Barcoding News

Pop-up retail and mobile food trucks isn’t new. It is a secret weapon that small business owners use to get their product out into the world and into the hands of their customers. In the pop up world, business owners will find a venue like a coffee shop, store, craft fair, or farmer’s market, then set up a retail or food shop for a limited of time: anything from one day to a few weeks.

This is an opportunity for VARs to serve a growing trend, particularly because of the mobility and connectivity to customers are key for business owners running pop up shops.

What’s the point in pop-up?

Mobile locations are more flexible for entrepreneurs looking to grow a brand and gain funding without risking everything on their venture.

• It’s authentic. Business owners are standing behind the customers, answering questions, building credibility, and connecting with the customer.
• It’s special. The pop-up won’t be there forever, the perfect time for an impulse purchase.
• It’s affordable. Your expenses are low, so you can just focus on the price points.
• It’s mobile. Businesses travel to their customers, which is a great way to test the viability of a new business or a way to expand an existing business in a new location.

Solutions for a Pop- Up:

• POS Systems
• Receipt Printers
• Card Readers
• Barcode Scanners

Pop-Up shops are becoming an accessible venture for many owners to expand on their current businesses without needing to fully commit to purchasing a location. Popular restaurants can simply park their food truck near a sporting event or music festival and capitalize on an event even if their actual location is far away.

Check out the solutions we have available for a pop-up. Feel free to contact one of our dedicated account managers if you have any questions to pick out the tools you will need in your mobile business.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are helping retail stores across the country improving customer experience, inventory accuracy, and a way to present wider sets of products to customers who are a little more selective.

RFID Tags have the ability to hold information that identifies the products, its country of origin, materials used, production date, the handling process, and any other important information that took place in the supply chain. Some retailers are using RFID tagging to track products at all of their locations. According to a research study from the RFID Lab at Auburn University, RFID tagging can increase inventory accuracy from an average of 63 percent to greater than 95 percent. This helps enable speed and accuracy for consumers concerning fulfillment for two-day, one-day, or same day delivery. According to Kurt Salmon and the Platt Retail Institute, with RFID tagging, out of stocks can be reduced by up to 40 percent and increase profit margins by 60 percent.

According to the RFID Lab, manufacturers using RFID tagging will see an 80 percent improvement in shipping and picking accuracy, at the same time being able to increase the receiving time by 90 percent. This will allow retailers to communicate more efficiently with their manufacturers for expedited reorders, improved planning, and forecasting of products.

To read more about how RFIDs can help retail stores click here.

For any questions or a quote on any of your RFID needs contact us at Barcodes, Inc.

Visibility in the supply chain is valuable data to a company. It allows company to be informed about their inventory from when it is stored or in transit in order to optimize time and allocate labor and staff.

When it comes to the Point of Sale market there are a variety of options. Each have their own specific advantages. To better help you decide which POS system is best suited for your business needs here are some options.

Mobile POS

With wireless mobile POS systems your business will have more competitive solutions to surpass their operational constraints. You’ll be able to process payments, manage some inventory, and mange customer information. Pair it with a mobile receipt printer to truly go mobile.

Options:

• Ingenico – iSMP
• PAX – D200
• Verifone – e355

Tablet POS

Tablets are becoming a popular solution when it comes to point of sale. Tablets come in many sizes and have a wide variety of features. Many have the ability to support hardeware such as tablet stands, barcode readers, cash drawers, tablet barcode scanners or a companion barcode scanners

Options:

• Partner Tech – EM-300
• Samsung – Galaxy Series

POS Terminal System

The Point of Sale Terminal Systems are the most common. These are types most people use at counter in various applications. They include everything you’ll need to get started with POS in your business. There are systems specifically designed for retail, restaurant, bar, grocery, salon, and iPad based. Each system will provide the most efficient and productive POS experience for your business and your customers.

Options:

• ShopKeep – Retail
• Vend – Standard
• Partner Tech – SP-1060

Partner Tech has outdone themselves with this one. With a powerful and attractive POS PC that has no fixed configuration. Meaning you can choose your modules and peripherals to give you a completely customized solution to fit any of your business needs.

That POS PC is the SP-2500 Series, which includes the SP-2511 (11″), the SP-2515 (15″), and the SP-2518 (18″). They feature an elegant, modular design that empowers you to choose the configuration you need. The fanless PC comes with a powerful quad core and transforms quickly into touch a POS terminal that increases productivity and improves customer service in retail, specialty stores, and hospitality. With an option to go dual-screen the SP-2500 supports both operational efficiencies and enhanced customer experiences.

SP-2500 Features:

• Intel Bay Trail-D J1900 2.0GHz up to 2.4GHz, 2M cache
• Highly customizable for maximum versatility: available in single-and double-screen configurations. Ideal for high-customer interaction and kiosk applications.
• Transformable terminal available in 3 screen sizes (18.5″/15.6″/11.6″)
• Bezel-free screen with projected capacitive touch (multi-touch)
• Supports rich I/O
• Spill and dust resistant IP54 (Whole device)

For any questions or a quote on any of your POS needs contact us at Barcodes, Inc.

Most of today’s youth have access to smartphones or tablets and through those pieces of technology a whole world of media such as videos, infographics, podcasts, etc. are at their fingertips. Bubbles technology brings a new way to incorporate the use of digital media content into traditional learning modes. Bubbles containing QR codes are spread throughout textbooks; thus students and teachers will have access to short, interactive modules. This could help a student get a much deeper understanding of the course material through audio clippings and visual snippets that complements the curriculum.

