The first modern barcode was scanned 50 years ago this summer—on a 10-pack of chewing gum in a grocery store in Troy, Ohio. Fifty is ancient for most technologies, but barcodes are still going strong.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The first modern barcode was scanned 50 years ago this summer – on a 10-pack of chewing gum in a grocery store in Troy, Ohio.

Once upon a time, a restless cashier would eye each and every item you, the consumer, purchased and key it into the register. This took skill but also time—and proved to be an imperfect way to keep ...

Jordan Frith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

Ed. Note: This article was previously posted at Retail TouchPoints. It’s hard to believe that the invention of the UPC—first used by railroads almost 100 years ago and then introduced to speed grocery ...