Connecting an
increasingly digital world
GS1 UK is shaping the future of data, scaling digital innovation and deepening its role as a strategic partner to industry and government.
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Leading in a
digital-first world
The pace of digital transformation
is reshaping business and GS1 UK
is helping industry adapt with confidence. We have delivered meaningful outcomes for our members, strengthened our foundations and continued to
lead the way in enabling digital transformation across industry.
From retail and healthcare to construction and SMEs, our standards are helping businesses become more transparent,
efficient and resilient.
Our members are operating in a world that is changing rapidly.
The pressures they face, whether regulatory, commercial or environmental, require new ways of thinking and working. In response, we have focused on practical solutions that deliver value. From driving the transition to QR codes powered by GS1, to our work with NHS trusts and the expansion of GS1 standards in construction, we are helping organisations use trusted data to solve problems, unlock efficiencies and build trust.
This progress is guided by our strategy, launched last year. It sets out a clear direction for GS1 UK: to be insight-led, agile and proactive.
We are harnessing the power of communities, technology and data to support our members and deliver impact. We have invested in our people, strengthened our platforms and built the infrastructure needed to scale. These foundations are now firmly in place and already delivering results.
Our strategy also aligns with GS1’s global Vision 2030, which reinforces our commitment to powering trusted data, supporting all stakeholders and enabling responsible growth. It is a vision shared across the GS1 community worldwide and one that positions us to lead in an increasingly digital and data-rich economy. Together, these strategies form a unified blueprint for transformation, rooted in collaboration and built on trust.
A defining theme this year has been the shift to digital-first. This is not a technical upgrade. It is a structural change in how businesses operate and connect. GS1 UK is at the heart of this transformation. We are supporting thousands of members in adopting next-generation barcodes, harnessing the power of AI and exploring the potential of digital
twins. These innovations are laying the groundwork for a future where data flows seamlessly across supply chains and systems.
Looking ahead to 2026 and
beyond, our vision is ambitious
but achievable. We will continue to support our members in unlocking new efficiencies, meeting regulatory demands and building trust with
their customers. We are not just responding to change. We are shaping it.
Thank you to our members, partners and team for your continued support. The future is connected and GS1 UK is ready to lead.
Anne Godfrey
CEO, GS1 UK
People and culture
Our people remain at the heart of everything we do. We have continued to invest in our culture, strengthen our capabilities and build an environment where our values are lived every day. Our commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive and
high-performing organisation has never been stronger.
Diversity, equality and inclusion
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We are proud of our diversity, particularly our ethnic representation, which is well above national benchmarks. This strength enriches our culture and ensures a wide range of voices and experiences shape how we work. Our gender pay gap remains low, with a mean gap of £3.21 and a median of £-1.14, reflecting our commitment to equality and transparency.
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My Numberbank
The launch of the new My Numberbank marks a major step forward in our commitment to better member experiences and future-ready platforms. Developed in close collaboration with members, the redesigned service offers a faster, simpler and more intuitive way to manage GS1 numbers and product data.
Since launch:
73,000
Members actively used the platform.
52,000
Members returned to manage their data.
1 million
Identifiers created, including more than 950,000 GTIN-13s.
41,000
Bulk exports performed in the platform and 22,000 bulk imports.
190,000
Barcode images downloaded and 76,000 records to Verified by GS1.
My Numberbank supports day-to-day operations and lays the foundation for future innovation. Enhanced filtering, export tools and profile management make it easier to integrate GS1 standards into existing workflows. Expanded product attributes aligned with global Verified by GS1 requirements help members share consistent and trusted data across markets.
The platform will continue to evolve to meet new technologies, data services and member needs. It reflects our ambition to make GS1 standards more accessible, useful and impactful. Early feedback has been positive and we will keep listening, learning and improving.
My Numberbank is more than a tool. It is a gateway to trusted data, better experiences and a more connected digital world.
