Packaging has always carried information. It has displayed the brand, identified the product, explained how to use it and, in many cases, guided consumers through ingredients, warnings, expiry dates or recycling instructions. But the information printed on a pack has traditionally been static, limited by space and fixed at the moment of production.
That model is starting to change. As QR codes, NFC tags and 2D barcodes become more widely adopted, packaging is evolving from a physical container into a digital access point. The pack is no longer only the place where product information is printed. It is becoming the interface through which that information can be updated, expanded, verified and connected to the wider product ecosystem.
This shift is often described as “smart packaging”, but the term can be misleading if it is reduced to a marketing campaign or a simple scan-to-win mechanic. The real transformation is deeper. Connected packaging is becoming part of product intelligence: a layer that connects physical goods with digital data, regulatory requirements, supply chain visibility and post-purchase communication. This reflects a broader shift already visible across the industry, where packaging is becoming a data-driven system.
From consumer engagement to product infrastructure
For several years, QR codes on packaging were mainly used to drive consumer engagement. They could link to recipes, promotional pages, brand stories, loyalty programmes or product videos. These use cases are still relevant, but they no longer define the full potential of connected packaging.
The new generation of smart packaging is more structural. It can support traceability, authentication, safety alerts, sustainability information, recall management and product-specific instructions.In regulated or high-value sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and luxury goods, this changes the role of packaging from a communication surface to a trusted data carrier. The same logic is already visible in anti-counterfeit cosmetic packaging, where QR codes, NFC and tamper-evident features are becoming increasingly strategic.
GS1 US, the non-profit organisation that develops and maintains global standards for barcodes, describes the move toward 2D barcodes as a global transition from traditional 1D UPC barcodes to data-rich 2D codes that can provide greater transparency, stronger traceability and richer data across the supply chain. The organisation also links the transition to Sunrise 2027, an initiative aimed at helping retailers prepare their point-of-sale systems to read and process next-generation barcodes.
For packaging professionals, this is a significant development because it connects design, data management and operations. A code printed on a pack is no longer a secondary graphic element. It can become a gateway to product identity, batch information, expiry data, digital content and supply chain processes.
Why the barcode is becoming more strategic
The traditional barcode has been one of the most efficient tools in retail history, but its role has been relatively narrow. It identifies a product and enables price lookup at checkout. In a market that increasingly requires transparency, traceability and dynamic information, that functionality is no longer enough.
2D barcodes can hold more data and can connect users to web-based information. According to GS1 US, these codes can include details such as batch or lot numbers, expiration dates, product origin, recall notices and access to consumer-facing content. In some cases, the same code can serve different audiences: a consumer looking for allergen information, a retailer managing inventory, or a supply chain partner checking product movement.
This multi-functionality is what makes smart packaging strategically interesting. Instead of placing separate codes on a pack for checkout, marketing, traceability or regulatory communication, brands can move toward a more integrated system in which one data carrier supports multiple functions.
The implications are particularly important for packaging design. Designers and converters will need to consider not only where a code fits visually, but also how it performs technically, how it interacts with substrates and finishes, how it remains scannable throughout the product life cycle and how it integrates with the brand’s wider data architecture.
Packaging as a trust mechanism
Trust is becoming one of the most valuable functions of packaging. Consumers want to know where products come from, what they contain, how they should be used and whether sustainability claims are credible. Regulators are also asking for more complete and accessible product information, while brands need better tools to manage transparency without overloading the physical pack.
Connected packaging can help address this tension. A printed label has limited space, but a digital interface can provide layered information. The first layer can remain clear and essential, while deeper levels can provide certifications, sourcing details, recycling guidance, safety updates or product-specific documentation.
GS1 US reports that consumers increasingly value product information, with its 2025 consumer survey indicating that 77% of consumers consider product information important when making a purchase and 79% are more likely to purchase products with a scannable QR code that provides additional product information.
For brands, this does not mean that every package should become a content-heavy digital experience. The opportunity is more precise: packaging can become a selective trust mechanism, offering access to the information that matters most for a specific product, category or consumer concern.
In food, this may involve allergens, origin, freshness or recall information. In cosmetics, it may involve ingredients, claims, usage instructions, refill systems or authenticity verification. In pharmaceuticals and healthcare, it may support patient safety, product identification, batch-level traceability and anti-counterfeiting measures.
The compliance dimension of smart packaging
One reason connected packaging is becoming more mature is that its role is expanding beyond marketing. As product regulation becomes more complex, brands need flexible ways to communicate information that may change over time or vary across markets.
Printed packaging is difficult to update quickly. Every change can involve artwork revisions, approvals, production adjustments and inventory management. A digital layer can help brands provide more detailed or dynamic information without redesigning the entire pack each time. This does not eliminate the need for compliant physical labelling, but it can complement it with a more adaptable information system.
The connection with GS1 Digital Link, a GS1 innovation, is central to this evolution. GS1 Digital Link allows identifiers such as GTINs to connect directly to web-based information, making the barcode more flexible and capable of supporting both supply chain and consumer-facing use cases. GS1 US recommends that brands adding 2D barcodes to packaging should ensure existing QR codes are updated with GS1 Digital Link standards and include the product’s GTIN.
This is why smart packaging should increasingly be seen as part of compliance readiness. It can support more structured data management, help improve recall preparedness, provide access to product information and reduce the fragmentation created by multiple disconnected codes or labels.
The challenge: technology is only part of the system
Despite the potential, smart packaging is not simply a matter of adding a QR code or NFC tag to a label. The technical layer must be supported by a clear data strategy. If the digital destination is poorly maintained, generic, outdated or not useful, the connected pack loses credibility.
This is one of the key challenges for brands. Smart packaging requires coordination between packaging teams, marketing, regulatory affairs, IT, supply chain, sustainability and retail partners. The physical pack may carry the code, but the value of that code depends on the quality, accuracy and governance of the information behind it.
There are also practical packaging considerations. Codes must remain readable across different materials, finishes, shapes and printing processes. Premium packaging often uses textures, metallic effects, curved surfaces or small formats, all of which can affect scannability. For NFC, cost, placement and user behaviour become part of the evaluation. For 2D barcodes used at point of sale, retailer readiness and scanner compatibility are essential factors.
This means that connected packaging should not be treated as a last-minute addition to the artwork. It should be considered during the early stages of packaging development, especially when the code is expected to serve operational or regulatory functions.
Toward product intelligence
The future of smart packaging will not be defined by the presence of a code alone. It will be defined by what that code enables.
A connected pack can help a brand communicate more transparently, but it can also help a retailer manage stock rotation, support a recall, verify authenticity, reduce waste or provide more precise product data across the value chain. In this sense, packaging is becoming a bridge between the physical product and the digital systems that increasingly govern how products are produced, distributed, sold and used.
This is the real shift. Packaging is moving from product decoration to product intelligence. It remains a material object, with all the familiar responsibilities of protection, usability, efficiency and shelf impact. But it is also becoming a data interface, capable of carrying more meaning than the printed surface alone.
For brands, converters and packaging designers, this creates a new competitive question. It is no longer only about how a package looks, feels or performs physically. It is also about how intelligently it connects the product to the information ecosystem around it.
Smart packaging, in this more mature sense, is not about making the pack feel futuristic. It is about making product information more accessible, more reliable and more useful across the entire life cycle of the product.
