Press releases We can provide informed opinion to many of the leading business stories of the day. And our industry spokespeople are regularly featured in business and national press and speak at many conferences. For all media queries please contact: E: alexander.cox@gs1uk.org T: +44 (0)7464 946769 Press releases 2023 09 Nov Julianne Ponan MBE joins GS1 UK as non-executive director to help SMEs harness the power of NextGen QR codes 09 Nov GS1 UK appoints Mr Stephen Bush as non-executive director to support deeper clinical engagement 09 Nov Robert Barbour, group Data and Insights Director for Travis Perkins plc, joins GS1 UK board to aid standardisation of construction data 12 Sept GS1 UK invites brands to help design the future of retail 11 Sept Ensure vital information on buildings and the materials used in their construction is captured to prevent future safety scandals 27 Jun Government's 2023 mandate to NHS England calls for all trusts to adopt barcode scanning by 2024 21 Apr New research reveals gaps in knowledge and support are preventing UK SMEs from taking action on climate change 3 Apr The iconic barcode turns 50 today 31 Mar GS1 UK appoints Syndigo to enhance productDNA data management and sharing service 12 Jan Scan4Safety and GS1 standards underpin key aspects of government response to IMMDSR 2022 1 Dec App launched to help brands comply with strict new packaging laws in France and Italy 10 Nov GS1 UK strengthens food and retail expertise with the appointment of two new non-executive directors 03 Nov Sir Terence Stephenson succeeds Lord Philip Hunt as President of GS1 UK 25 Oct GS1 UK enhances patient safety as Scan4Safety initiative continues 22 Sept GS1 UK appoints Iain Walker as director of industry engagement 31 Aug GS1 UK partners with DIT to support "Made in the UK, Sold to the World" campaign 11 Aug New research reveals unawareness of plans to transform recycling system 02 Aug GS1 UK work in collaboration with Pulse Law to help SME members protect their brands 14 Jul Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to strengthen Unique Device Identification (UDI) with GS1 standards 28 Jun Research reveals how changing store layouts has the power to tackle obesity 12 Apr GS1 UK appoints new head of retail 15 Mar New research reveals almost half of businesses are unprepared for HFSS legislation 22 Feb The GS1 UK Healthcare Conference returns to debate the evolution of Scan4Safety 2021 22 Oct GS1 UK strengthens its SME expertise with new appointments to their supervisory board 30 Sept As Natasha’s Law comes into effect just six in 10 businesses have taken steps to prepare 27 Sept UK entrepreneurs’ export ambition held back by complex logistical landscape 01 Sept Eight in ten business owners feel unprepared for Natasha’s Law 24 Aug GS1 UK partners with NHS Scotland to focus on delivering full traceability in healthcare 20 Jul New research unearths Brits’ unawareness around food allergens 30 Jun GS1 UK appoints new Head of SME 31 Mar GS1 UK celebrates 50 years of digitalisation in commerce and calls for collaboration towards next-generation barcodes 18 Feb Fruugo merchants use GS1 standards to simplify cross-border trading 03 Feb GS1 UK and Nielsen Brandbank collaborate to revolutionise product data 12 Jan GS1 UK partners with NHS Wales to deliver better patient outcomes 2020 15 Dec Almost half of SME's still figuring out future plans as Brexit deadline looms 11 Nov Department of Health's Commercial Director joins GS1 UK's board 20 Aug Anne Godfrey takes over the reins at GS1 UK 6 Aug Brand mislabelling or contamination alters buying habits of half of British consumers 30 Jul Surge in home and garden businesses trading online 15 Jul New report proves point-of-care scanning in the NHS improves patient safety, releases back clinical time to care and saves the NHS millions of pounds 2 Apr GS1 UK appoints Anne Godfrey as next CEO 25 Mar GS1 UK chairman Chris Tyas appointed by UK Government to strategic supply chain role in response to COVID-19 crisis 20 Feb Adoption of GS1 UK’s open standards drive operational efficiencies and better patient care 13 Jan Gary Lynch Chief Executive Officer of GS1 UK announces his retirement 2019 08 Nov eBay and Boots join GS1 UK's board 05 Nov productDNA grows retail share to 50 per cent of the UK grocery market with Sainsbury's sign up 01 Nov GS1 UK sees 50 per cent increase in members producing vegan products as movement celebrates 75th anniversary 02 Oct 40 years of the barcode 12 Sep GS1 UK made strategic partner by the Department for International Trade’s Exporting is GREAT campaign 18 Jun SME numbers skyrocket in Brexit Britain, says GS1 UK report 17 Jun Putting the barcode at the centre of the grocery industry 01 May A third of new product data is inaccurate, says GS1 UK 11 Apr GS1 UK partners with the NHS to save lives and money 14 Feb Waitrose & Partners adopts productDNA as its preferred product data platform 14 Feb Surge in GS1 UK membership indicates UK business resilience 2018 01 Nov GS1 UK announces the appointment of Chris Tyas as new chair 03 Sep itsu [grocery] becomes first