The grocery sector emerged from 2025 under continued pressure. Rising costs, supply chain volatility, climate commitments and shifting consumer expectations all combined to test margins and operational resilience. As retailers and manufacturers look ahead to 2026, those pressures are not easing, but the tools available to address them are evolving rapidly.
One of the most significant shifts now underway is happening at the packaging level. The familiar one-dimensional barcode, long a staple of grocery retail, is giving way to data-rich 2D barcodes. Accelerated by the GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative, this transition is being driven by ever-changing regulations, growing consumer demand for transparency, the industry’s push for greater operational efficiency and the increasing need for brands and private labels to establish a direct line of communication with shoppers, writes Rémy Fontanet, Solutions Business Development Manager at Markem-Imaje.
Three clear trends are driving adoption and shaping how packaging will support grocery retail in 2026.
1. Transparency is now a baseline expectation
Transparency has moved from a brand differentiator to a minimum requirement. Retailers are under growing pressure to provide accurate, up-to-date product information at shelf and checkout, while consumers increasingly expect clear answers about provenance, ingredients and product status.
In 2025, Tesco began trials of next-generation QR codes powered by GS1 Digital Link to improve the accuracy of date codes, reduce food waste, help prevent the sale of out-of-date products and better inform consumers. The pilot demonstrates exactly why brands and retailers are accelerating adoption.
Shoppers now look for instant, unique, verifiable information about the products they buy. They want to understand where an item comes from, how it was made, and what is in it. 2D barcodes can provide this depth of information transparency in a single scan, helping retailers and brands build trust through content that extends far beyond what can be physically displayed on the pack.
Data backs this shift. According to Syndigo’s State of Product Content 2024, half of consumers abandoned a potential purchase because they could not find enough information, while 35% returned a product because it did not meet expectations based on its description.
GS1 Digital Link provides a practical framework for addressing these challenges. Unlike traditional UPC (1D) barcodes, which carry only limited data such as item identification and pricing, Digital Link barcodes can link to live product data, including product origin, sell-by dates and dedicated web pages, enabling greater confidence at checkout and clearer communication with shoppers.
2. Sustainability and waste reduction remain commercial priorities
Sustainability is no longer just a reputational issue for grocery retail. It is increasingly operational and commercial, with retailers and brands under pressure to provide clearer information on ingredients, sourcing, environmental impact and recycling guidance. Static labels alone cannot meet this requirement, but 2D barcodes can. 2D barcodes offer the most effective way to provide accurate, batch-level or even serialised, unique information for each product, without overcrowding packaging or redesigning packs for every update.
Waste reduction is another key driver. Food waste continues to represent a major cost and sustainability challenge for retailers. Connected 2D barcodes can support smarter expiry management by linking best-before dates to live systems and blocking them at the Point of Sale or automatically lowering their price when the product is about to expire, thereby increasing sales volumes and reducing food waste.
Consumers also continue to prioritise sustainable behaviour. Mintel reports that 73% of UK shoppers try to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment. Many shoppers actively seek clear recycling guidance, yet confusion surrounding local recycling rules remains high. Providing location-relevant recycling information through a simple scan can help.
A QR code on product packaging offers a window into a comprehensive—even customisable experience. In brick-and-mortar stores, the offline-to-online idea is that consumers can scan the 2D barcode to access a wider range of product details at store shelves to increase conversion, engagement and brand loyalty. This can include extensive information that just cannot be contained by the limited real estate of a physical package or label, including background on third-party certifications, suppliers, ingredient origins, sustainability measures and ethical business practices to enhance supply chain transparency and build trust.
3. Health and wellness are reshaping product data expectations
The third trend shaping adoption in Europe is health and wellness. As concerns around ultra-processed foods increase and the use of weight-management therapies becomes more mainstream, consumers are seeking more specific, real-time nutritional insights.
Providing clear and complete information via a QR code allows consumers to make more informed choices and helps credible brands differentiate themselves. The clean label movement reinforces this. Innova Market Insights data shows that 35% of European food and beverage launches carry a clean label claim, with strong consumer demand for ingredient transparency. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers reconsider purchases based on the ingredient list, and more than half say honesty is their top priority.
2D barcodes can provide unique product or batch-level nutritional data, allergen updates and even direct access to recall information. For brands, this creates an opportunity to strengthen loyalty by offering verified product data at the moment it matters most: the point of choice.
Preparing for GS1 Sunrise 2027 and beyond
The GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative marks a clear milestone. The transition to connected packaging can enable retailers to improve expiry control, reduce waste, strengthen recall processes and meet evolving regulatory requirements, while also responding to consumer expectations for transparency.
Retailers that act early will be better positioned to integrate 2D barcodes into existing processes and build internal confidence before timelines become critical. Those that delay risk viewing GS1 Sunrise 2027 as a last-minute technical hurdle rather than an opportunity to simplify operations and improve data quality.
As pressures on grocery retail continue to mount, packaging is becoming a more strategic asset. In 2026 and beyond, connected packaging will play a central role in helping retailers balance efficiency, compliance and consumer trust in an increasingly complex market.
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