The future of QR codes seems somewhat bleak, according to a new study from Simpson Carpenter, a market research firm based in the UK. The results of the study show that consumers are apathetic to QR codes as a whole. These results clash with other studies that suggest otherwise as well as a growing number of companies that are adopting the barcodes. Researchers from Simpson Carpenter note that the codes themselves are not problematic; the issue lies with consumers that know nothing about them.
The study shows that only 36% of consumers worldwide even know what a QR code is. Of those that were aware of the codes, only 11% have used them in the past. Just under half of those that have scanned a QR code said they found them useful in some way. Overall, however, the majority of those that participated in the study showed a general dislike or apathy for the codes.
According to the study, the most formidable barrier keeping the codes from consumer adoption is the lack of appropriate technology. More than half of the study’s respondents said that did not have a mobile device that could scan the codes. Coupled with widespread unfamiliarity, QR codes may not be having the effect on consumers that they were once thought to have.
Despite the findings in the study, researchers note that if marketers took more time to educate consumers about what QR codes actually are, they would see higher usage rates.
