No retail store could ever perform its business properly without the help of a barcode system. For one, barcode systems make sure that all your customers are correctly charged and help speed up the processing time on the checkout counter. Additionally, they also allow you to store large volumes of data about your products and help you keep precise track of your inventory. So, when opening up a retail store, choosing a reliable barcode system should be one of your biggest concerns. Since there’s a wide range of barcode equipment, here are some tips to help you make the right choice.
Consider Your Product Line
Before setting up a barcode system, you need to make sure that it suits your particular business. So, think about the type of products you sell and the barcodes they use. For instance, clothing items use different barcodes than electronics. What’s more, some barcodes are very small, while others may be too large. With that being said, there are two types of barcodes: 1D and 2D. 1D barcodes only store a small amount of information and are usually found on clothes, confectionery products and groceries.
On the other hand, 2D barcodes can store up to 2000 characters of information and can also contain images and website links. These types of barcodes are used on many electronic products and considered more useful for keeping inventory. So, if you’re selling a variety of products with different types of barcodes and want to speed up the process of keeping inventory, you may need to consider investing in both 1D and 2D barcode scanners that can allow you to read a variety of formats. It’s recommended to purchase barcode scanners from a business that specializes in state-of-the-art barcode equipment systems & supplies instead from a store selling general electronics.
Don’t Overlook the Other Components besides the Scanner
A reliable barcode system consists of several other elements besides the scanners. In order to set up a barcode system, you need both hardware and software. The hardware consists of physical components: barcode scanners, label applicators and data terminals. In addition, stores that produce their own products will also need a barcode printer in order to print out their own labels. The software, on the other hand, is the computer application that stores all the information about the products and their prices, the selling rate and the size of your inventory. Should a single hardware or software element malfunction, the whole system will become obsolete. With that being said, it’s important to invest in quality barcode equipment systems & supplies and have them regularly inspected by a professional.
