qr-code-build

Use case · Retail

QR codes for retail

In a shop the customer is already holding the product. That changes what a code should do: answer the question they have right now, not open your homepage.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • No expiry
  • Commercial use
Short answer

Retailers use QR codes at the shelf edge for product detail and reviews, in windows for after-hours browsing, on receipts for reviews and returns, and at the till for loyalty sign-up. Each should link to the specific item or action, never to a generic homepage.

Contents
Shelf edge

Answering the question in the customer's hand

A shopper holding a product has a specific question: does it fit, what is in it, does it come in another colour, what do reviews say. A shelf-edge code that opens the homepage answers none of them and gets abandoned in one tap.

  • Link to that exact product page, not a category.
  • Put reviews, sizing and specification above the fold. The shopper is standing up, one-handed, in a hurry.
  • Show live stock for other sizes and colours in that store. This is the single highest-value thing a shelf code can do.
  • Add a click-to-buy for delivery when the shelf is out of stock — the code turns a lost sale into an order.
  • Keep it under 25 mm and it fits the shelf strip without redesigning the fixture.
Windows

Selling when the shop is shut

Window codes work on a specific behaviour: someone walking past a closed shop, interested, with nothing to do about it. A code turns that into a browse.

  • Size for the pavement — 80–100 mm read through glass from a metre or two.
  • Mount at chest height. Codes at ankle level and above head height do not get scanned.
  • Watch reflections. Glass plus a streetlight defeats a camera; matte vinyl on the inside surface helps, and so does positioning away from direct light.
  • Link to the window display's products specifically, if you can. Everything in this window is a better landing page than the whole catalogue.
  • Include opening hours on the landing page. It is the second thing they want after the price.
Till and receipt

The two highest-converting placements

PlacementPurposeNotes
Printed on the receiptReview requestBest timing — the visit is still fresh
Receipt footerReturns and warranty registrationReduces counter queries
Counter cardLoyalty sign-upWorks while the card machine processes
Bag insertReview or reorderRead at home, unhurried
Till screenPaymentRegion-dependent, needs a payment provider

Thermal receipt printers run around 203 dpi with visible dot spread, so keep receipt codes at 25 mm or larger and use error correction M or Q. Thermal paper also fades — a receipt in a wallet for three weeks may no longer scan, which is a reason to keep the important code on the bag insert instead.

Questions

Frequently asked

What should a shelf-edge QR code link to?
The specific product page with reviews, sizing and local stock. A homepage link wastes the scan.
How big should a shop window QR code be?
80–100 mm for scanning from the pavement through glass. Mount it at chest height and away from direct reflections.
Do QR codes work on till receipts?
Yes, at 25 mm or larger with error correction M or Q. Thermal printing is coarse and thermal paper fades over weeks.
What is the best place in a shop for a review code?
Printed on the receipt or inside the bag. Both catch the customer while the visit is fresh, unlike a window sticker nobody stops for.
Next

Keep going

Last reviewed 24 August 2026 · Checked by the QR Code Builder team