Value proposition

Bridging the physical and digital worlds to improve consumer experiences and patient safety

GS1 is a global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains globally and across sectors. The best-known symbol of GS1 standards is the barcode, named by the BBC as one of “the 50 things that made the world economy”. GS1 is also well known for the creation and management of the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), commonly used in barcodes, which uniquely identify products in the supply chain.

Five decades ago, we started by helping food retailers do business more efficiently and reduce consumer prices. Today, GS1 standards improve the efficiency, safety, and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors, including retail, marketplaces, healthcare, transport and logistics, food service, technical industries, and humanitarian logistics.

Our scale and reach – local Member Organisations (MOs) in 118 countries, 2 million user companies, and 6 billion transactions every day – help ensure that GS1 standards create a common language that supports systems and processes across the globe.


Barcodes, EPC, GDSN, eCom, MobileCom, AIDC, Traceability, Supply Chain Standards, sustainability, and 2D