4 replies to this topic

[Jean-Louis]

Hello my friends.
A client of mine wants to convert a promotional map product into a new retail map product. I have not been involved in retail products for a long, long time. Where do you start to inquire about getting the UPC barcode that goes on a map that is sold in stores? This would be in BC, Canada.

[Adam Wilbert]

Hello my friends.
A client of mine wants to convert a promotional map product into a new retail map product. I have not been involved in retail products for a long, long time. Where do you start to inquire about getting the UPC barcode that goes on a map that is sold in stores? This would be in BC, Canada.

You can start at http://www.gs1ca.org/home.asp and register for a new company prefix if your customer doesn't already have one. ...thats about as far as I've gotten on the topic


...well, its a start!

[natcase]

If you are selling in bookstores, you will probably also want an ISBN/EAN barcode. In the US, ISBN codes come from Bowker.
Not sure where they come from for Canada. Officially, you aren't supposed to have more than one barcode, but most map publishers that cross-merchandise in bookstore and non-bookstore locations do one on the front and one on the back. We actually have several products that omit the UPC because we don't sell them retail outside bookstores.

Best advice is to survey all your proposed outlets and see what codes they need, then put what you need on the product.

In terms of getting the barcodes, if you don't know someone with a barcode-generating programs (which are surprisingly expensive), you might find it cheaper to order one or two from an online supplier.

[rudy]

In Canada, you can get ISBNs from the Canadian ISBN Service. Free to register and you can request lots of 10, 100 or a 1000 numbers at a time. Just be aware that the publisher number will change with every lot requested. You can generate ISBN and UPC codes online. The second half of the UPC can be taken from the second half of the ISBN but I wouldn't know how you go about getting the first half of the UPC code (which represents the manufacturer, I believe).

[westcoastmapguy]

Hello my friends.
A client of mine wants to convert a promotional map product into a new retail map product. I have not been involved in retail products for a long, long time. Where do you start to inquire about getting the UPC barcode that goes on a map that is sold in stores? This would be in BC, Canada.

Yes GS1 is the place for Bar Codes. I have been selling me map in BC for 5 years and it the Bar Code costs $105 per year. The link is a little hard to find and it has been a few years but search for it as it will look as though you must pay $700 or more. You want to buy a "single product number". You don't need ISBN to sell in bookstores here as it is not a book.

Jason