Follow the chain of process of how a pair of shoes enter through the internet of retail. From how a barcode label can help products go through shipping, receiving, product identification, price labeling, re-pricing, support, to loyalty, and self service check out.

It brings values to retailers and customers. For retailers, mobile technology can increase productivity and accuracy of the whole supply chain. For customers, it keeps them more engaged in the whole shopping experience and loyalty card can provide a more personalized experience.

Check out the flow chart below and feel free to contact our dedicated account managers on more info how our products can help you in the Internet of Retail era.

The use of QR codes in the retail industry is expected to increase in the coming years. According to Juniper Research, QR coupons redeemed via a mobile device is expected to reach 5.3 billion by the year 2022. In comparison QR coupons used in 2017 reached about 1.3 billion. That’s an expected 81 percent increase in about 5 years. Target is already on board with QR codes recently announcing a QR code-based payment system that will allow consumers to scan offers directly to their device.

The retail industry stands to gain from the usage of QR codes and there are many ways to incorporate them in the shopping experience.

1. QR Coupons

As discussed above QR Coupons are just the start but are still an integral part in incorporating QR codes. Consumers, as one myself, are just trying to find a deal that’ll be easy on the wallet. QR coupons are a great way for consumers to get a deal and an easy way to start for any retail business. There are many ways a business can get started with QR coupons; printing physical QR coupons is one possibility. To do so a barcode printer and barcode software would be needed in order to create and print coupons to hand out to the consumers. Another would be to create QR codes for mobile devices via an email promotion. One thing is certain, a barcode scanner capable of scanning QR codes will be needed to scan any coupons consumers bring in.

2. Window Shopping

Using QR codes for window shopping should be taken both literally and figuratively. What I mean by that is, literally putting QR codes on window display products. This would benefit retail stores located in malls as consumers walk by they can scan a QR code associated with a product. Figuratively consumers tend to do a lot of “window shopping” in stores by just looking around. Consumers want as much information as possible about a product before purchasing. Using QR codes in the window shopping fashion could give consumers access to product information with videos and reviews.

3. The Shopping Experience

To piggy back off the figurative “window shopping”, QR codes could revolutionize the in-store experience for the consumer. Placing QR codes on the product packaging will allow consumers to learn valuable information about the product. QR codes could contain videos explaining the product to the consumer or it could contain a link leading the consumer to customer reviews. Another possibility would be sampling certain products like music, a consumer could scan the QR code of a CD and listen to track samples. Lastly, consumers could be given the ability to purchase the product directly from the QR code and have the product shipped anywhere.

4. Upcoming Sales and New Products

QR codes could help inform consumers of upcoming sales, promotions, or an interactive view of new products arriving to the store in the near future.

5. Customer Information

The retail industry can use QR codes to encourage consumers to sign up for their newsletter. Perhaps a sign up feature could be included in the QR code encouraging consumers to sign up with their email address and receive special deals in the future.

Most Consumers now a days have a mobile device on their person. Retailers can use that fact to help improve the consumer experience while at the same time change the retail landscape.

For any questions or a quote on any of your QR code needs contact us at Barcodes, Inc.

Pop-up retail and mobile food trucks isn’t new. It is a secret weapon that small business owners use to get their product out into the world and into the hands of their customers. In the pop up world, business owners will find a venue like a coffee shop, store, craft fair, or farmer’s market, then set up a retail or food shop for a limited of time: anything from one day to a few weeks.

This is an opportunity for VARs to serve a growing trend, particularly because of the mobility and connectivity to customers are key for business owners running pop up shops.

What’s the point in pop-up?

Mobile locations are more flexible for entrepreneurs looking to grow a brand and gain funding without risking everything on their venture.

• It’s authentic. Business owners are standing behind the customers, answering questions, building credibility, and connecting with the customer.
• It’s special. The pop-up won’t be there forever, the perfect time for an impulse purchase.
• It’s affordable. Your expenses are low, so you can just focus on the price points.
• It’s mobile. Businesses travel to their customers, which is a great way to test the viability of a new business or a way to expand an existing business in a new location.

