Help - Bar code on kraft paper bags from China

[Delahaye]

Hi Everybody,

I am hoping some of you may be able to steer me in the right direction.

We have spent months setting up a new venture, which has created an innovative and 100% renewable fuel product to be sold mainly to UK clientèle.

All machinery to make the product has been sourced from China, with the production facility starting operations early in 2012 within a developing country.

One little blip that I'm having trouble with is the packaging. We have the artwork design ready for the bags and have also sourced a few suppliers of Kraft Paper Bags, but I'm not sure what to do about a bar code? Is this added by the retailers? Do we have the bar code ready-printed in China?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

[TotallySport]

how are you selling it in the UK?

Are you selling it already Branded under your Brand to companies in the UK for resale? or are you expecting UK businesses to find you, then you will rebrand it for them??

 

[Delahaye]

Blimey, thanks for the quick response TotallySport.

Its not set in stone yet, but we plan to have it under our brand and sell it via distributors/resellers in the UK. These will hopefully be Cash and Carries, Supermarkets, Garden Centres and Petrol Stations in the long run.

Thanks again.

 

[Josh_Farmer]

Blimey, thanks for the quick response TotallySport.

Its not set in stone yet, but we plan to have it under our brand and sell it via distributors/resellers in the UK. These will hopefully be Cash and Carries, Supermarkets, Garden Centres and Petrol Stations in the long run.

Thanks again.

If your bringing a product to market, you need to own a barcode for the product

 

[Delahaye]

Thanks for your JFRetail, much appreciated.

I have read that each product size needs a different barcode. Would it be EAN barcodes? I have tried google and there are a million and one websites offering them. Is there an official website to use?

 

[Josh_Farmer]

Depends how many sizes your doing to which is your cheapest option?

Each size, colour ect needs a different barcode, in otherwords each variation of the product needs there own barcode..

GS1 is the official place for barcode's but its £117 signup plus £107 a year (you can have like 1,000 barcodes +)

If you only want a selected quantity try barcodestalk, they are the cheapest reseller or barcodes

 

[Delahaye]

Fantastic, thanks again!

We will only be selling the exact same product in only two sizes, both of which will be the same colour and artwork.

 

[Josh_Farmer]

Well look at barcode's talk then, they are the cheapest around and will supply you with your barcodes which you then instantly own

 

[TotallySport]

Blimey, thanks for the quick response TotallySport.

Its not set in stone yet, but we plan to have it under our brand and sell it via distributors/resellers in the UK. These will hopefully be Cash and Carries, Supermarkets, Garden Centres and Petrol Stations in the long run.

Thanks again.

Sorry to slow on the next response, and I think JFRetail is spot on, so not any more to add

 

[Delahaye]

We plan to sell within Europe, mainly the UK.

However, we may end up selling in USA and Canada at some point.

Would we need to have seperate bags with UPC and EAN barcodes?

 

[TotallySport]

If you contact GS1 they will be able to inform you of the more complex details I think EAN barcodes are for all of Europe, but not America:

http://www.gs1uk.org/

 

[Josh_Farmer]

We plan to sell within Europe, mainly the UK.

However, we may end up selling in USA and Canada at some point.

Would we need to have seperate bags with UPC and EAN barcodes?

Im sure the standard is UPC - US/Canada
EAN - Europe

However i am not 100% if it is a legal requirement for you to have the different ones printed on each, I can't see it personally, i know for book the ISBN is a international thing, i think UPC/EAN are just standards

 

[Josh_Farmer]

Quick google and its seems your fine with using on UPC or EAN, they are both accepted by GS1 as POS barcodes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Product_Code

 

[Delahaye]

Thanks for all your help JFRetail and TotallySport, you've helped a million.

All the best.

 

[TotallySport]

Good Luck

 

[Levy]

You need to apply for 2 barcode number in EAN format and ask your suppliers to print on the products. and it is recommended that the barcode number is printed together in order to prevent the barcode cannot be scanned.
As for the application, as far as I know there is the authorized organization in your local city to manage that as long as you have registered your company.