Here’s the latest I can share based on recent reporting:
- Tesco has been rolling out QR codes on some own-brand items, described as part of a broader move to replace traditional barcodes in certain products. This QR approach is tied to GS1 standards and aims to improve traceability, recalls, and stock management while still allowing at-checkout scanning.[2][3][4]
- Reports from 2026 indicate Tesco expanded QR-code adoption to additional product lines (including a sausage range in some markets) as part of a UK-first initiative and a wider GS1 rollout planned through 2027.[5][2]
- Industry coverage frames this as a “second barcode revolution,” with potential benefits for recalls, batch-level tracking, and waste reduction, though some outlets note it remains at pilot or selective-rollout stages rather than a full-scale replacement of all barcodes.[3][6]
If you’d like, I can pull the latest articles from specific outlets (e.g., major UK papers vs. trade mags) or summarize the key benefits and potential drawbacks for shoppers. Also, I can provide a quick explainer on how GS1 QR codes differ from traditional barcodes and what this could mean for product recalls and data access.
Would you like a short, source-by-source digest or a side-by-side comparison of claimed benefits vs. concerns?
Citations:
- Tesco trials on-pack scannable QR codes and “second barcode revolution”[1]
- Tesco swapping barcodes for QR codes in UK first[2]
- Tesco introduces big change to on-pack QR codes with detailed product info[3]
- Next-generation GS1 QR codes pilot in Tesco stores[4]
Sources
Tesco has dumped the QR code in it's latest campaign to get customers using their mobiles to shop. The supermarket giant has been notably active in the way it appeals to smartphone users in its supermarkets, and its latest idea takes the concept of m-commerce to a wider audience. It has put a virtual store into Gatwick Airport to allow shoppers to buy a basketful of groceries while killing time in the departure lounge.
canarydwarf.co.ukAs part of an expanded pilot, Tesco is now trialling the next […]
www.a1retailmagazine.comJoin GS1 UK and discover how GS1 barcodes, QR codes powered by GS1 and data standards can streamline your supply chain, boost efficiency and enhance visibility for your products
www.gs1uk.orgTraditional barcodes have been replaced with QR codes on the entire sausage range
www.gbnews.comTesco is swapping barcodes for QR codes on a range of its own-brand products in a move the supermarket chain is describing as a UK "first".
www.coastfm.co.ukThe new on-pack QR codes not only offer the same scanning functionality at the checkout but also allow customers to instantly access detailed product information
www.mirror.co.ukTesco is introducing on-pack scannable QR codes in a bid to give shoppers detailed product information instantly, in what is being dubbed the "second barcode revolution".
www.grocerygazette.co.ukTesco is considering ditching producing barcodes to replace with QR code technology in its latest digital innovation.
www.grocerygazette.co.ukThe change will see QR codes applied to the packaging of 13 lines of Tesco’s own-brand sausages following a trial.
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