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Gadgets -Survey Confirms the Popularity of Mobile Barcodes

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December 29, 2010

Survey Confirms the Popularity of Mobile Barcodes

By Mini Swamy
TMCnet Contributor

Scanbuy is a reputed provider of mobile barcode solutions and the ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application. Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices. A camera phone is used to establish a connection between the physical and digital world.


In order to find out how popular Scanbuy barcode solutions were with mobile users, who used their phones for shopping, it launched a poll on Twitter and Facebook (News - Alert). Results indicated that consumers apparently evinced  a great deal of interest in using mobile barcodes while shopping over the holidays.

The survey revealed that the iPhone was the most popular device used by respondents to scan barcodes, while the Blackberry and Android (News - Alert) followed close behind. More than 50 percent of those surveyed scanned a barcode, with 40 percent of such consumers scanning a mobile barcode five or more times, and 57 percent scanning at least once. An additional 40 percent that had never endeavored to scan a barcode indicated that they would be interested in trying it out.

While an overwhelming majority of consumers found mobile barcodes very useful, a negligible three percent didn't seem overly impressed. 50 percent of the consumers used mobile barcodes mostly to look up prices online and some used them to get access to information without having a sales clerk interfere. The most popular feature while shopping was price comparison, while user reviews and specific product offers also got strong interest. 

According to Mike Wehrs (News - Alert), CEO and president of Scanbuy, "The fact that 40 percent of those surveyed scanned a barcode five or more times, with an additional 40 percent interested in scanning in the future, shows the immediate interest and long-term potential that mobile barcodes have in the field of retail.”

Wehrs felt that this fact could be very significant for consumers and retailers as both had a common aim, to make for a truly valuable shopping experience. In addition, it also revealed that there was a wide variety of useful content that could be put to proper use. Not only would it serve to educate the shopper but would also assist in closing a sale, regardless of where the shopper was.

Statistics and figures released by Scanbuy since Black Friday (News - Alert) indicated that there had been a marked increase in the use of mobile barcodes by consumers on the ScanLife platform when compared to the pre-holiday run rate. 

However, with the current trend in mobile users veering towards using barcode technology and with the kind of interest it has generated, it is most likely that mobile users will continue to use the technology even after the holiday season is over. The convenience and easy access to information will in all probability have the mobile users hooked by then.

The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark.


Mini Swamy is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jaclyn Allard

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