Barcode Information Please

[voyage]

Hi

We have being asked to supply some of our products on a wholesale basis.
We buy these products direct from the manufacturer and then resell them.
We currently do not use barcodes on site so I do not know what information they hold. If I do sell these products on a wholesale basis does the barcode hold information about the manafactuer etc?
I just don't want to sell to someone for them then to go direct.

If you could let me know what information the barcode does hold it would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[vvaannmmaann]

This may help.
http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=239665&highlight=barcodes

 

[voyage]

Hi

Thank you I have had a brief read however I am still a little unsure.
So will this barcode already have encrypted who the manufacturer is or when the company who come to but the product enter the information onto there system?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Barcodes 'hold' no information.

You produce a barcode (or your supplier) and you tell your client that 12345=item 1.

In retail, you will tend to use EAN13, controlled by GS1 UK, but they work as above. All barcodes are unique. All options (colours, sizes, promotional/offer packs etc) need their own barcodes.

There is no central database matching items to barcodes (that I am aware of).

 

[voyage]

That has explained it then, Thank you.

So I can supply these products with there original barcode on.

I thought there might have being a central system.

 

[Chunkford]

A normal bar code (the ones you get on all retail goods to scan at the till) only store a number so there will be no worry about tracing it back.

This wiki page will shed more like on the subject - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Product_Code

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Only if they are EAN13 (or what the client wants).

 

[Chunkford]

Barcodes 'hold' no information.

Depends if it's a QR barcode

 

[voyage]

Thank you for your help so far.

Is there any problem in using the original barcode on the product but instead remaking it with our own branding? Just the current labels have other branding on them relating back to the manufacturer or is it best to get your own barcodes?

 

[fisicx]

Is there any problem in using the original barcode on the product but instead remaking it with our own branding? Just the current labels have other branding on them relating back to the manufacturer or is it best to get your own barcodes?

All EAN13 barcodes are unique. They can be traced back to the person who registered the thing which means the buyer can bypass you once they know who the supplier is.

 

[voyage]

So really I would need my own barcodes and have to rebrand the products

 

[fisicx]

So really I would need my own barcodes and have to rebrand the products

Yup.

That seems to be the only way to protect your income.

 

[voyage]

I am presuming that it would be advisable to ask the manufacturer first? Although this does seem like a standard practice the rebranding of products

 

[mhall]

I would lay money on the first five or six numbers of the barcode being the same for every item from your supplier, the last 5 or 6 being their own code for the product and I believe the last number is some sort of check number.

Whilst it will be difficult to trace a supplier from those numbers, it is certainly not impossible. Whether your customers will have the time or inclination to do it would depend on how much money they think they would save.

We recently re- barcoded our stock to try and stop other Retailers finding out our suppliers as they used to write their name on the barcode stickers. A pain in the bum but now we see other Retailers frantically trying to find a clue as to who makes the items we sell. - gives us a laugh on a cold, wet day.

 

[dallis]

EAN-13 barcodes are essentially just a unique sequence of 13-digits. They don't contain any product or manufacturer information at all.

The first few digits of a barcode show the country of origin of the barcode number (but not necessarily the country of origin of the product), and the manufacturer's "ID" number. However, barcodes are frequentally transferred between businesses, or on-sold - therefore the manufactuer ID number is pretty much meaningless, today.

EAN and UPC barcodes have been in common use since the early 1980s & many of them have frequently changed hands since then. There are several major barcode and product databases online - but none of these are comprehensive or completely up-to-date. Any person or manufacturer can register their barcode and product on these databases (for free) if they want to. After this is done, the barcode will be connected to the product (and manufacturer) on internet search engines and when scanned by a smart phone.