EAN code, GLN reference on packages a must

With paradigm shift in the packaging industry in India, it should be made mandatory for manufacturers to have their package EAN coded and every carton should have GLN (Global Location Number) reference on every carton, according to K Radhakrishnan, vice president (Merchandising), Spencer's hypermarket.

Addressing Packcon 2005, a conference on packaging trends and innovations organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Radhakrishnan, who is also the president of Efficient Customer Response (ECR) India, said that the association was planning to hold a forum for retailers and manufacturers from all over the country in Mumbai on December 7,2005.

"With shelf-ready packaging gaining importance as a saleable variable in retailing, we plan to educate the retailers on the importance of GLN and GTIN (Global trade Information Number) through this forum and accordingly, from July 2006 onwards, a product without GLN or GTIN on its package would be rejected by retailers," he added.

GLN is a standard means of identifying legal entities, trading parties and location to support the requirements of e-commerce. It comprises details of a particular product including warehouse gate, loading dock, delivery point, shelf number where it is stacked, etc thus improving the efficiency of integrated logistics.GTIN is a unique 14-digit number used to identify trade items, products or services.