Barcode Acceptance 

Our barcodes can be used in virtually every retail store around the world. Our barcodes are legal, registered, and unique for every customer.

 Our barcodes are accepted in 99% of countries around the world, however due to barcoding partnerships and monopoly our barcodes are not accepted in Shoprite.

Shoprite in Africa has some restrictions, and seems to be forcing their suppliers to join GS1.
If you intend to sell your products in Shoprite/Checkers. please talk to them before purchasing barcodes – they might force you to join GS1, which is unfortunately very expensive for you as a customer.

(NOTE – if Shoprite are not going to accept your goods, it is a waste of money to join GS1as other retail stores have no problem with the source of the barcodes as long as they are legal and unique (such as ours) – so find out first if Shoprite are keen to stock your goods BEFORE you risk joining GS1).
What does this have to do with Shoprite?

Shoprite has come to an anti-competition agreement with GS1 such that Shoprite will only accept local products if they are registered by GS1, this forces small local businesses to lease barcodes from GS1, which is quite expensive for most local businesses; such seeking to monopolize the barcoding market.

What are the BAD implications of that agreement?

·Unless you purchase GS1 barcodes, your goods can not be shelved and sold in any Shoprite supermarket.

·Compliance with all Botswana Bureau of Standards certification and all other laws certifying that your goods are consumer safe, is not enough, you are still forced to get barcodes from GS1.

·Manufactures and small scale producers are being forced to purchase barcodes they do not need, to keep GS1 making money through, registration fees per barcode assigned and recurrent annual subscription fees per barcodes assigned.

·Any barcodes purchased from other authentic and legitimate sellers like Register Barcodes and all International Barcodes Network licensees are subjected to the GS1 barcode data base and once the GS1 data base does not show that its owned by you, the goods are rejected from being shelved and sold by Shoprite. Obviously this is a trick, as GS1 database can only have record of their barcodes only, not our barcodes. Yet another effort at monopoly.

·To have your goods shelved and sold you are forced to purchase HIGHLY PRICED GS1 barcodes and incur annual costs to continue using the barcodes, otherwise they will be given to another one of their customer, thereby making your products that are still in the market as illegitimate, leading to losses.

Social economic and Legal Implications:

The agreement between GS1 and Shoprite has created several; undesirable effects among others

·        Curtailed competition and that has lead to market inefficiency, in an already struggling and tiny market of Botswana.

·         Increased the cost of doing business in Botswana, and is against supporting local producers and local small time producers, as they will not be able to afford such expensive barcodes, and again to pay for them yearly.

·         Created non-tariff barriers to trade, contrary to government policies.

·         Created a cartel and a collusion thus breaching all polices and laws against Anti-competitive business agreements and practices in Botswana, Uganda, East Africa and COMESA.