Setting Up for Sunrise 2027

This article is brought to you by GS1 US.

A new kind of barcode showing up on packaging has the potential to benefit retailers and consumers through one big factor: data.

Capable of holding significantly more information than traditional UPC barcodes, 2D barcodes are becoming a common feature on product packaging. While consumers may not know them by name, most are already familiar with one type of 2D barcode: the QR code.

Retailers are already talking to payments solutions provider Verifone about the 2D barcodes. The barcodes’ ability to hold more information can be helpful to operators, letting them know which items need to be removed during a recall or when an item is expiring, according to Anil Bhat, head of product for the petroleum group at Verifone.

“They’re definitely very excited about both of these,” Bhat said.

But before retailers can run with these new capabilities, the convenience industry needs to finish walking through the transition.

“Our industry is, to some extent, notorious for procrastinating until the last minute,” Bhat said.

So why is putting off this particular transition not a good idea?

“One is the capital investment, if they have to make it,” he said. “And as these barcodes become more common, you may run the risk of some products transitioning away from traditional UPC-only labeling sooner rather than later.”

GS1 US is the not-for-profit leading Sunrise 2027, an industry initiative to prepare retail systems to scan 2D barcodes at the point of sale by the end of 2027. GS1 US and Verifone are connected through their partnership with Conexxus, the industry’s technology standards group.

“We work very closely with Conexxus to ensure that they understand and interpret our standards for Sunrise 2027 and are properly implementing that in line with what their industry needs,” said Lindsay Hillman, director of global standards at GS1 US.

A number of products on the market today already carry 2D barcodes, primarily in the health and beauty space, Hillman said. “We are starting to see more consumer packaged goods, more food brands, more c-store related products adopting 2D barcodes powered by GS1,” she said.

While working with retailers, the organization often points out that being ready for Sunrise 2027 helps the brands that are putting the 2D barcodes on packaging.

“Retailer readiness can help create the confidence brands need to move forward with packaging changes and 2D barcode adoption,” Hillman said. “By configuring point of sale systems now, you’re able to support a brand through testing the newly implemented 2D barcodes building a clear partnership since you sell those products every day, it’s a good way to support brands through their adoption process. Another benefit to that support is understanding what information they are including in their 2D barcode enabling you to utilize all the information that they’re providing earlier.”

For now, the 2D barcodes are expected to be co-located on packaging with the UPC barcode until retailer readiness to read 2D barcodes reaches about 90% to 95%.

“This is a sunrise, not a sunset; we do not antici­pate the UPC to disappear overnight,” Hillman said.

Continue reading “Setting Up the Sunrise” in the October 2026 issue of NACS Magazine.