The State of Product Transparency in 2026

Product transparency has moved from a nice-to-have to a market requirement in less than three years. Driven by regulatory mandates, consumer demand, and competitive pressure, brands across every category are rethinking how they communicate product information.

We surveyed 500 brand leaders and analyzed scan data from millions of Digital Product Passports to understand where the industry stands — and where it's headed.

Adoption by the Numbers

DPP Implementation

• 34% of EU-selling brands have implemented or are actively implementing DPPs
• 52% are in the planning or evaluation phase
• 14% haven't started preparation

The 34% implementation figure is up from just 8% one year ago — a clear signal that the market is moving beyond early adopters.

By Industry

Fashion and textiles lead adoption at 47%, driven by the sector's visibility in sustainability discussions and its Phase 1 compliance deadline. Electronics follows at 41%, while home goods and furniture lag at 22%.

By Company Size

Enterprise brands (10,000+ employees) are significantly ahead at 58% implementation. Mid-market (500–10,000) sits at 31%, while SMBs (under 500) are at 19%. The gap is narrowing, though — SMB adoption has tripled in the past year as accessible platforms lower the implementation barrier.

Consumer Expectations

Scan Rates

Across our platform, the average product scan rate is 12.3% — meaning roughly 1 in 8 consumers who encounter a QR-enabled product scan it. This varies significantly by context:

• In-store purchases: 8.2% scan rate
• E-commerce deliveries: 18.7% scan rate (QR on packaging inserts)
• Second-hand/resale: 31.4% scan rate (buyers verifying authenticity)

What Consumers Want

When consumers do scan, what are they looking for?

1. Authenticity verification — 28% of scans
2. Care and usage instructions — 24% of scans
3. Sustainability information — 19% of scans
4. Warranty and support — 16% of scans
5. Material/ingredient details — 13% of scans

The authenticity verification number stands out. In categories plagued by counterfeiting — luxury goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals — DPPs are becoming the trust mechanism between brands and consumers.

Regulatory Momentum

Beyond ESPR

The EU's ESPR is the headline regulation, but it's not alone:

• France's AGEC Law already requires textile waste and recycled content disclosures
• Germany's Supply Chain Act mandates human rights due diligence documentation
• The US SEC Climate Disclosure Rule requires emissions reporting for publicly traded companies
• Japan's Green Transformation Act introduces product carbon labeling

The trend is clear: product transparency is becoming a global regulatory baseline, not a European exception.

Interoperability Standards

The GS1 Digital Link standard is emerging as the consensus approach for DPP data carriers. It encodes product identifiers in web-resolvable URIs, meaning a single QR code can serve multiple use cases — consumer information, supply chain tracking, and regulatory compliance.

We're seeing growing adoption of EPCIS 2.0 for event-level supply chain data, which complements the static product data in DPPs with dynamic tracking information.

Competitive Dynamics

First-Mover Advantage

Brands that implemented DPPs early are seeing measurable competitive benefits:

• 23% higher customer engagement through product scan interactions
• 15% improvement in brand trust scores in consumer surveys
• 12% reduction in return rates due to better product information
• Faster retail partnerships — major retailers increasingly require DPP readiness

The Cost of Waiting

Brands that wait until enforcement deadlines face several risks:

• Compressed timelines — rushing implementation increases error rates
• Higher costs — vendor premiums increase as demand spikes near deadlines
• Market access risk — non-compliant products can be blocked from the EU market
• Competitive disadvantage — early adopters have already captured the engagement benefits

What's Coming Next

Predictions for the Next 12 Months

1. DPP adoption will cross 60% among EU-selling brands by year end
2. Consumer scan rates will double as QR code familiarity increases
3. AI-powered product interactions will become the norm (not the exception)
4. Resale platforms will require DPPs as a condition for listing
5. Carbon footprint labeling will become as ubiquitous as nutritional labels

The Bigger Picture

Product transparency is fundamentally changing the relationship between brands and consumers. The static, one-directional model — where brands broadcast and consumers receive — is being replaced by a dynamic, bidirectional model where every product is a channel for ongoing engagement.

The question is no longer whether to invest in product transparency, but how quickly you can get there. The brands that move first will define the standard that everyone else follows.

Methodology

This report combines data from three sources: a survey of 500 brand leaders conducted in January 2026, aggregated and anonymized scan data from the Veribl platform, and publicly available regulatory filings and industry reports. Survey respondents span fashion, electronics, home goods, food & beverage, and industrial goods across the EU, US, and APAC.