Mobile Barcode Scanning Grew More Than 800% in Q1 2011
The third edition of the Mobile Barcode Trend Report for Q1 2011 was recently published by ScanLife. It showed significant growth in barcode scanning, in terms of active users, app downloads and total scans.
According to ScanLife and its analysis of data from 30 countries, the number of total scans increased 810 percent in the first quarter of 2011 from the first quarter of 2010. The number of app downloads increased 400 percent year-over-year, while the number of active scanners rose 850 percent year-over-year.
For the first time since the second quarter of 2010, 2D barcodes saw more scans than 1D barcodes, “as UPC scanning subsided from the holiday shopping surge.” The report notes that this finding may also “show that 2D barcodes, like QR Codes, are becoming more commonly adopted by end users.”
The most popular 2D barcode campaigns as created and traced by ScanLife were for the film industry, which placed these barcodes outdoors and online, with a video action. Retail with barcodes placed in catalogs with video/sweepstakes actions followed. Retail with barcodes placed in magazines with video actions was third, while newspaper editorial with barcodes in newspapers with news actions was fourth. Wireless operators with barcodes placed online with app download actions was fifth.
Food and drink accounted for 34 percent of scanned 1D barcodes in the first quarter, followed by health and beauty with 16 percent, books with 13 percent, electronics with 11 percent, movies with 10 percent, games with 5 percent, toys with 4 percent, office products with 4 percent, sports with 2 percent, and music with 1 percent.
The most popular items purchased via barcode scans were books, followed by electronics, Kindle e-books, kitchen and housewares, and DVDs.
The top five beverages scanned were: Coca-Cola Classic, Dr. Pepper, Poland Springs, Pepsi Cola and Mountain Dew.
The top five books scanned were: “Decision Points,” “Flirting with Pete: A Novel,” “The Sea Hunters II,” “Thirteen” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5: The Ugly Truth.”
Twenty-seven percent of barcode scanners were between 25-34 years old, while 22 percent were between 35-44 years old, and 19 percent were between 18-24 years old.
According to ScanLife, 46 percent of barcode scanners brought in less than $50,000 in annual income, while 35 percent earned $50,000-$100,000, and 10 percent raked in $100,000-$150,000.
The report also showed that 73 percent of scanners were male and 27 percent were female.
Android was the most popular mobile operating system, accounting for 61 percent of scans in the first quarter. Apple iOS followed with 20 percent, while RIM’s BlackBerry OS had 15 percent.
Nevertheless, the iPhone was far and away the most popular mobile handset for scans.
New York City was the top U.S. city for scanning, followed by Houston, Chicago, San Antonio and Las Vegas.
The U.S. was the leading country when it came to barcode scanning, followed by Canada, Spain, the U.K., Denmark, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, China and South Korea.
Source:
