what was the first commercial product ever sold using a barcode scanner?
The first commercial product ever sold using a barcode scanner was a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum.
In 1974, the first barcode scanner was installed at a Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio, by a team of engineers from IBM. They chose a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum as the test product, and it became the first item to be scanned using a barcode scanner at a checkout counter. The barcode on the gum was successfully read by the scanner, signaling the beginning of a new era in retail technology.
This historic event marked a significant milestone in the world of retail and inventory management. The implementation of barcode scanners revolutionized the way businesses conducted transactions and tracked inventory. It greatly improved efficiency by automating the process of product identification and pricing, reducing human errors, and providing accurate sales data in real-time.
Since then, barcode scanners and barcodes have become ubiquitous in the retail industry and various other sectors. They are used for a wide range of purposes, including inventory management, supply chain logistics, asset tracking, and even mobile ticketing. The barcode system continues to evolve, with new types of barcodes and scanning technologies being introduced, such as QR codes and mobile scanning apps.
Overall, the first commercial product ever sold using a barcode scanner, Wrigley’s chewing gum, played a significant role in pioneering the use of this technology and transforming the way businesses operate in the modern world.