Coding System in Retail

The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a

barcode symbology (i.e., a specific type of
barcode) that is widely used in most of the
countries. Its most common form, the UPC-A,
consists of 12 numerical digits which are
uniquely assigned to each trade item. Along
with the related EAN barcode, the UPC is the
barcode mainly used for scanning of trade items
at the point of sale.
 Each UPC-A barcode consists of a scan able strip
of black bars and white spaces, above a
sequence of 12 numerical digits. No letters
characters, or other content of any kind may
appear on a standard UPC-A barcode. The digits
and bars maintain a one-to-one correspondence
- in other words, there is only one way to
represent each 12-digit number visually, and
there is only one way to represent each visual
barcode numerically.
Figure of a Bar Code
 RFID
 It is a technology that allows an object or
a person to be identified at a distance
using radio waves. The devices or the tags
are inserted into the cartons or
merchandise labels and they transmit data
about the object in which they are
embedded.
 Benefits of RFID
 Reduced warehouse and distribution
labour cost
 Reduced point of sales labour cost .(
Needed for checking inventory shelf)
 Saving on inventory by reducing errors
 Reduced Theft of merchandise
 Reduced Out of Stock conditions.
 Drawbacks
 It is a costly technique.
 Requires infrastructural support
 Requires trained manpower to handle data
generated through RFID