WFSGI AIMS TO DRIVE FORWARD DIGITIZATION OF PRODUCT INFORMATION

WFSGI AIMS TO DRIVE FORWARD DIGITIZATION OF PRODUCT INFORMATION – INDUSTRY POSITION PAPER NOW AVAILABLE!

Industry calls national regulatory authorities and policy makers to open-up the use of digital product labels for the sporting goods to deliver product information to consumers

Recent changes in the global business environment have undoubtedly paved the way for digital transformation and one of the ways companies can embrace digitization is by using digital technologies to communicate product information. Digital communication vehicles (for instance, QR codes) would provide better ways to share easily accessible, complete, comparable, trustworthy, and easy-to-correct information. Furthermore, from an environmental perspective, electronic labelling would avoid creating extra waste in the form of large hangtags to accommodate the required information and its translations.

Since 2020, the WFSGI Digitization of Product Information Taskforce have worked together to share information and best practice​s around digital labelling, and have drafted the industry position statement calling national regulatory authorities and policy makers to open-up the use of digital means to deliver any legally required or voluntary product information to consumers whenever possible.

Some of the key considerations the taskforce discussed:

  • Lack of harmonized regulations worldwide lead to enormous complexity for companies when making traditional labels and hangtags for products.
  • Bulky labels irritate customers: they often do not understand the information presented on the product and cut the labels off due to their size and bulkiness.
  • Costs: labels are becoming larger and de facto the costs of producing them are increasing.
  • Environmental impact: digital labels can reduce the environmental impact of physical labels by reducing material use and waste.
  • Accuracy of information: digital labels are always available, readable, and up to date – information can be easily corrected in case of mistakes.
  • Variety of information: consumers can have access to qualitative and accurate information, whether it is material composition, care instructions, sustainability claims, product certificates, etc.

The WFSGI will share the position paper with various national and international organizations as well as other stakeholders urging them to consider and support digital means to provide consumer information as a viable option when revising or drafting new legislative proposals.