Solutions for a Pop- Up:

• POS Systems
• Receipt Printers
• Card Readers
• Barcode Scanners

Pop-Up shops are becoming an accessible venture for many owners to expand on their current businesses without needing to fully commit to purchasing a location. Popular restaurants can simply park their food truck near a sporting event or music festival and capitalize on an event even if their actual location is far away.

Check out the solutions we have available for a pop-up. Feel free to contact one of our dedicated account managers if you have any questions to pick out the tools you will need in your mobile business.

Visibility in the supply chain is valuable data to a company. It allows company to be informed about their inventory from when it is stored or in transit in order to optimize time and allocate labor and staff.

Most of today’s youth have access to smartphones or tablets and through those pieces of technology a whole world of media such as videos, infographics, podcasts, etc. are at their fingertips. Bubbles technology brings a new way to incorporate the use of digital media content into traditional learning modes. Bubbles containing QR codes are spread throughout textbooks; thus students and teachers will have access to short, interactive modules. This could help a student get a much deeper understanding of the course material through audio clippings and visual snippets that complements the curriculum.

All the student or teacher has to do is simply scan the QR code via a tablet or smartphone with a free QR reader app, or click the link if it’s an eBook, to unlock a 60 to 90 second interactive lesson. For example a math textbook trying to explain a complex equation, the text can only do so much. A QR code associated with this complex equation can be scanned prompting an interactive lesson to open and explain the equation in much more detail using animation, audio, and graphics.

It is believed that the future of education lies in what they are calling a “flipped classroom”. A flipped classroom is the idea that students would study the content at home using books and interactive technology. Then the following day in class students would complete practice exercises with the ability to discuss last nights learning material with other students and teachers. QR codes have been used in many areas of the world and they could be utilized to help teach the next generation.

To read more about QR codes in textbooks, read “QR Code Technology Brings Textbooks To Life“

Barcodes, Inc. would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

To celebrate the holidays Edeka, a supermarket, thought of a great way to surprise their shoppers by playing Jingle Bells using their check out scanners.
What a great way to spread the holiday cheer!

Check out the viral video below and also check out our in- counter barcode scanner selection!

Why is Barcodes, Inc. raising supplies prices?

After 6 years of stable label pricing, Barcodes has received notification from all our suppliers regarding industry-wide price increases on labels. These increases are being announced to the market as high as 9%.

What are some of the raw material drivers causing these price increase?

• Freight increases – Caused by a strong US economy, rebuilding after deadly hurricane season causing high demand for an already strained trucking industry
• Hourly wage increases – Up 12% since 2011, due to historically low unemployment and strong US economy
• Pulp paper increases – Up over 20% in the last 18 months
• Paper Liner increases – Caused by mill closures and strong US economy
• Leuco dye shortages – Caused by the closure of a major Chinese supplier, creating shortages and price increases of 9% on POS receipt grades
• Devaluation of US dollar – Down 12% in 2017, which is causing higher import costs for imported raw materials
• Adhesive increases – as high as 40% over the last 18 months, caused by higher crude prices and Hurricane Harvey
• Polyester and Polypropylene film increases – Up 10% caused by higher crude prices

How will this affect my current quotes?

Barcodes will honor any pricing indicated on any current quote for 30 days from when the quote was sent. Effective February 1, 2018, all price increases will take into effect.

What price increase should I expect on ZipShip products?

Most stock paper and synthetic items – 4%

Please contact our dedicated account managers if you have any further questions, Thanks!

Elo just announced the next generation of PayPoint, point of sale solution for iPad and Android. The all-in-one mPOS solution provides everything a merchant needs including a fully integrated 2D scanner from Honeywell, a 3-inch printer from Star Micronics, an encrytable MSR from Magtek, full-sized 16- inch cash drawer and connections for third part peripherals. Featuring a large touch screen display and rotating display head allowing customers to participate in loyalty programs, view their purchases, and sign to complete their transaction. Paypoint Plus’s single-cable design makes setting up the POS system fast and easy, ideal for retail, salons, hospitality, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Merchants can customize the platform to their needs by third party peripherals, including a scale, secondary cash drawer, handheld scanner and EMV terminal.

