FIFTY
BEEPING

YEARS



26 June 1974.
The day the barcode changed the world.

26 June 1974.
The day the barcode changed the world.

 

50 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST SCAN OF THE BARCODE

The first ever barcode was scanned on 26 June, 1974

A 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum, was the first to go "beep" at a Marsh supermarket in Ohio, USA. This momentous occasion transformed commerce internationally and the barcode became part of our everyday lives. Today, barcodes can be found on over 1 billion products. Hailed by the BBC as 'one of the fifty things that made the modern economy' more than 10 billion barcodes are scanned across the globe every day.

Media Release

1948


The lines in the sand that changed the world

1948 and the barcodes earliest beginning was literally lines drawn into the sand on a Miami Beach.

1974


First barcode scanned was in 1974 at an Ohio supermarket

The product was a 10-pack of Wrigleys Juicy Fruit gum. The barcode is now apart of our everyday lives.

2024


Fast forward 50 years to 26 June 2024, we are now embracing the new frontier of barcodes

Barcodes that connect to the hearts and minds of consumers like never before.

Truly dynamic barcodes that hold almost limitless amounts of information simultaneously from multiple locations, accessible by a smart phone.

THE NEXT
GENERATION

50 years on and we are embarking on the next generation, otherwise known as 2D barcodes. Leading industry into the digital future and putting consumers in the driver’s seat. With a simple phone scan, consumers can access a product's complete story; where it comes from, if it contains allergens, whether it’s organic, how it can be recycled, its environmental footprint and so much more.