Loblaw Scanning Produce in 15 Stores

MICHAEL GARRY

ORLANDO, Fla. — Loblaw Cos., Brampton, Ontario, is scanning bar-coded bananas, apples and avocados at 15 stores in Ontario, according to Larry Kieswetter, senior director, produce procurement for Loblaw. Kieswetter reported this as part of a presentation at the U Connect Conference here last week. Each piece of produce comes with a label bearing a traditional PLU code as well as the GS1 DataBar, a 14-digit bar code designed for perishable products. Kieswetter said that Loblaw will be rolling out produce scanning at additional stores this fall and early next year, declining to specify the number of stores. Other categories of produce expected to be bar-coded, he said, include tomatoes, peppers and stone fruit. Kieswetter said he expects a great deal more activity in produce bar-coding over the next six months to a year “than any of us could have envisioned six months ago.”

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