Sustaining membership
UK PLC continues to face economic challenges shaped by inflation, supply chain disruption and shifting regulation. GS1 UK has stayed focused on helping members adapt, grow and thrive through trusted standards, tailored services and scalable platforms.
As of 30 June 2025, membership reached 60,341, up from 59,496 the year before. Our churn rate fell to 21.1 per cent and renewals rose to 78.9 per cent, reflecting strong retention and satisfaction.
60,341
Total membership
12,280
New
joiners
1.4%
Net growth
78.9%
Renewal rate
Member trends
Key sectors driving membership growth in 2024-25.
19%
Health
& beauty
18%
Food
& drink
13%
Home
& garden
10%
Apparel
9%
Construction
Key sectors of our total membership base:
20%
Food
& drink
14%
Health
& beauty
13%
Home
& garden
10%
Apparel
9%
Construction
Whether online, in store, in a hospital, warehouse, depot or on a construction site, GS1 standards continue to power
the three pillars of traceability: the ability to identify, capture and share interoperable data.
By providing the infrastructure for informed, sustainable and safe choices, we help industry adapt and deliver
meaningful impact.
Reasons for joining
Of the more than 12,000 businesses that joined GS1 UK this year, 92 per cent were SMEs compared to 73 per cent of our total membership. SMEs remain the backbone of the UK economy and GS1 standards are increasingly supporting their success.
The majority of new members joined to access GTINs and barcodes for their products (82 per cent), followed by compliance with trading requirements (20 per cent), use of EDI (9 per cent), RFID (4 per cent) and UDI for medical devices (3 per cent). Interest in QR codes powered by GS1 has also begun to emerge, with early adoption following the introduction of this option in June.
82%
GTINs
& barcodes
20%
Trading
compliance
9%
EDI
4%
RFID
3%
UDI for
medical devices
The value of membership
We made strong progress this year in strengthening the GS1 UK membership offer. Key developments included a seamless journey for small businesses and the construction sector, along with a simplified join process and robust data validation.
We also introduced a structured pricing model to bring clarity and consistency across the membership base. As we enter year two of our strategy, we will focus on added-value benefits, including tailored journeys for healthcare and retail and timely, relevant content across our channels.
Supporting our members
We continued to invest in the tools, services and support that help our members succeed.
Member support
Responsive, high-quality support remains central to the GS1 UK member experience. In 2024/25, our support team delivered strong performance across all channels, helping members get the most from their membership.
16,098
Calls answered, representing 94.5 per cent of inbound calls.
24,836
Emails and tickets resolved, with 85.35 per cent responded to within two working days - in line with our service level agreement (SLA).
82%
Calls answered within
30 seconds, meeting
our SLA for phone response times.
84.9
A CSAT score of 84.9 for support interactions.
These results show our commitment to service excellence. Whether supporting onboarding, resolving queries or guiding members through regulation, our team ensures every interaction is timely, helpful and easy to navigate.
Knowledge hub
Our new knowledge hub has quickly become a trusted resource for members. Over the past 12 months, it saw:
198,561
Views
48,837
Active users
19,103
Returning users
4.07
Views per user
1 minutes 22 seconds
Average engagement time
These results show the hub’s growing value as a self-serve platform, helping members access clear and relevant guidance
on identifiers, barcodes, digital links and data sharing.
Voice and visibility
This year saw a step change in our voice and visibility. Building on previous foundations, we expanded our reach,
deepened our influence and amplified our message across media, policy and industry.
The momentum is clear in both the volume of activity and growing recognition of GS1 UK as a trusted authority on data standards. Our brand perception saw its strongest uplift yet, driven by strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.
+60%
Brand awareness
Awareness among non-members tripling year-on-year.
+13%
Familiarity increased
36 per cent, with member familiarity at 44 per cent and
non-member familiarity at
27 per cent.
59%
Favourability reached
Favourability reached an all-time high, driven by a 16pp increase among non-members.
GS1 UK is now most associated with being trustworthy, a standards provider and a source of trusted data.
These results reflect the success of our campaigns and a growing understanding of our role in driving digital
transformation across sectors.