SME brand to adopt productDNA 17 Jul Unilever and Nestlé adopt productDNA 12 Jun Tesco and Ocado join productDNA 23 May GS1 UK welcomes Sainsbury’s Graham Biggart to its Supervisory Board 01 May GS1 UK launches productDNA 28 Mar Demand for British booze bubbles over as exports soar 16% year-on-year 15 Mar GS1 UK welcomes Amazon’s Patrick Pondaven to its Supervisory Board 28 Feb Poor data management costing grocery suppliers up to £21bn each year 22 Feb New report shows RFID increases retail sales by up to 5.5% 21 Feb XPO Logistics Awarded GS1 UK contract for grocery standards validation 13 Feb Scottish entrepreneurs boosting British business 06 Feb UK suppliers could increase sales by 3% with better data management 22 Jan Alkemics to power productDNA:hub – an industry-led service to help retailers and suppliers share product data and images 2017 11 Dec Retailers advised to provide clear product information or risk losing customers before Christmas 07 Dec New product data and image service unveiled for the retail industry 06 Dec GS1 UK welcomes Derby Teaching Hospitals’ Gavin Boyle on its Supervisory Board 27 Nov Boom in businesses selling on Amazon, eBay and Google 07 Nov Report unveils best strategies for selling via online marketplaces 18 Oct Report on impact of data standards in retail published for consultation 14 Oct World Standards Day: GS1 UK shines a light on power of standards in healthcare 13 Oct New series of workshops to help SMEs trade with high street stores 7 Sept Home improvements sector booms as cost of moving and DIY shows encourage renovations 1 Aug GS1 UK appoints Kim Ludlow as Solutions Director 19 Jul Leading grocery retailers and brands commit to industry charter for a common approach to product data management 23 Jun New parcel label using GS1 open, global standards will transform deliveries in the UK and across Europe 12 May 74% of British businesses say “barrier-free trade with the EU” more important than “restricting the free movement of people” in Brexit negotiations 7 Apr New EU Unique Device Identification regulations align with US and recognise the vital role of GS1 standards 23 Mar GS1 UK launches new LocationManager service in support of NHS drive for operational efficiencies and improved patient safety 14 Mar Small British firms benefit from resurgence in local authentic heritage products 26 Jan Deployment of GS1 standards across the NHS is delivering proven patient safety and financial benefits 2016 12 Dec Christmas – more of a standard than we think 2 Nov Uncovering the costs of the apparel supply chain 25 Oct Key apparel retailers and brands adopt GS1 global standards 11 Aug GS1 UK brings together key retailers and brands to form the new Retail Grocery Advisory Board 14 July Jin Sahota, Director of Supply Chain at the Department of Health, joins GS1 UK Supervisory Board 26 Apr RFID is set to take off in UK apparel market 25 Apr New global collaboration between GS1 and IHTSDO 15 Apr GS1 UK Healthcare Conference – why standardisation really matters 16 Mar GS1 UK and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust kick-start the Department of Health’s GS1 demonstrator site programme 26 Jan Department of Health announces GS1 demonstrator sites of excellence 2015 19 Nov West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust wins the HSJ 2015 Patient Safety award 3 Nov All 154 NHS Acute Trusts in England are now GS1 UK members 23 Oct Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust win global GS1 healthcare award 14 Oct Leading apparel brands adopt GS1 global standards 6 Oct GS1 shares its standards for sustainable farming with the United Nations 30 Sept GS1 UK announces Lord Prior as keynote speaker at its annual healthcare conference in 2016 28 Sept GS1 UK is hosting the largest Healthcare Village at EHI Live 26 Aug GS1 UK launches Perfect Order initiative 3 Aug NHS product recalls much more effective through the use of GS1 standards 9 Jun GS1 UK Healthcare Conference 2015 27 Mar GS1 UK forms Healthcare Advisory Board 25 Mar Fulfilment is vital to delighting the modern shopper 18 Mar Growing digital coupon market needs consistency and interoperability to realise full potential 12 Jan UK food wholesalers give backing to GS1 UK’s industry data pool 2014 17 Nov Final picture of FIC compliance emerging 13 Nov NHS England health and care strategy will boost patient safety 22 Sept Companies can now exchange product information through GDSN 27 Aug FIC readiness less evident with small brands 01 Jul Labelling Survey Reveals Mixed Readiness for FIC 09 Jun GS1 Updates its Standards for Real-Time Product Visibility 07 May NHS to save £1.5bn using supermarket technologies 07 Apr GS1 Joins W3C to Improve The Future Of Product Identification and Visibility On The Web 21 Feb GS1 to Use Google Glass to Showcase Latest Innovation in Mobile Device Bar Code Scanning 18 Feb E-tailers lose sales due to lack of product information 28 Jan Tesco and Mondelez UK collaborate with GS1 UK to launch supply chain certification programme 22 Jan GS1 standards recommended for supply chain traceability by EC group