Selling products online is a fast-paced business. With so much to do in so little time, it’s tempting to take shortcuts. For example, you may not think it matters much where you go for your product barcodes, but not going directly to GS1 US for this important step could jeopardize your success.
Here are three reasons why Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) from GS1 US—the numbers encoded into the everyday barcode—matter to your growth strategy.
Learn More About GTINS from GS1 US
Thinking Long-Term vs. Short-Term
Stop and ask yourself: Am I rushing this? While you may feel the urgency to list a product right away, don’t forgo the due diligence it takes to understand the components of the supply chain.
GTINs from GS1 US are unique to your product and are linked to your brand. They help decrease the chances that your product listing will be suppressed by Amazon, which means you can rest assured that those positive reviews and all the other aspects of your listing that build equity can remain intact for years to come. Also, you’ll be ready to sell your business to a bigger brand or aggregator, if that’s one of your long-term goals.
Loss of Time = Loss of Sale
Going another route can simply add costs down the road, including relabeling, returned shipments, and disorganized inventory databases. Plus, if your listing is rejected by Amazon, you will lose critical time getting your product to market.
One Amazon seller, Andrew Jacobs, founder and CEO of JAM Paper, did not source his GTINs from GS1 US when they first transitioned to e-commerce. “The major online marketplaces told us that those barcodes were just not going to work and that they required GS1 barcodes,” he said, adding that it took, in some cases, 10 years to clean up the mess in their inventory systems.
Being a Good Partner
Business opportunities and growth are built on trust and reliability, something retailers look for in new vendors. Having trustworthy product information including GS1-sourced GTINs establishes your credibility as a good partner. Marketplaces like Amazon check the GS1 database to ensure that a GTIN is properly linked to the brand owner. Avoiding these discrepancies is important to your expansion.
Successful entrepreneurs move fast and are incredibly agile, but it’s also still important to understand key details that lead to growth. To get your supply chain set up for success, visit GS1 US for resources on GTINs and other critical identification numbers.
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