AN INVESTIGATION OF QR CODE USE IN INDIANAPOLIS FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

Abstract

According Mostyn, market research specialist, (2012), global smartphone shipments increased by 62.7 percent in 2011. In the US, smart phones are gaining in popularity. A Quick Response (QR) code is a type of barcode that can be read by smart phones. It can be used to link print to other interactive information (e.g. access URLs, send an e-coupon, download video, etc.). The QR code is considered new technology in food and beverage industry and there is limited information about its use. Nation’s Restaurant News (2011) reported that QR codes are slowly being used to promote restaurants, such as Taco Bell and Boudin Bakery. The purpose of this research is to investi-gate if and how QR codes are being used in the Indianapolis restaurant in-dustry. The study will provide baseline information and the potential for QR code use in the Indianapolis restaurants. Effective use of QR codes may even influence consumer choices and/or company profitability. Archival and web search in addition to interviews with restaurant managers is the method of data collection. Approximately 10 restaurants in the Indianapolis area will be sampled. Some interview questions include: What is the purpose of using QR code? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of using QR codes? The study is currently in the data collection phase. Preliminary results sug-gest that QR code use is in its infancy in Indianapolis, when compared to restaurants in Chicago or Vancouver. Also, more franchise restaurants and big chain restaurants have embraced this technology than the smaller family owned restaurants. QR codes are typically used for menu nutrition and res-taurant history information, marketing via coupons, and customer surveys. This study was sponsored by the IUPUI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.