By Aimee Chanthadavong
GS1 Australia launched its GS1 GoScan smart device application in March this year to put the shopping power in the consumer’s hands as they walk down the supermarket aisle.
The GS1 GoScan app enables consumers to check the details of a food and beverage product directly from a manufacturer or brand owner by scanning the barcode, which is most beneficial for those who have certain dietary and lifestyle requirements, including food intolerances and allergies.
Mark Fuller, GS1 Australia’s COO and deputy CEO, told RetailBiz the app is being classified as game changing technology with product information that consumers can trust.
“Consumers don’t get information unless they’re reading off the label,” he said.
"In our research to develop GS1 GoScan, we road tested some other apps that only contain product information scraped from websites on the internet. GS1 GoScan is all about giving consumers trusted product information, and more of it, directly from the manufacturer or brand owner.”
The app has also been recognised as a forward way for the industry to communicate directly to consumers rather than government regulating for more food and beverage product information on food labelling and packaging.
Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Gary Dawson said at the National Press Club in Canberra that the application is a “godsend for allergy sufferers, enabling the consumer to tailor alerts for particular allergens”.
Fuller also said given that it can be personalised accordingly, it helps enhance the customer’s shopping experience.
“Consumers these days are demanding more real-time information about products before purchase and GS1 GoScan delivers trusted information into the palm of their hand," he said.
“For example, research shows that consumers do their homework on 30 per cent of the products before so brand owners and retailers need to be able to personalise their relationship with the consumer and this can be done through GS1 GoScan.”