Events and thought leadership
This year we delivered more events than ever, with a clear focus on strategic impact and stakeholder engagement.
Policy and advocacy
GS1 UK played a proactive role in shaping and responding to key policy developments. Keeping data and standards central to regulatory and industry transformation, we:
Submitted five policy asks to the new UK Government, including calls for national patient identifiers, interoperable EPR systems and standardised implant data.
Contributed to the
10-Year Plan for Healthcare, the Construction Green Paper and the Government Food Strategy, advocating GS1 standards to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability.
Launched the Demos ESG report, hosted a roundtable with Dame Meg Hillier MP and engaged policymakers at both the Liberal Democrat and Labour Party Conferences.
Launched our Polimapper tool to visualise GS1 UK membership by constituency, supporting targeted MP engagement and showcasing our national footprint.
This growing policy footprint reflects GS1 UK’s evolution from standards provider to strategic partner in shaping the future of data governance.
Campaigns
In 2024/25, we launched a unified campaign to position QR codes powered by GS1 as a key enabler of digital transformation. It began with a strategic partnership with FT Longitude to elevate the conversation around smarter labelling, supply chain transparency and consumer engagement. Through thought leadership, targeted media and original research, the campaign established QR codes powered by GS1 as a trusted solution for future-ready product information.
Building on this momentum, we extended the narrative through a high-impact pilot with Tesco, showing how QR codes powered by GS1 improve data quality, in-store efficiency and supply chain visibility. Together, these campaigns drove strong awareness and engagement across industry and consumer audiences.
over 300
Pieces
of coverage
1.3 billion
Combined
reach
11.3 million
Estimated
views
Delivered through close collaboration with internal teams, GS1 Global, FT Longitude, Opinium, Tesco and media partners, the campaign highlighted the transformational benefits of QR codes powered by GS1. Coverage across trade and consumer titles helped drive adoption and position GS1 UK as a leader in digital product data.
QR codes powered by GS1
Over the past year we have worked with members and industry partners to explore the potential of QR codes powered by GS1. Pilots are emerging across sectors, driven by use cases in consumer engagement, sustainability, traceability and digital product passports. Adoption is still in its early stages but momentum is growing.
26%
of UK businesses are aware of the migration to QR codes powered by GS1, rising to 33 per cent among GS1 UK members.
35%
plan to implement QR codes within the next year and 12 per cent already have.
17%
of new members joined GS1 UK for QR-related reasons.
25%
of members and
15 per cent of non-members recognise QR codes powered by GS1 as a feature of GS1 UK membership.
To support the transition, we have curated practical resources in the GS1 UK knowledge hub including webinars, workshops and implementation toolkits. These are complemented by partner-led insights and examples that show how QR codes powered by GS1 can drive transparency, traceability and consumer engagement.
By using QR codes powered by GS1, members can signal trust, interoperability and consumer value. This helps future-proof their products in an increasingly digital marketplace.
Beyond the barcode
QR codes powered by GS1 are more than a new barcode format. They unlock richer, smarter data ecosystems. This year we laid the foundations
for a new generation of identifiers to support AI-driven product discovery, automation and predictive analytics.
We explored the role of digital twins in mirroring physical products with real-time data to improve traceability and lifecycle management. These innovations support our vision for data-rich supply chains, where structured, brand-authorised information flows across systems, sectors and borders.
As global conversations around digital product passports, circularity and sustainability gather pace, GS1 UK continues to champion standards that enable transparency, compliance and consumer trust at scale.
Member success stories
Our members continue to lead the way in using GS1 standards to solve real-world challenges. This year we are proud to share four standout examples:
Supporting industry
As we deliver on our strategy, our work across key sectors continues to grow in scale, relevance and impact. From retail and healthcare to construction and small businesses, GS1 UK is helping organisations respond to changing regulation, embrace digital transformation and meet rising expectations around sustainability and transparency.
By enabling trusted data and interoperable standards, we are supporting smarter decisions, more efficient operations and better outcomes for businesses, consumers and society.
