What was the first item to be scanned using a barcode?

The first item scanned using a barcode was a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum. Specifically, it was a 10-pack of Juicy Fruit gum scanned at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, on June 26, 1974.

The scan used the newly adopted Universal Product Code (UPC), designed to help grocery stores identify products and speed up checkout. Cashier Sharon Buchanan scanned the pack at about 8:01 a.m., creating the first commercial retail barcode transaction.

The gum was reportedly chosen partly because its compact packaging made it a useful test of whether the system could read a barcode on a small product. The purchase was made by customer Clyde Dawson, and the register recorded the item at 67 cents.

A common mix-up is saying that this was the first barcode ever invented or printed. Barcodes had been developed and patented earlier, but the Wrigley’s gum represents the first widely recognized retail product scanned with a UPC. The event helped launch barcode-based checkout systems across supermarkets and later much of global commerce.