MAJOR UK supermarkets have made a huge change to milk cartons.
It comes along with the new shake-up to supermarket checkouts that is set to roll out ‘very soon’ as barcodes are set to be replaced after more than 50 years in use.
According to the Daily Mail, major retailers Tesco, Ocado and Morrisons are already trialling QR codes on products, with milk cartons among the first to make the switch.
GS1, the international non-profit that oversees global barcode standards, revealed that QR codes will soon take over, storing more information than traditional barcodes.
Anne Godfrey, GS1 UK’s chief executive, confirmed the shift.
She said: “Very soon we will say goodbye to the old-fashioned barcode, and every product will just have one QR code that holds all the information you need.”
Ocado has led the charge by rolling out QR codes on over 60 products, including milk bottles.
Laura Fernandez, Senior Packaging and Sustainability Manager at Ocado Retail, said: “We are proud to be the first major supermarket to pilot an online reusable packaging scheme.
“Polytag’s QR codes give us the opportunity to explain how re-using can eliminate single-use packaging, and how easy and convenient the Ocado solution is, right to their doors.
“We continue to expand the number of Ocado Own Range products featuring Polytag QR codes, reflecting our growing focus on digital solutions to communicate key information and messaging to our customers”
This move follows a successful trial last year, which allowed shoppers to scan the codes to access recycling instructions and earn rewards for returning bottles.
The trial, part of a ‘world-first’ digital deposit return scheme, saw customers earn over 20,000 rewards for recycling milk bottles within eight weeks.
Now, Ocado aims to expand its QR code use to reduce single-use plastics and food waste while encouraging recycling.
Tesco is also testing QR codes, adding them to Highland Spring flavoured water bottles in July.
The codes allow customers to scan products with their smartphones for instant access to information like nutritional data, recipes, and promotions.
QR codes provide significantly more data than traditional barcodes, including details on ingredients, allergens, and sustainability.
This added functionality could reshape how customers interact with products while also helping supermarkets improve inventory management.
GS1 has already partnered with major brands like PepsiCo, Amazon, and Walmart, with a full international rollout expected by 2027.
In the UK, the codes are being tested by retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Lidl, and Morrisons.
Despite the innovation, some experts warn of potential challenges.
Retail analyst Gabriel McKeown pointed out that upgrading technology for QR codes could be costly, especially for smaller retailers already facing economic pressures.
“This transition presents a double-edged sword,” McKeown said.
“While it promises better inventory management and consumer engagement, it requires significant investment at a time when every pound counts.”
There are also concerns about leaving certain demographics behind, particularly older customers who may not be familiar with QR code technology.
Retail expert Jenni Matthews said: “These technological advances are great for consumers, but there is a risk of alienating Baby Boomers who may find the transition challenging.”
Barcodes, invented in the 1940s, first appeared in UK stores in 1979. But with the rise of QR codes, the humble barcode is now facing its “long goodbye” as retailers adapt to modern consumer demands.
GS1’s Anne Godfrey noted: “Retailers will have to upgrade or get left behind.”
This technological transformation marks the end of an era for barcodes, paving the way for a new, more interactive shopping experience powered by QR codes.
Here are some of the changes you can expect to see in supermarket aisles in 2025.
Yellow discount stickers are hunted out by hoards of of shoppers every day, but many have started to see changes in the way they’re used – and more could be afoot in 2025.
Sainsbury’s shoppers were left frustrated at the checkout in 2024 when the supermarket began requiring staff approval to pay for discounted items.
As a result shoppers had to call over employees to sign off on their reduced purchases while using the self checkout.
The additional security measures were used for reduced items as well as coupons, following reports of a surge in fakes being circulated.
Sainsbury’s apologised for the frustration but said it needed to take measures to prevent fraud.
Shoppers will be hoping to see a less frustrating solution in 2025.
A small number of Lidl stores now require customers to scan a barcode on their receipt at the self-checkout before they can leave the shop.
Signs above the checkouts warn customers to keep their receipts to operate the exit gates.
Similar barriers have also been introduced in other major shops and supermarkets including Primark, Morrisons and Aldi and shoppers can expect to see more in 2025.
New technology – called electronic shelf labels – has been quietly trailed by supermarkets and it could see a major change to the way prices are displayed in 2025.
The technology allows prices to be displayed electronically and automatically updated throughout the day.
You might have already spotted the futuristic pricing system at German discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.
Several supermarkets have been looking to introduce large-scale self checkouts that allow shoppers to pay for big shops without waiting for an manned station.
Marks & Spencer has begun rolling out the “assisted belted checkouts” and has plans to expand the technology to even more locations in the near future.
Other supermarkets including Sainsbury’s have also started experimenting with similar self-checkout innovations and shoppers can expect to see more in 2025.
In a huge shake up for shoppers retailers such as Tesco and Asda have cut cash payments in some of their outlets to cut queues.
In August Tesco revealed it would be going cashless at cafés in 40 UK sites.
Supermarket giant Asda also has 267 cashless petrol stations, where customers must pay at pump by card to fill up.
Shoppers can also expect to see an increase in cameras.
Lincolnshire Co-op has trialled staff bodycams after recording a 245% increase in incidents of threats and abuse towards team members.
While Iceland‘s executive chairman Richard Walker said in a LinkedIn post he would “happily” trial facial recognition cameras to combat crime.
Asda has trialled vape and cigarette vending machines and more could be seen in 2025.
It was hoped that the machines, which are operated by team members, would reduce anti-social behaviour.
The technology was initially trialled in just one store but shoppers may see it in more this year.
