Ahead of an expected global conversion to more advanced barcodes in the next couple years, Amazon is collaborating with additional packaging partners to highlight the benefits of serialization. Wisconsin-based Menasha Packaging announced its partnership on anti-counterfeiting program Amazon Transparency in September, and company leaders shared more at Pack Expo in Las Vegas.
Amazon Transparency dates back to 2017. For participating single products or multipacks, Amazon assigns unique 2D alphanumeric codes to each unit sold as a way to combat counterfeits. Other benefits for sellers may include getting a higher listing on Amazon, bumping down unauthenticated products. This can be especially useful to emerging brands working to build credibility, Menasha noted.
The codes are scanned by Amazon prior to shipment to ensure authenticity. As of this year, over 88,000 brands participate.
“We're creating billions of codes every year,” said Amazon’s Michael Manley, head of implementation and transparency service provider network, during a presentation at Pack Expo.
There are multiple steps that go into a brand’s participation, including requesting and managing codes, integrating them into existing software platforms and incorporating them in a package’s graphic design.
As such, Menasha sees it as another service it can provide to customers, to act not just as a packaging supplier but a broader solutions provider. Menasha Packaging is part of Menasha Corp., which also owns reusable packaging systems company Orbis, giving Menasha a wider role in supply chains.
This latest push comes as the packaging industry anticipates standards organization GS1’s “Sunrise 2027.” By the end of that year, businesses are expected to be equipped to handle 2D barcodes, which can hold more data than 1D barcodes.
Currently, some brands have to print multiple different types of codes on packaging, each serving a different purpose. “You're trying to make a compelling brand story in a smaller and smaller space, it's just a nightmare,” Manley said.
Now, leaders envision a future in which tracking, anti-counterfeiting or other information could be consolidated into a single code. The technology’s potential could aid with everything from recalls to tracking consumer engagement.
Engaging with Amazon Transparency now could set brands up for further progress with serialization, Menasha suggests. “The overall goal of Sunrise 2027 is to condense that down to just one,” said Menasha’s Evan Padilla, design manager, ecommerce and omni channel, during an interview at Pack Expo. “There's so many more added benefits on the back end of that.”
