Skip to main content

Scan product barcodes starting with 890 using Smart Consumer app and get additional product information before purchase

When a consumer walks into a retail outlet or search online to purchase a product, s(he) ignores the most important aspect of the product — its barcode number, which is printed on product labels.
These labels also comprise of some details pertaining to the product — like manufacturing date, expiry date (if it’s a consumable), batch number along with the retail product price.
Barcode numbers starting with prefix ‘890’ consists of a GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) which is a global standard widely used in the retail sector. The barcode number is linked to an external tool which holds additional information about the product that the label presents. Simply put, these barcodes link back all the information about the product all through the chain — when it was manufactured, the batch it was manufactured in, the date, the time, its packaging details, etc.
In India, the platform which acts as a national repository to accurate & authentic product information is called DataKart. Information on retail products is directly populated by brand owners, and hence trusted information. It is used by brand owners to manage information on new product introductions, updates/changes, and share the same, at one go, with several retailers and shopping portals, over the lifecycle of products. This includes information on product attributes, such as brand name, ingredients, product image, MRP, net content, dimensions, Regulatory information like FSSAI license numbers and their validity, etc.
This initiative of GS1 India has a direct consumer benefit through the mobile application called — Smart Consumer App by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with GS1 India is working to empower consumers with reliable product information regarding their purchase choices. By simply scanning a 890 product barcode using the Smart Consumer mobile app on their smartphone, digital product information can be accessed by consumers to instantly learn purchase-relevant details like the product’s name, date of manufacture, MRP, net content, along with manufacturer details, consumer care details.
The consumers can download the consumer app by government from Google Play store or Apple store. Once installed, consumers can start validating digital product information for consumers by scanning its barcode. All data in Smart Consumer app is directly populated by brand owners through DataKart.
The app helps to validate/authenticate information on products and its Regulatory licenses along with their validity. The app also provides consumers with the ability to make better informed purchase decisions, especially when buying through online shopping portals, through the access to complete and trusted information on retail products, as it is directly provided by brand owners. They can also use the Smart Consumer app to give feedback on products directly to their manufacturers, and to report complaints, if any, with the manufacturer and Regulatory bodies.
Considering the pace at which the retail sector in India is expanding and changing, Industry is pushing for a nationwide adoption and implementation of these standards for products being sold in India, which could have a big impact on the sector.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Learn About the Benefits of Having GS1 Barcode Numbers On Your Product

 Having spent a lot of years visiting retail stores and outlets, we all must have witnessed a barcode on the packaging of the product that displays a specific pattern of stripes. What we also do notice is that these lines are composed of some numbers or codes which are framed to be scanned by optical readers. Since the lines correspond to a list of numbers, it gets easy to look up any product with a barcode simply by matching those numbers to an entry which is made in a database at the check-out of a retail store. It is interesting to note here that barcodes also play a key role in supply chains, enabling parties like retailers, manufacturers, transport providers, etc., to automatically identify and track products as they move from manufacturing units to the consumer, and hence enable product recalls, detect counterfeits, etc.. What is a genuine barcode number? As we understand the many benefits of barcode numbers, it is important to know that not all barcode numbers can provide these
Post a Comment
Read more

TRACEABILITY - WHAT, WHY AND HOW

With technological advancement and cut-throat competition in the market, gaining consumer confidence and maintaining real-time product visibility in the supply chain is difficult. Product traceability becomes an important business requirement in today’s context, primarily, because the consumers are increasingly getting conscious of what products they are buying and consuming, and hence would like to validate products through traceability. Besides, there were various trade and consumer safety related reasons that have led to the realization of critical need of a strong and effective traceability solution in supply chain management. For instance, back in early 2006-07, there was a large-scale concern about Samsung mobile phones getting blasted due to battery issues. This caused the manufacturer to identify the problem, stop production and recall all mobile sets already in the market. Traceability in such situations provides an effective system to easily recall products .
Post a Comment
Read more