Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More Barcodes
Jul 21, 2021
Discover how a young inventor found inspiration on a Florida beach, leading to the creation of barcodes. Learn about the journey of the Universal Product Code and its revolutionary impact on retail. Dive into the anatomy of barcodes, from their original one-dimensional forms to the modern two-dimensional QR codes. This transformation highlights the vital role barcodes play in product identification and contemporary commerce.
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Woodland's Beachside Inspiration
- Norman Woodland got inspired while drawing lines in the sand on a beach in Florida.
- He evolved the idea of dots and dashes into wide and narrow lines forming a circular barcode.
Barcode Impact on Retail
- Adoption of barcodes reduced operating costs about 1-2%, significant given supermarket margins.
- Stores using barcodes saw consistent sales increase, up to 10-12%, demonstrating barcode impact.
Meaning Behind UPC Digits
- A UPC barcode encodes 12 digits using binary black and white lines representing 0s and 1s.
- The last digit is a checksum to verify correctness, ensuring scanning accuracy.