Days numbered for barcodes as shoppers demand more data

End of an era: The humble barcode could soon be rendered obsolete.

BERLIN: Growing demand for more information about the products we buy could mean the end of the simple barcode – the blocks of black and white stripes that adorn most objects for sale and are scanned five billion times a day. 

First used on a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum in 1974 in a store in Ohio, barcodes have revolutionised the retail world, allowing cashiers to ring up products much faster and more accurately, while also streamlining logistics.