About GS1: standards to identify, capture and share data

Who are we?

As an independent, not-for-profit organization, we develop international uniform standards for the identification, capture and sharing of data.

GS1 has been uniting supermarkets, hardware stores, hospitals and clothing stores, their suppliers and logistics providers for over fourty years. Together with them, we are building an efficient and reliable chain.

For each industry we assess the need for logistic, administrative and non-competitive commercial processes. Businesses identify where committment exists for the introduction of GS1 standards and subsequently we facilitate the implementation of processes and standards for the entire industry.

Our strength?

The more than 18,000 Dutch companies affiliated with GS1 Netherlands, using GS1 standards.

GS1 Netherlands is part of this worldwide GS1 organisation. GS1 is represented in 150 counties with local head offices in 113 of them. Wordlwide, 1.5 million participants are affiliated with GS1. That's our strength!

Origins

It was Albert Heijn himself who brought the barcode from America to the Netherlands in the 1970s. He imagined possibilities to improve handling at the cash register.

An independent party was required to bring together supermarket chains and suppliers and make the chain more efficient. With this in mind, GS1 Netherlands was founded.
We continue working in the spirit of our founding father and visionary Albert Heijn: helping companies to cooperate more efficiently in the chain.

Our board

Our participants make up our board. They establish our policy and set the priorities. Our board members are:

Vera Bakker 
Vice President Supply Chain Unilever Benelux

Harry Bruijniks
Commissaris, Euretco

Raymond de la Court
Managing Director, Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings

Hennie Henrichs
General Manager, Teva Pharmachemie

Kees de Kat
Chief Executive Officer, Fruitmasters

Hendrik Jan Roel
Chief Financial Officer, Albert Heijn
Voorzitter

Guus Slik
Directeur, Superunie 
Penningmeester

Ed van de Weerd 
Managing Director Kruidvat