? The short answer is the store’s point of sale system (Register). Most modern stores require vendors to fill out spreadsheets with all of their product data, names, internal cost etc, then upload that data into their private store-wide computer, saving countless hours of data entry. Once this is done, the store’s computer connects the dots from the data to that unique 12 digit UPC barcode or 13 digit EAN barcode number.
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