The Hindu Business Line : Retailers' body presses for compulsory barcoding

THE organised retail fraternity got together under the aegis of the Retailers Association of India (RAI) to announce compliance to the GS1 barcode standards by July 1, 2006.

Though a large segment of the organised players are already barcoding their products, the initiative was to encourage manufacturers and suppliers to have a uniform barcode for their various products.

The RAI members passed a mandate titled Win Win 2006, under which no supplies in the FMCG sector will be accepted without GS1 barcodes. The GS1 barcodes are 13-digit identity codes that give information on the country of manufacture, details of the product, and date of manufacture.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr K. Radhakrishnan, Vice-President (Merchandising), Spencer's, said that the implementation of GS1 barcoding would be a win-win situation for both the retailer and the customer. From the customer's point of view, it will ensure more secure as well as speedy billing.

And from the retailer's side, not only would there be fewer errors at the billing counter, the retailer would be able to track the products.

Mr Radhakrishnan said that barcodes are not just meant for individual products but for cartons in which the products are packed as well, apart from trucks.

This will enable manufacturers of brands to track the freshness of the product.

Mr Ravi Mathur, CEO of GS1 India, said that it was extremely important to have a system through which one can recall a particular product, if necessary - especially if a particular product is damaged, in which case a uniform barcode would enable recall of the product across the supply chain before it causes further damage.

On whether barcoding one's product was an added expenditure, Mr Radhakrishnan said that it was a misconception. He said that it only involves a one-time cost to get a certificate from GS1.

Mr Gibson Vedamani, CEO of RAI, said: "With organised retail poised to grow at 30 per cent each year, use of international best practices in the Indian supply chain is very important. This step will go a long way in servicing Indian consumers better."

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