Barcodes

Barcodes have existed since 1950s, but the first commercial U.P.C. scanner was installed in 1974 at a Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio and the first product to have a bar code included on packaging was a packet of Wrigley’s Gum. Since then, barcodes have become the default checkout processing technology and have revolutionized the retail industry. While barcodes made supermarkets a convenient place to be in, they also hastened the demise of public markets and independent grocery stores.