GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the biggest change to retail barcodes since the UPC arrived in the 1970s. By the end of 2027, the industry goal is for checkout systems everywhere to read 2D barcodes alongside the familiar 1D ones.
It is often described as a hard deadline or a legal mandate. It is neither. Sunrise 2027 is an industry-led milestone coordinated by GS1, and nothing switches off on a single date. For packaging and artwork teams, though, the work starts well before 2027, because every new code is another element that has to be designed, approved and verified.
What Sunrise 2027 is, and what it isn't
Sunrise 2027 is a coordinated goal: by the end of 2027, retail point-of-sale scanners and their software should be able to read and process GS1-standard 2D barcodes as well as UPC and EAN codes. GS1 US leads the initiative in the United States, and GS1 member organisations in other countries have published their own national roadmaps.
Three common misunderstandings are worth clearing up:
- It is not a law. It is an industry initiative, not a regulation with legal penalties.
- It is not a switch-off date. 1D barcodes do not disappear in 2027. Both formats are expected to coexist for some time.
- It is not only about 2027. Several European retailers have already brought acceptance dates forward for new product listings, so some brands face the change sooner.
The formats: DataMatrix, QR Code and GS1 Digital Link
Two 2D formats are printed on pack: GS1 DataMatrix and QR Code. Both can carry the product's GTIN plus extra data, such as batch number, expiry date and serial number. A 1D barcode can only carry the GTIN.
GS1 Digital Link is not a barcode format. It is a standard way of writing that data as a web address, which is then encoded in a QR Code. The same code can serve the checkout, the supply chain, and a shopper who scans it with a phone to reach product information online.
That flexibility adds a new question for artwork teams. A 2D code can scan perfectly and still carry the wrong data, or point to the wrong place.
Two codes on one pack: the transition period
During the transition, most products will carry both codes: the familiar UPC or EAN and a new 2D code. According to GS1 US, the 2D code is expected to sit alongside the UPC until retailer readiness to scan 2D codes reaches roughly 90 to 95 percent.
In practice, 2026 is the ramp-up year. Large retailers expect their biggest suppliers to start shipping dual-coded packaging, and brands that wait risk competing for print slots and approval capacity late in the cycle.
Dual coding doubles the checking. Each pack now has two codes that must be correctly placed, correctly printed, and consistent with each other and with the approved specification.
What it means for artwork and verification
For artwork teams, Sunrise 2027 is mostly a verification challenge. Four things change:
- More elements to approve. Every SKU gains a new code, and new artwork versions follow.
- Content matters as much as appearance. A reviewer cannot read a 2D code by eye. The encoded data has to be decoded and checked against the approved specification.
- Variants multiply the risk. Multi-market and multilingual packs may place the code differently per market, and each version needs the same check.
- Documentation follows. In GMP-regulated environments, validation and review records need to reflect the new barcode standards.
Beyond retail: pharma and medical devices
Sunrise 2027 is a retail initiative, but 2D codes are not new to regulated industries. EU prescription medicines already carry a 2D DataMatrix for traceability, and medical devices use UDI carriers that are often 2D.
In a sense, retail is catching up with what pharma and device teams have managed for years. Their experience shows the lesson that matters most: the code is only as reliable as the process that checks it. Companies that supply both regulated and retail channels, such as consumer health brands, will feel the change on both fronts.
What to do now
The teams in the best position for 2027 are the ones treating 2026 as the year to prepare:
- List the SKUs affected, starting with the markets and retailers that move first.
- Agree the data per code: GTIN, batch, expiry, serial, and whether a Digital Link destination is used.
- Plan dual-coded artwork and allow for design, approval and print lead times.
- Build code verification into sign-off, checking decoded content as well as placement and print quality.
- Update review documentation so audit records reflect the new codes.
How Content Compare supports the transition
Content Compare's Braille & Barcode module reads GS1 DataMatrix and QR Codes and checks the decoded data against your approved specification, not just how the code looks. Each verification is recorded in a full audit trail. As artwork is updated for dual coding, every version can be checked the same way, across every market and language.
Sunrise 2027 is also a good moment to modernize verification more broadly. Teams that build 2D code checks into their standard workflow now will be ready for 2027 and for whatever data the next generation of packaging carries.