Variable weight product coding

Perishables

The success of many retailers is in the handling of their perishables. 

The operation techniques for this type of merchandise are changing towards a control through the bar code in the variable weight of perishables. These products have a certain life cycle, generally short, so their handling, display and arrangement are very important. 

This category includes:

• Fish and shellfish
• Meats
• Sausages
• Fruits and vegetables

Coding of Variable Weight Products
The symbolization and coding of variable weight products cannot be identified in the same way as products that are characterized by stability in the unit of consumption. 

Most commercial chains use internal coding for the identification of variable weight products. The main reasons that make coding difficult by the manufacturer or supplier are due to the variations that the product has during the distribution and sale process based on weight. 

Through the use of prefixes reserved by international coding systems, retailers identify and control the movement of this class of products.

Variable Weight Internal CodingEAN coding
According to international EAN coding standards, there are two structures for coding variable weight products:

• Including the price
• Including the weight
• UPC coding

According to international UPC coding standards, the prefix 2 has been reserved for the coding of variable weight products.

Internal EAN Coding Format including Price

• Field 1: Only the prefixes 25 or 26 can be used to encode products of variable weight where the price is included.
• Field 2: Internal code freely assigned by the retailer.
• Field 3: 5 digits indicating the amount (price) of the sale.Field 4: Check digit, calculated in the same way as in the GTIN-13 format.
• Fields 2 and 3 may change length according to the internal needs of the merchant, the sum of both fields must not exceed 10 digits.

EAN Internal Coding Format including Weight

• Field 1: Only the prefix 28 can be used to encode products of variable weight where the weight is included.
• Field 2: Internal code freely assigned by the retailer.
• Field 3: 5 digits indicating the weight expressed in pounds. The decimal point is located between P3 and P4; the minimum and maximum weight that can be symbolized is from 000.00 pounds to 999.99 pounds respectively. The location of the decimal point will depend on the needs of the point of sale.
• Field 4: Check digit, calculated in the same way as in the GTIN-13 format.
• Fields 2 and 3 can change length according to the internal needs of the merchant, however, the sum of the two fields must not exceed 10 digits.

UPC Coding Format for Variable Weight Products

• Field 1: Only digit 2 can be used for the coding of variable weight products.
• Field 2: Packer code. The first of the 10 digits identifies the packer of the product. Digits 0-3 indicate that the product was packaged by a retailer. If this is the case, it will not be necessary to define application standards for the following fields, as these will be fully controlled by the retailer. Digits 4 through 9 in position X1 indicate that the product was packaged and coded by a supplier; this makes it possible to identify different suppliers of the same product.
• Field 3: The next 4 digits indicate the product number assigned by the retailer.
• Field 4: Field reserved for a price check digit; if this field is not required, zero (0) will be entered.
• Field 5: Indicates the amount (price) of the sale.Field 6: Check digit, calculated in the same way as in the UPC-A format.

What Coding System is the Most Recommended?

The internal coding system for variable weight products will depend on the discretion of each retailer. However, it is considered that the EAN system allows a more versatile handling of the identification of perishable products.

How Does the Bar Code Work on Perishables?

The barcode is a tool that automatically sends information to a system linked to all the scales of the perishable departments, feeding the inventory, identifying the processed product and registering the output of the product by supplier, department, etc.

The barcode as a product identifier helps the store to keep track of their movement, so that they, in turn, are downloaded from the inventory by pounds and/or pieces.

Variable Weight Management

Variable weight management aims to control the receipt, production, loss, dispatch and sale of perishable items, establishing reports by supplier, family and species, regarding their rotation, days of inventory and displacement. One of the objectives of the operation of the variable weight administration system is to keep a unitary control of perishable products using the bar code as a tool.

Ways to identify a perishable product with a barcode

Ticket

Identification of multiple items contained in a single package that may contain pieces or pounds. The products are described one by one indicating: item, price per pound, content in pounds and amount to pay. When totaling the account, a barcode is printed that contains information on the total amount to be paid and the department to which the group of items belongs.

Client number

When the different customer items are placed in a single bag, it is sealed by a barcode label that indicates only the customer number. When the consumer arrives at the cash register, the scanner reads the code of the bag and immediately appears in the point of sale terminal, the description of each of the products and the amount, detailing the description of the product on the sales receipt, price per pound, content in pounds and amount to pay.

Hashtag

It is designed for pre-packaged products, which are displayed in the windows of the different departments and that generally require refrigeration. The label contains the description of the product, price per pound, content in pounds, amount to pay and barcode identifying the product and its weight in pounds, downloading the inventory directly at the point of sale.

Scale in checkout aisle or checkout line

This is regularly used to weigh and collect items from the produce department. When it arrives at the checkout line, it is identified through a password (speed code), which the cashier activates at the point of sale terminal and which, in combination with the scale, accesses the information on weight per pound, content in pounds , product description and amount to pay. The speed code is numerical with no more than 6 digits, it is used for high turnover products (bulk fruits and vegetables), in such a way that fewer digits are assigned for items with greater movement and more digits for merchandise with less movement.