Barcodes and Product Labelling for Pakistani Retailers
By Dilawar Khan, DevKey Technologies · Last reviewed 2 October 2026
Quick answer
Barcodes let a scanner identify a product instantly, which speeds billing and makes stock counts accurate. Retailers can use the code printed by the manufacturer, or print their own internal labels for loose items. The code is only useful when it is linked to a product record in your software. Check the official numbering body if you plan to sell under your own brand.
Why labels matter more than the scanner
Shopkeepers focus on the scanner because it is the visible device. The real value sits in the label and in the product database behind it. A barcode is just a number. The software turns that number into a name, a selling price and a stock record, so wrong data means wrong bills however good the hardware is.
Start by deciding what identifies each product uniquely, including its size, flavour or colour variants. A single code for a shirt in every size makes stock counting meaningless, so give each variant its own code.
Manufacturer codes and your own labels
Packaged goods usually arrive with a code already printed. You can scan it into your system once, enter the product details, and never type it again. That covers a large share of a grocery or pharmacy counter.
Loose, repacked, local or unbranded items have no code. For those, print your own internal labels with codes you control. Keep a simple naming pattern so the staff can read them, and never reuse a code for a different product, because old stock and old reports will then lie to you.
Branded products and numbering authorities
If you manufacture or private-label products that will be sold through other shops, internationally recognised product numbers are normally issued through a numbering organisation, rather than invented by you. Buyers and large retail chains often expect them.
Ask the relevant official or industry body in Pakistan how registration works and what it involves today. Do not rely on a printer or designer to generate numbers that look genuine, since duplicates cause real problems at other retailers.
Printing labels that survive the shelf
A label must scan reliably after handling, damp, and cold storage. Use a dedicated label printer with stock suited to the product surface, and keep contrast high with dark bars on a light background. Small or curved packaging needs experiments before you print for the entire range.
Include the product name, price or price code, and a readable number under the bars so staff can type it when a scan fails. For perishables, add whatever date information your sector requires, and check the relevant regulator for what must appear on the package.
Using labels for stock counts and reorders
Once every item scans, a stock count becomes a walk down the shelf with a handheld scanner instead of a day of tallying on paper. Differences between the system and the shelf show where theft, damage or wrong entries are happening.
Over time, the same data tells you what sells and what sits. Pair it with reorder levels in your inventory software, and you spend less cash on slow lines and run out of fast ones less often.
Step by step
- 1
Create clean product records
Give every product and variant a name, unit, and selling price in your software before any labelling starts.
- 2
Capture existing manufacturer codes
Scan packaged goods once and attach each code to its product record.
- 3
Generate internal codes for loose items
Use a consistent pattern and never reuse a code for a different product.
- 4
Print a test batch
Try labels on the real packaging, scan them at the counter, and adjust size and contrast.
- 5
Count stock with a scanner
Run a first full count and fix the differences before relying on the numbers.
Common questions, answered
Can I make up my own barcode numbers?
For internal use on loose items, yes, provided they stay unique inside your business. For goods sold through other retailers, use recognised numbering and confirm how it is issued with the relevant official body.
Do I need a special printer for labels?
A thermal label printer is the common choice because it produces crisp bars without ink. Make sure your software can send label layouts to it.
What if a barcode will not scan?
Check print contrast, label damage and scanner cleanliness, then type the number printed below the bars. Persistent failures usually mean the label stock or print quality is wrong for that surface.
Does the barcode have to include the price?
Generally no. The code identifies the product and the price is looked up in the software, so you can change prices centrally without relabelling every item.