Paypoint Plus for Android Includes:

• A full high-definition (HD) 15.6-inch TouchPro Pro-G projective capacitive (PCAP) display, multi-touch capable, enabling up to 5-touches simultaneously
• A Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity
• 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage
• Android 7.1 (Nougat) and EloView compatible
• Fully integrated Star Micronics TSP100III 3-inch printer, Honeywell N3680 2D barcode reader, and Magtek 3-track encryptable MSR
• A full-size 16-inch industry-standard cash drawer offers a 3-position lock and the ability to use a second cash drawer through an additional I/O port
• Four USB 2.0, one mini USB 2.0, two RJ45 serial, one RJ12 cash drawer port, one micro HDMI, one 12V power USB, and one ethernet (Gigabit) ports
• 3 year manufacturers warranty

Paypoint Plus for iPad Includes:

• Docks designed for use with 9.7-inch iPads or a 12.9-inch iPad Pro model
• SDK support for iOS 10 and later
• One type A USB (for charging), one mini USB (for charging), and two RJ45 serial ports
• Fully integrated Star Micronics TSP100III 3-inch printer, Honeywell N3680 2D barcode reader, and Magtek 3-track encryptable MSR
• A full-size, 16-inch, industry-standard cash drawer that offers a 3-position lock
• 3 year manufacturers warranty

The small and lightweight PR2/PR3 receipt printer from Honeywell is the perfect fit for mobile field workers who need a mobile receipt printer in the agile work force. They deliver a quick, compatible, and upgradable solution that’s ideal for invoice printing and mobile point of sale applications.

Available in two and three inch print width, the mobile printers can be worn all day and withstand 4ft drops to concrete. The PR series can connect seamlessly via Bluetooth or IrDA to produce receipts in high demand. It is also MFi certified, made for easy pairing with Apple iOS devices.

The PR series and its’ accessories are designed to enhanced productivity and reduce cost of ownership. With its fast time to first label and excellent battery endurance for all day mobile printing provides a productivity advantage to your workforce and swiftly providing your customers with a printed invoice.

Features & Benefits:

• Small and lightweight
• Capture Payment at Point of Service
• Easy pairing with Bluetooth and Apple devices
• Fast printing
• Simple to use with a clam shell design for easy media exchange

For any questions or a quote on any of your mobile printing needs contact us at Barcodes, Inc.

A more connected world is a more productive world. At Barcodes, Inc. we are blending physical products with software solutions to link people and businesses to the information they need to be more efficient, more productive and more connected. In this emerging Internet of Things (IoT) era, the world is moving from simple, digital transactions to complex digital-to-physical interfaces.

Whether you are connecting driver, freight, or retail solutions, Honeywell has the scanning, mobility, and printing devices to increase productivity and efficiency in this IoT era.

From now until December 29, 2017, receive 5% off your next Honeywell purchase by entering promo code 5HON at checkout or contacting one of our Barcodes, Inc. representatives.

Xenon 1900

General Duty Barcode Scanner

• Custom sensor enhances scanning aggressiveness
• Multiple scanning options: high density, standard range and extended range
• Durable: withstands up to 50 drops to concrete from 6 feet up
• Optional wireless option: Xenon 1902

CT50

           Enterprise Handheld Computer

• Powerful, versatile platform with Qualcomm processor
• Sleek, yet rugged IP67-rated design
• Unparalleled 2D scanning performance
• Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise or Android 6.0 operating system options

PM43

Industrial Barcode Printer

• Fast to deploy and easy to integrate
• Run apps right inside the printer
• Flexible connectivity options, including Wi-Fi
• Available with large, color, multilingual touchscreen