The brief
From the end of 2027, the traditional barcode will be replaced by the QR code worldwide. Besides the identification code, a QR code can hold much more information. Shoppers can scan the QR code themselves with their smartphone for extra information, such as recipes, instructional videos, allergens or the digital product passport (covering origin and recycling).
Intergamma wants to show that it is not only a frontrunner in sustainability, but also in technology that makes shopping and DIY smarter. This was the perfect opportunity to claim the news around the QR code, with a newsworthy story for consumers and the retail sector alike.
The strategy & approach
A QR code looks like a technical change, but it touches on a bigger question: how will future consumers get their product information? And how can technology help them with their DIY projects?
That was the PR opportunity. We didn’t communicate about the technology, but made the development itself the news. Intergamma became the first retailer in the Netherlands to claim the topic. Not waiting until the QR code is commonplace, but opening the conversation now.
The question shifted from “what is Intergamma doing with QR codes?” to “what does the disappearance of the barcode mean for how we shop and do DIY-projects?” The answer: a digital layer over the physical store, helping you start your project better informed and find the right products the first time.
The core message was simple: Intergamma isn’t following retail developments, it’s ahead of them.
The results
Intergamma was the first retailer in the Netherlands to claim the topic of the shift from barcode to QR code, with coverage in national media such as de Volkskrant, Radar and EditieNL. What had mainly been seen as a technical application became part of a broader conversation about the future of retail and how consumers get information about products.
The QR code came to stand for more than a replacement for the barcode: it was seen as a digital gateway to product information, DIY advice and additional details. Consumers gained a better understanding of what this change means for them, and Intergamma positioned itself as a pioneer in a development where physical products are increasingly linked to digital information.
The story strengthened Intergamma’s desired positioning as a retailer that leads in innovation and customer service. Technology is not used for its own sake, but to help customers better. In this way, a relatively technical development became a broad, accessible consumer story, setting Intergamma apart from other retailers.
