A new global solution named Verified by GS1 will provide consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers and marketplaces with brand-verified product data, creating a global,  cloud-based GS1 Registry Platform of unique product identifiers and attributes. Created in response to growing consumer demand for accurate product information, Verified by GS1 will support the unique identity of CPG products — leading to better quality product information for consumers and fewer counterfeit item listings.

Verified by GS1 makes it possible for CPG brand owners to consistently share a core set of attributes, including: the product’s Global Trade Item Number® (GTIN®) a number that uniquely identifies a product and links it to the brand owner, brand name, product description, product image URL, global product category, net content and unit of measure, and country of sale. These seven data elements have been identified by GS1® and the CPG industry as foundational to confirming that a product’s physical features align with their digital product listings. CPG brand owners in the U.S. can begin uploading the required product data to Verified by GS1 via GS1 US Data Hub® | Product, an online tool for GS1 US® members to create and manage product information.

“Product data is essential to inform shopper purchase decisions, but today online retail is plagued with inaccurate and incomplete information that’s often sourced manually, which can result in dissatisfied consumers and costly returns for retailers,” said Angela Fernandez, vice president, community engagement, GS1 US. “Once Verified by GS1 reaches critical mass globally, brand owners will have a single source for retailers, marketplaces and other stakeholders to automatically verify the integrity of product listings.”

GS1 developed Verified by GS1 in collaboration with multiple Consumer Goods Forum member companies, including Kellogg Company, Kroger, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Walmart, Wegmans and many more. While these stakeholders have already begun gathering and populating the global GS1 Registry Platform with the required data, Verified by GS1 is being rolled out in a phased approach beginning with CPG companies in the following countries: U.S., Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico and the Netherlands. Additional GS1 organizations around the globe will work with their communities to load data to the GS1 Registry Platform throughout 2020.

“Verified by GS1 will strengthen consumer confidence in product information while helping ensure that the item a shopper expects is the item they receive,” said Alfredo Colas, North America IT director, P&G. “We want to show consumers that we take their needs very seriously and are committed to providing consistent information across all channels, which is why we have prioritized supplying Verified by GS1 with quality product information.”  

“Consumer trust starts with complete and accurate information that supports a shopper’s path to purchase,” said Cameron Geiger, senior vice president, Walmart. “Verified by GS1 will help to ensure that retailers can provide high quality product listings that customers expect in today’s digital world.”

While Verified by GS1 is currently only available to the CPG industry, GS1 US and GS1 will be collaborating with other industries in the future to evaluate the potential for expansion.

More information about Verified by GS1 is available at www.gs1us.org/verify.