Barcodes for products that came without one
Loose goods, your own baked items, products from small local suppliers: plenty of what a small shop sells arrives without a barcode. Without one, every sale means hunting through the product list at the till.
StoreWave fixes this automatically. Save a product without a barcode and it is given one: a standard 13 digit code in the range reserved for in-store use, with the correct check digit, unique within your shop. From that moment the product scans like anything else. If you would rather do it yourself, the setting can be switched off.
Products that already carry a manufacturer barcode keep it. Scan it into the product once and the till recognises it. There is more on the whole process, including what to do with products you cannot label, in our guide to barcoding products that came without one.
Print labels on the paper you already have
Labels come out as a print ready PDF, so any printer you can print from will do. Pick the sheet or roll you use:
| Labels | Size |
|---|---|
| A4 sheet, 21 per sheet (Avery L7160) | 63.5 x 38.1 mm |
| A4 sheet, 24 per sheet (Avery L7159) | 63.5 x 33.9 mm |
| A4 sheet, 65 per sheet (Avery L7651) | 38.1 x 21.2 mm |
| US Letter sheet, 30 per sheet (Avery 5160) | 66.7 x 25.4 mm |
| Thermal roll | 50 x 25, 40 x 30 or 58 x 40 mm |
| Shelf edge label | 70 x 38 mm |
Then choose what each label shows: the product name, the size or colour, the price, the price per kilo or metre, the SKU, the barcode, your shop name, and the date. Save the combination as a template and it is there next time.
Three ways to print
- One product, straight from its page, for a single item that needs relabelling.
- A selection, by ticking products in your inventory list, for a new shelf or a price change.
- A whole delivery. When you receive a purchase order, print labels for everything that just came in, with the quantities filled in for you. This is the one that saves the most time.
Products with sizes and colours print one label per variant, each with its own barcode, so the till always knows exactly which one was sold.
Weighing scale labels
A deli counter or produce scale that prints its own barcode labels puts either the weight or the price inside the barcode. Tell StoreWave which your scale does, once, and the till reads those labels: it finds the product, works out the quantity, and charges the price printed on the label exactly, so the customer pays what the sticker says to the cent.
Scanners
Any barcode scanner that types into a text box works, which covers most USB and Bluetooth scanners on the market. Plug it in, scan, and the product lands in the basket. There is nothing to configure.
No scanner yet? The camera on a phone or tablet reads EAN, UPC, Code 128, Code 39 and QR codes, at the till, in the inventory screens and at the returns counter.