VermontSmallBusiness.org

Archive for December, 2011

Universal product codes and international article numbers can help you track your product, understand your sales volume, streamline inventory, and ensure your company gets credit for every sale. Barcodes make it easy to find information that will help your market sales. What color works best in which season? What sizes are flying off the shelves? It is easy to see these statistics when you have a systematic electronic tracking system, and that is just what barcodes can provide.

The barcodes on the products consumers buy everyday represent a series of numbers, 12 or 13 digits, which have been registered and can be scanned and tracked back to you. The convenience of scanning barcodes in the ware house, on the sales floor, and at the point of sale gives you the ability to follow your product from the stock room and all the way out the door. Inventory is as simple as pointing a scanner and watching the numbers light up.

Every product variation should have a separate barcode, which gives you the option of tracking one size, one color, etc., and allows you to see your strongest and weakest sales. Before you buy a barcode you should check with the retailers you plan to work with and find out what codes their inventory usually carries. UPC codes are the standard in the US and Canada, while EANs are used everywhere else.

When you partner with a retailer to get your product to consumers you will assign your product a UPC or EAN that is exclusive to your product. This way, when your product is paid for at the point of sale, it can be instantly linked back to you, and you will receive credit for every sale. Making it simple to follow your sales and restock as needed. These are the benefits you can reap when you purchase barcodes .

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