All the student or teacher has to do is simply scan the QR code via a tablet or smartphone with a free QR reader app, or click the link if it’s an eBook, to unlock a 60 to 90 second interactive lesson. For example a math textbook trying to explain a complex equation, the text can only do so much. A QR code associated with this complex equation can be scanned prompting an interactive lesson to open and explain the equation in much more detail using animation, audio, and graphics.

It is believed that the future of education lies in what they are calling a “flipped classroom”. A flipped classroom is the idea that students would study the content at home using books and interactive technology. Then the following day in class students would complete practice exercises with the ability to discuss last nights learning material with other students and teachers. QR codes have been used in many areas of the world and they could be utilized to help teach the next generation.

To read more about QR codes in textbooks, read “QR Code Technology Brings Textbooks To Life“

Barcodes, Inc. would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

To celebrate the holidays Edeka, a supermarket, thought of a great way to surprise their shoppers by playing Jingle Bells using their check out scanners.
What a great way to spread the holiday cheer!

Check out the viral video below and also check out our in- counter barcode scanner selection!

In 1974 a pack of gum was purchased using the first ever barcode. Since then the use of barcodes has skyrocketed and has taken many forms of symbologies. The symbology of a barcode includes the encoding of the message in the bars and spaces, including any start and stop markers plus the size of the quiet zone (a blemish free space around the code to help readers locate it) that is required to be before and after the barcode. There are a few different types of barcode symbologies from the linear Code 128 and Code 39 to the newer 2D QR Codes, Data Matrix, and Micro PDF.

What has the barcode done for this world? It’s made life easier. Its helped the retail industry keep check of the number of products they have in stock and a way to see what products sell at higher volumes. More importantly its helped consumers get in and out of stores quicker by dramatically improving the check out line. Imagine a world in which you would have to wait until the cashier looked up every single item you wanted to purchase? In that scenario the checkout lines would be ridiculous, luckily the barcode is here to save us from that nightmare.

Retail is just one of the many industries that barcodes has helped improve; another is the healthcare industry which has greatly benefited from the barcode. In the healthcare industry you’ll find barcodes on patient samples and the wristbands patients wear. There’s systems in place that would automatically generate a new barcode every time a patient has their blood drawn, making it so that the blood sample can be tracked from the hospital floor to the laboratory for testing. Human error of course is still possible, but with the use of barcodes those errors have been greatly minimized.

To learn more about barcodes visit our FAQ or read more about the rise and use of “The Ubiquitous Barcode”

For any questions or a quote on barcode software or barcode labels please contact us at Barcodes, Inc.

Why is Barcodes, Inc. raising supplies prices?

After 6 years of stable label pricing, Barcodes has received notification from all our suppliers regarding industry-wide price increases on labels. These increases are being announced to the market as high as 9%.

What are some of the raw material drivers causing these price increase?

• Freight increases – Caused by a strong US economy, rebuilding after deadly hurricane season causing high demand for an already strained trucking industry
• Hourly wage increases – Up 12% since 2011, due to historically low unemployment and strong US economy
• Pulp paper increases – Up over 20% in the last 18 months
• Paper Liner increases – Caused by mill closures and strong US economy
• Leuco dye shortages – Caused by the closure of a major Chinese supplier, creating shortages and price increases of 9% on POS receipt grades
• Devaluation of US dollar – Down 12% in 2017, which is causing higher import costs for imported raw materials
• Adhesive increases – as high as 40% over the last 18 months, caused by higher crude prices and Hurricane Harvey
• Polyester and Polypropylene film increases – Up 10% caused by higher crude prices

How will this affect my current quotes?

Barcodes will honor any pricing indicated on any current quote for 30 days from when the quote was sent. Effective February 1, 2018, all price increases will take into effect.

What price increase should I expect on ZipShip products?

Most stock paper and synthetic items – 4%

Please contact our dedicated account managers if you have any further questions, Thanks!

The ScanPal EDA70 can provide real time connectivity for business-critical applications and efficient data capture capabilities. The enterprise-grade rugged tablet is also sleek and lightweight. The Honeywell tablet is built on the Android 7 platform for fast performance, enhanced security, and future O/S upgradeability. With a fast processor (1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8916 quad-core), built-in camera, and a battery to last a full shift, mobile workers will always be connected to crucial information to place orders, check stock, check order status, or scan items as they are removed for delivery.

With the ScanPal EDA70 tablet, mobile workers can effectively manage a wide variety of tasks thanks to an advanced connected mobile user experience facilitating large file transfers, video streaming, and remote access to business applications.

ScanPal EDA70 Features:

• Powerful, Flexible Android Operating System: Installed with Android 7 operating system with GMS to provide smooth system operation to support multi-tasking operating requirements, enhanced security and a future upgrade path.
• Large Touchscreen Display: Large 7″ Corning Gorilla capacitive high durability touchscreen is readable both indoors and outdoors, and can be used even with wet hands.
• Easy To Use Integrated Barcode Scanning: Increases productivity and throughput with an integrated and easy-to-use, industry-grade imager that provides aggressive scanning of linear and 2D barcodes.
• Built For Rugged Environments: A sleek, modern, and contemporary design plus enterprise-grade ruggedness. Built tough to withstand 4 ft (1.2 m) drops to concrete, and 200 (0.5 m) tumbles; IP64 seal rating against dust and water spray.
• Flexible Network Coverage: 802.11a/b/g/n and 4G LTE support ensures robust high speed network connection in external and/or interwork network environments.