The Consumer Goods Forum’s industry solution, the Data-Driven Value Chain (DDVC), in collaboration with GS1, has released two new voluntary reference guides designed to support our members as they modernise their current data infrastructure. 

The consumer goods industry is working toward a critical milestone: by next year, major global retailers, manufacturers, packaging printers and POS vendors are aligning to accept 2D barcodes at the point of sale.

To help businesses successfully navigate this massive operational shift, known across the industry as ‘Sunrise 2027’, these public reference guides offer an actionable path to accelerate 2D and QR code deployment globally. 

Why these new guides matter for businesses

Deploying dynamic QR codes requires structured data grounded in globally unique identifiers. Rooted in GS1 standards, these identifiers ensure that no two items or companies in the world share the same code. To simplify this complex technical transition and eliminate costly friction, we have made two complimentary resources available for businesses. 

• For technical and supply chain teams: the CGF-GS1 Prefix-GLN-GTIN Management – Industry Guidance Summary (v2.0 April 2026) outlines best practices for assigning GS1 identifiers (GCPs, GTINs, GLNs) to establish a functional baseline for QR deployment. 
• For legal and M&A teams: Corporate restructuring can inadvertently disrupt your digital supply chain, as GS1 licenses do not transfer automatically during legal entity changes. The Industry Guidance Summary_MA (v2.0 April 2026) details technical pathways for corporate transactions, sharing strategies for legal and M&A teams to maintain data continuity and limit redundant relabeling. 

Both documents are entirely voluntary and are now publicly available to provide operational clarity across the industry. 

Our partnership with GS1 

This initiative is the latest milestone in our long-standing partnership with GS1. By combining the global standard-setting expertise of GS1 with the cross-industry reach of our consumer goods network, this collaboration ensures that businesses can access harmonised, standard-based frameworks.

Through the creation of public resources with GS1, the DDVC helps companies navigate digital transformation, master structured data management, and secure long-term operational continuity in a highly complex digital marketplace. 

Learn more about how your company can help shape the future of digital product identification, visit the Data-Driven Value Chain (DDVC) homepage or contact the DDVC team directly to get involved in our industry workstreams on retail media, AI, cybersecurity and more. 

Antitrust Caution: The DDVC and The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) operate under a strict policy of compliance with all applicable antitrust and competition laws. This update and the referenced guides are for informational and voluntary educational purposes only. Each member company must independently determine its own commercial strategies, pricing, data practices, and supplier relationships. These materials do not encourage or facilitate any agreements, coordinated behaviors, or sharing of competitively sensitive information among participants.