QR code use exploded in 2021, as the pandemic accelerated the need for businesses to create contactless engagement with consumers. QR codes continue to grow exponentially as brands discover ways to enhance their products and services. As this demand continues to climb, MobStac, creators of Beaconstac, a phygital customer engagement platform, announced it surpassed 10,000 customers — doubling its client base from just four months ago.

“QR codes are tightly woven into many business operations today, and they are only getting more popular across a variety of use cases,” says Sharat Potharaju, founder of MobStac. “QR codes are much more than pulling up a menu at a restaurant — companies now acknowledge how crucial they are to doing business now and in the future.”

Cumulative data collected throughout 2021 by MobStac illustrates that companies increasingly realize the important role that QR codes play in connecting with consumers and driving sales and engagement. To learn how companies used QR codes this year and to identify how they plan to use them in 2022, MobStac analyzed data from its growing client roster and found the following:

1. Enterprise-Wide Adoption as QR Code Usage Doubles
In 2021, MobStac saw 63 million QR code scans on its Beaconstac platform — a 45% increase compared to 2020. The number of QR code scans on its platform is expected to double in 2022 as QR codes become table stakes for doing business and companies use them for a variety of use cases.

2. QR Codes Arrive At the C-Suite
Over the past year, businesses realized just how much they can do with QR codes. They are used to collect customer data, enhance the customer experience, share brand and product details, and so much more. It is this permeation that has moved QR codes from being a one-off point solution to capture the attention of the C-suite. MobStac continues to see its clients develop a dedicated QR code strategy as part of their business and marketing plans, showing that QR codes are respected as a profitable business tactic.

3. QR Codes Become Information Hubs
CPG: Sustainability
92% of CPG brands place QR codes on their product packing, with 20% of CPG brands using them to direct consumers to sustainability information about the product; one year ago this number was 4%. This is especially crucial as consumers pay more attention to the sustainability initiatives of the companies they buy from. Additional sustainability QR code use cases include raw materials sourcing, waste disposal, carbon emissions offsets, information about the product’s journey to the store shelf and more.

Hospitality: Expanding beyond menus
As restaurants and hotels began to slowly reopen in May of 2020, QR code adoption skyrocketed as digital menus replaced hard copies. But over the past year and a half, over 30% of the hospitality industry significantly expanded its use of QR codes beyond menus. Now they’re used to deliver myriad information to guests, including booking service appointments, prompting app downloads, ordering goods and services, collecting customer feedback, delivering COVID-19 protocols and more. This trend will stick around next year as the hospitality industry continues to explore additional QR code use cases.

Financial institutions: Phygital alignment
The number of financial institutions using MobStac’s Beaconstac platform grew 280% over the course of 2021. This exponential growth will continue in 2022 as banks, lenders, and more use QR codes to digitize documents and marketing collateral and align phygital — physical and digital — consumer experiences. 

4. QR to AR: In-Store Experiences Get a Lift
A recent study from Deloitte found that almost all smartphone users will be frequent augmented reality (AR) users by 2025. Retailers are taking notice of this trend and using QR codes to direct in-store or online shoppers to an immersive AR experience. Consumers can see a piece of furniture in their home, try on a piece of clothing, or otherwise visualize a product before purchasing it in a store.

Visit www.beaconstac.com for more information.