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GS1 standards play a vital role in retail, foodservice and healthcare

With over 44,000 members we work with many of the leading organisations in the UK. And as one of 115 independent, not-for-profit GS1 organisations operating across 150 countries worldwide, our reach and impact is global.

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:

Alex Smith, GS1 UK
E alex.smith@gs1uk.org
T +44 (0)20 7092 3519

Press releases

2021
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
2013
23 Dec               GS1 accredited by US regulator as official issuing agency for medical device identifiers