Guess who turned 50 years old today? 

None other than the humble barcode. 

I’ve written about the impact of the invention of the container and how it transformed shipping. Well, the bar code is no slouch either. 

Recognized as one of the 50 inventions that shaped the modern economy, the barcode simplifies sales and inventory management, appearing on over one billion products globally.

The journey began in 1974, with the first barcode scan on a pack of Juicy Fruit gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio, making its mark in retail history. 

Canada was the second country in the world to adopt the barcode, with a local grocer to me, Steinberg in Dorval, using it for the first time in 1974.

Since then, barcodes have been silently powering operations from checkout lines to global supply chains.

I wonder what’s next for retail logistics? Any ideas?