All you need to know about EAN barcodes - History, Functioning and Economic Impact

Have you ever imagined how products in stores are identified and tracked with such precision? The key lies in EAN barcodes. EAN, which stands for European Article Number, is a worldwide standard for product marking. But how did this revolutionary system come about?

History of EAN barcodes

The history of EAN (European Article Number) barcodes began in the 1970s. Designed to meet the growing needs of the retail industry, they quickly gained in popularity and became an international standard. Their introduction marked a turning point in the way companies managed inventories and transactions.

Precursors and Innovation

Before EAN barcodes, inventory systems were mainly manual, slow and error-prone. The introduction of barcodes automated these processes, increasing efficiency and accuracy.

Global Expansion

The EAN system was quickly adopted worldwide, standardizing retailing and inventory management processes across the globe.

How EAN barcodes work

Understanding how EAN barcodes work is essential to appreciating their ingenuity and usefulness in modern commerce.

Composition of an EAN barcode

An EAN barcode is made up of bars and spaces of different widths representing numbers. These codes can vary in length, but the most common are the EAN-13 and EAN-8 formats.

The Reading and Decoding Process

Barcodes are read by scanners which use light to decode the information they contain. This data is then transmitted to computer systems for processing.

Economic impact of EAN barcodes

The economic impact of EAN barcodes is considerable, both for companies and for consumers.

Optimizing Inventory Management

EAN barcodes enable more accurate inventory management, reducing errors and the costs associated with stocktaking.

Improving the Purchasing Experience

For consumers, EAN barcodes facilitate and accelerate the payment process, enhancing the shopping experience.

Impact on the global economy

By streamlining retail operations, EAN barcodes have a positive impact on overall economic efficiency, benefiting all market players.

EAN barcodes have a rich history dating back to the 1970s.

Their ingenious structure enables precise product identification, simplifying inventory management, speeding up transactions and guaranteeing product safety.

In the world of modern commerce, EAN codes remain an essential pillar on which the smooth and efficient running of businesses depends.

No, EAN codes are used in a variety of sectors, including logistics, healthcare and manufacturing, to track and identify products.

EAN codes are assigned by country-specific registration bodies, in collaboration with manufacturers.

EAN codes are mainly used for product identification, while QR codes can contain more varied information, such as links to websites.

Each EAN code is unique and should not be reused for other products. Modifying an EAN code could lead to confusion in traceability.

Although new technologies such as RFID are gaining in popularity, EAN codes are still widely used and should continue to play an important role in product management.