• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, January 6, 2011

Mobile barcode scanning activity in the fourth quarter doubled over the prior quarter and was up 16-fold for the year overall, according to the latest trend report from barcode technology company Scanbuy. Scanning traffic in the quarter peaked on Black Friday and on Christmas Day (as people received gifts including new smartphones.)

The study also found scanning of traditional UPC (or 1D codes) outpaced 2D codes during the holiday shopping season and that coupons, pricing, and nutritional information were the most popular features among those scanning UPC codes. That follows a previous finding that food and personal care are the most scanned product categories. In terms of demographics, there was a 13% increase in female to male traffic, and a 25% gain in users aged 25 to 54, which signals barcode scanning is becoming more mainstream, according to Scanbuy. Read the full report here.