Ushering in a new era of transparency
Retail remains one of the most dynamic sectors we support. Over the past year GS1 UK has worked with retailers, brands and solution providers to tackle challenges around product data, consumer trust and digital transformation. GS1 standards are helping the industry respond to shifting expectations, regulatory pressures and the need for greater transparency.
The Tesco QR code pilot showed how GS1 standards can power innovation at scale. By enabling richer product information through QR codes powered by GS1, the pilot demonstrated how retailers can improve customer experience, support sustainability goals and prepare for future regulation. This forms part of a wider shift toward smarter labelling and digital product passports, with GS1 UK playing a central role in shaping the future of retail data.
We supported the rollout of Verified by GS1, helping retailers and suppliers improve data quality and consistency. The new My Numberbank platform has made it easier for members to manage identifiers and share accurate product data, with over 950,000 GTIN-13s created and more than 76,000 submissions since January.
As the sector prepares for mandatory reporting and extended producer responsibility, GS1 UK is helping members navigate complexity with confidence. Our standards underpin the unique identification of products, locations and trading partners, providing the foundation for schemes like deposit return systems and EPR. By enabling interoperability and data consistency, we support a more transparent and resilient retail ecosystem.
Connecting policy,
purpose and progress
As we look ahead to 2026, we are focused on strengthening our role
as the trusted data partner to both industry and government. At the same time, we will build on the successful systems investments
made in 2025 to deliver richer,
more valuable experiences for
our members.
These priorities, agreed in our
2024–27 strategy, are underpinned
by a clear commitment to growth. Growth not only in numbers, but also in influence, capability, and impact.
Across every sector we serve, the role of data is evolving. No longer just a tool for operational efficiency, it is becoming central to how policy is shaped, how trust is built, and how innovation is delivered. The rapid rise of generative AI accelerates this
shift and presents a significant opportunity for GS1 UK.
Our standards are already
embedded in the systems that underpin healthcare, retail, logistics and construction. As demand for transparency, traceability and accountability increases, we are uniquely positioned to help organisations unlock the power of trusted data.
In healthcare, the NHS’s ten-year plan sets out a digitally enabled, preventative system. GS1 standards already support patient safety and efficiency, and we are working with NHS partners to extend this impact. From inventory management to digital identity and interoperability, we are helping the NHS improve outcomes and reduce costs.
In food, the updated UK food strategy and Good Food Cycle emphasise sustainability, nutrition and responsible sourcing. The move to mandatory reporting reinforces the need for open sourcing and common standards, collaboratively agreed. This aligns with our work on smarter labelling, supply chain visibility and consumer transparency, helping members respond with confidence.
The growing transition to a circular economy is another area where data and common standards form the foundation. Our colleagues at GS1 Ireland were instrumental in the successful introduction of the deposit return scheme in March 2024. At a European level, GS1, with strong involvement from the UK, is playing a central role in preparing companies for the rollout of the digital product passport.
In construction, the government’s green paper highlights the importance of clear product data. We are exploring how GS1 identifiers can support Digital Product Passports, improve safety and enable more sustainable choices.
As industries become increasingly data-driven, the need for trusted, interoperable frameworks has never been greater.
GS1 globally plays a vital role in enabling secure data exchange, supporting innovation across sectors, and helping organisations meet evolving expectations around transparency, compliance and consumer trust. The support and scale of being part of a global organisation enables GS1 UK to deliver more for our members here in the UK.
Looking ahead, I am confident in our direction. The foundations we have laid—particularly our successful systems investments—are strong, and momentum is building. We have a clear strategy, a committed team, and the backing of an experienced and diverse Board. Most importantly, we have a growing community of members who believe in what we do.
As we prepare for 2026, we will remain focused on impact—not only in terms of adoption and engagement, but in the difference we make to people, businesses and society.
Thank you to our members, our Board and our team for your continued support. Together, we are connecting an increasingly digital world and helping to shape a future built on trust.
Chris Tyas OBE
Chair, GS1 UK
