Online Market, Full-Scale Adoption of Unified 'International Standard Barcode'

KCCI, Coupang, Gmarket, 11st
MOU for Cooperation to Promote International Standard Product Barcodes

Seoul Jung-gu Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The internationally standardized product barcode, which has been used at checkout counters in retail stores worldwide, will now be fully introduced to domestic online markets.

On the 18th, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) signed an MOU with major online retailers such as Coupang Inc., Gmarket Inc., and 11st Inc. at the KCCI building in Jung-gu, Seoul, agreeing to cooperate in spreading the use of the international standard product barcode.

The international standard product barcode is a product identification standard system established by GS1, an international standard organization for the product sector. It has long been used not only overseas but also in domestic offline stores such as large supermarkets and convenience stores for product checkout as well as IT-based sales, inventory management, and logistics services.

However, unlike offline stores, online markets have seen low usage because barcode scanning procedures for product checkout are unnecessary. Recently, as online markets have been expanding fulfillment services?logistics outsourcing services?and customer-tailored product recommendation services, the need to utilize standard product barcodes has increased. Amazon, the global number one online market, recommends sellers use the international standard product barcode when registering products.

Accordingly, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which manages the GS1 standard domestically, has decided to jointly promote the introduction and spread of the international standard product barcode through this MOU with major online retailers.

Utilizing the standard product barcode benefits online retailers, sellers, and consumers alike. Online retailers can accurately identify products by managing identical products under the same code, enabling error-free processing of customer orders. This also facilitates the expansion of fulfillment services, which are logistics outsourcing services for sellers. Fulfillment refers to services that collectively handle logistics processes such as inventory management, packaging, inspection, and delivery.

Online sellers can register products on multiple domestic and international online markets using a single standard barcode. This reduces the costs and time previously spent on matching product codes for each market, allowing sellers to focus more on product sourcing and customer service.

Consumers are also expected to experience higher shopping satisfaction as standardized barcodes on online products will make it easier and more accurate to compare sales conditions from multiple sellers.

Following this MOU, the three online retailers will actively guide sellers to use standard barcodes and gradually expand the use of standard barcodes. Additionally, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry plans to further support the industry by providing rapid code issuance, online seller education, and product information databases.

Jang Geun-mu, Director of the Distribution and Logistics Promotion Institute at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, "The spread of the international standard product barcode application will bring greater benefits to online market operators, sellers, and consumers alike. We will expand industry support and cooperation to develop the online distribution sector and enhance global competitiveness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.