ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
Grocery checkout still relied on clerks punching prices manually, slowing lines and causing errors; industry committees spent years agreeing on a scannable symbol for universal product codes.
What happened
The first UPC barcode scan occurred on June 26, 1974, at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, on a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
Why it still matters
Laser scanners at checkout sped retail worldwide and enabled inventory systems that track billions of items daily. Memorable detail: that historic gum pack was later donated to the Smithsonian.
Background
Checkout lasers sped retail worldwide.