QR in retail: Five effective uses – and three surprising ones

You can’t walk through a shop these days without seeing QR codes, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. Not only are QR codes set to replace traditional UPC barcodes by 2030, but they’re starting to be used for far more than merely identifying a product. 

Here are eight ways QR codes are already enhancing both online and physical retail environments. Five are effective, if predictable, but three are genuinely surprising.

1. Offering an “endless aisle” of goods

With retail space limited, QR codes give retailers a great way to offer a far wider range of goods than can be stocked on shelves. The “endless aisle” concept involves displaying QR codes in place of physical items, which customers can scan to learn about products and request to have them delivered. 

Alternatively, a single code could link to a whole gallery of additional offerings, enabling retailers to dynamically update stock and pricing to match demand.

The endless aisle doesn’t have to be secondary to the physical aisles. Retailers, including Tesco, have experimented with opening small stores with large offerings, using QR codes as the primary means of browsing and purchasing.

2. Cashless payments, and more

Many retailers offer mobile apps that allow you to link a bank card to your account, and securely pay for purchases by presenting a one-time QR code generated within the app. 

Of course, this speeds up the transaction. But, from a retailer’s perspective, it’s more important that it brings the app into play at the point of sale, tracking the customer’s spending and tying it to their personal profile – a perfect opportunity to target them with tailored promotions and incentives. 

“That could be little brand activations, games, contests, anything that would focus on customer loyalty,” explains Marko Pavuna, Chief Marketing Officer at QR specialist Unitag. “Anything that ties the customers to exclusive deals, basically.”

Even without an app, QR codes can drive customer loyalty. “For example,” continues Pavuna, “when you buy some perfumes from Sephora, they give you a little card with a QR code, and you can scan it to access other deals. It feels like a membership card, a little loyalty card which is more than a loyalty card. You scan it and you’re connected to a whole digital world.”

3. Seamless returns

Shoppers love to browse and buy online, but returning items can be a faff, requiring the customer to print out return labels and package things up for the courier. Amazon is one company leading the way here: rather than using physical return documents, the retail giant now generates QR codes containing all the necessary information. 

Shoppers take unpackaged items to a return counter and bring up the code on their phones. The agent simply scans it to generate the required documentation and attach it to supplied packaging. 

With the promise of simple returns crucial when building trust, this is something every online retailer should consider.

4. Auto-reordering

QR technology can also encourage repeat purchases. For example, US drinks manufacturer Aura Bora has trialled personalised QR-code magnets that customers stick to their fridges. When a customer runs low on the beverage, scanning the code instantly brings up the ordering app, pre-loaded with a fresh order. One confirmation tap and new supplies are on their way.

Again, it’s all about making things easy. “A QR code that links to an app might be really basic, but it removes friction in a shopping journey,” notes Pavuna. That means customers are more likely to place the order, and to stick with the brand rather than shop around for alternatives. The fridge magnet format is a particularly inspired choice, as it puts the code right in front of a customer at the point when they discover supplies are running low.

5. Fuss-free freebies

Everyone loves a coupon – but with conventional paper coupons the retailer has to pay for printing and distribution, and to devise a single offer that will appeal to the widest audience.

With QR codes, those issues go away. You can pop up a QR code in an app, share it on social media or email it directly to opted-in customers for a near-zero cost. Even better, you can generate custom promotions, based on a customer’s demographics and purchasing history, creating the perfect enticement to get each individual into your brick-and-mortar shop. 

Customers too appreciate the convenience of digital QR coupons, as there’s nothing to cut out and lose. And a professional QR partner can help you ensure that codes won’t be abused, by encoding a unique identifier into each one that prevents it being shared or duplicated.

Surprising use of QR codes in retail

Alongside those practical applications of QR codes, the technology is also being used in some less obvious ways. Here’s our pick of three applications that might surprise you:

1. Scan and go

We’ve mentioned that retailers can use QR codes to offer a wider product selection than can be displayed. Some shops, such as sports equipment specialist Decathlon, have taken the idea in another direction. In any Decathlon outlet you can get hands-on with a range of tennis racquets, compare the fit of rucksacks and try on running shoes. When you find an item you like, you can simply scan the QR code on its label to add it to a virtual shopping basket – and then check out in the app to have it delivered to your home. 

It’s a neat approach that combines the convenience of online retail with the reassurance of in-person shopping, and it also means customers don’t need to queue at the till, or carry bulky items home.

2. Really get to know your customers

When a retail customer scans a QR code, it’s typically to access information about a product or service – but this works the other way too. 

Professional QR providers such as Unitag can create codes that redirect first-time scanners to a registration page. Once they’ve created an account, their future interactions with the business’ QR codes can be linked to their identity. It’s like a supermarket loyalty card, but more revealing: as well as tracking what people buy, retailers can see when visitors have scanned a product or a promotional code for information.

Retailers could even invite customers to link external accounts, such as Facebook or Google, to build up an extensive picture of someone’s identity. That can help them to not just target suitable promotions, but to track larger demographic trends across their whole customer base.

3. Make a positive step for inclusivity

Many conditions can affect someone’s ability to shop. For those who rely on assistive technologies, QR codes are an enormous enabler: as Unitag CEO Jean-Charles Passepont observes, “the main selling point of QR codes is that they connect the physical world with the digital one”.

For example, a person with limited vision can scan a QR code to access information on a personal device in large type, or hear it read aloud by screen-reading software. People with limited mobility could scan QR codes to compile a shopping list, to be brought to the checkout or delivered to their home.

QR codes also open up retail options to visitors with limited English-language skills. A mobile app can quickly translate product information into the user’s native language, helping them shop with confidence whilst ensuring retailers don’t miss out on their custom. 

In short, even though humans can’t read QR codes directly, they’re driving a revolution in communication. In many ways – some obvious, some more imaginative – they’re helping retailers to understand and give customers what they want, and helping customers to shop with ease and confidence.

More articles in partnership with Unitag

• Are you paying too much for QR codes?
• QR Codes History: Evolution and Impact
• The hidden dangers of QR codes – and how Unitag keeps you safe