The UK’s biggest grocer described the move as “one of the most revolutionary retailing improvements in decades” which would give customers access to a host of information about products via their smartphones.

QR codes will be applied to the packaging of 13 lines of Tesco’s own-brand sausages including Tesco Pork Sausages, Tesco Pork Chipolatas, Tesco British Pork Sausage Meat as well as British Cumberland Sausages and British Lincolnshire Sausages.

The codes can be used to provide additional product information to customers such as nutritional content, with shoppers being able to use them to access recipes and competitions.

(Image: PA Wire)

Tesco said adopting the new codes would give it better information about products in stores, helping it to order more accurately and improve efficiency, reducing unnecessary waste.

In the event of product recalls, QR codes will allow retailers to identify specific batches instead of removing all items, avoiding throwing products away unnecessarily and improving availability.

Retailers will also be able to block the sale of affected items at the till and contact customers who may have purchased them.

It is part of a wider industry shift led by GS1, the global body responsible for barcode standards, which has set a target for retailers and manufacturers to be ready to accept QR codes.

Tesco development and change director Peter Draper said: “For customers, this is a tiny and almost invisible change at the checkout, but for the retail industry it’s a significant step forward.

“Moving to QR codes will help us reduce food waste, improve stock control and unlock new digital benefits for our customers.

(Image: PA Wire)

“Customers will continue to shop and pay in exactly the same way, but they’ll have the option to access far richer information about the products they buy simply by using their smartphones.

“Over time, this opens up exciting possibilities, such as personalised digital tools to help customers manage the food they buy and reduce waste at home.”

Anne Godfrey, chief executive of GS1 UK, added: “Tesco moving to QR codes powered by GS1 across an entire range marks a significant step forward for UK retail.

“It shows how the next generation of barcodes can support a more connected, transparent future. We hope this progress encourages others to follow Tesco’s lead so that consumers and businesses alike can benefit from richer, more trusted product information.”

Broadband switching in the UK rose 24% year on year in March, according to data from Uswitch, as April bill increases prompted more households to shop around.

One in five broadband customers either switched provider before the rises or planned to do so within the next three months. Three million households had already changed provider in time to avoid higher charges.

The figures suggest a sharp consumer response to increases across several essential services at once. Households faced an average annual rise of £216 across council tax, water, TV licences, mobile contracts and broadband, bringing the total national increase to £6.9 billion.

Broadband accounted for an average increase of £39.60 a year, based on a monthly rise of £3.30. Some customers faced fixed increases of £4 a month, adding £48 over a full year.

Cost pressure

Affordability is now a central factor in broadband buying decisions. Some 24% of broadband customers chose their current provider primarily because it offered the lowest monthly price.

That pressure has coincided with stronger competition, particularly from regional network operators. These providers have offered some of the strongest broadband deals on record, including tariffs that in some cases avoid annual in-contract price rises, prompting larger providers to improve their own offers.

Uswitch’s internal data showed March was the busiest month for broadband switching since its records began in October 2016. Its measure of broadband deal value also reached its highest level since the index began in August 2023.

Not all customers moved quickly. Some 39% of broadband bill payers knew their bill was going up but did not plan to act, leaving them exposed to the full increase.

Market shift

The pattern suggests a widening gap between households willing to switch and those staying on existing contracts despite higher costs. Customers who stay with the same provider after their contract ends often move on to more expensive terms, while rival offers for new customers can be materially cheaper.

A household reaching the end of a broadband contract could save an average of £329 a year by taking a new deal. That adds to evidence that bill rises are prompting more active shopping around in a market where price has become a stronger differentiator.

Some of the biggest broadband brands have adopted fixed annual uplifts for new customers rather than the inflation-linked formulas criticised in previous years. While that offers more certainty, it still means higher charges each April for customers who remain in contract.

Regional providers have used that backdrop to compete on price and on promises of no annual rise. The result is a more competitive market at a time when household budgets are under strain from multiple directions.

Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch, said: “By moving in record numbers this year, broadband customers are sending a clear message that they will not pay over the odds while budgets are already under such intense pressure.

“What we are seeing is a significant shift in the market. The expansion of regional networks – both aggressively priced and keenly focused on customer service – has created a level of competition that hasn’t been seen in years.

“These providers are offering high speeds and great reliability on their networks at much lower price points, which is finally forcing the bigger brands to offer much more to keep their customers.

“If you have faced a price rise this April, it is not too late to check your contract. With the market as competitive as it is right now, there is a real opportunity to find a deal that protects your household budget.

“The average household coming to the end of their contract could save £329 a year by switching to a new deal, so it really pays to see what else is out there.”

OVHcloud has added Quandela’s Belenos quantum computer to its quantum platform, making it the second quantum computer available through the cloud-based service.

Belenos uses photonic quantum technology and offers 12 qubits, according to the companies. It joins a platform that also includes 15 quantum emulators for users testing and learning different quantum computing models.

The addition expands OVHcloud’s Quantum-as-a-Service offering, which gives customers pay-as-you-go access to quantum systems. Billing for the Belenos quantum processing unit is charged by the second, with no commitment required.

OVHcloud launched the platform last autumn as part of a broader effort to widen access to quantum computing tools for businesses and researchers. The service is designed to let users experiment with algorithms and assess potential applications without running their own quantum hardware.

Quandela said Belenos could be used in areas including image sorting and generation, accelerated AI calculus and quantum machine learning. The companies also highlighted potential applications in electromagnetic simulation, structural mechanics, engine combustion, material simulation, meteorology and earth observation.

The launch adds another European-made system to a market where access to quantum hardware remains limited and is often concentrated among a small number of specialist providers. OVHcloud says it has supported the European quantum ecosystem since 2022 and now serves more than 1,000 users through its emulator range.

Those emulators include Perceval and MerLin, with pricing starting at 0.03 euros per hour. OVHcloud said the low-cost access is intended to help users become familiar with different approaches to quantum computing before moving to physical machines.

European focus

The companies presented the integration as part of a broader push to strengthen Europe’s position in quantum computing infrastructure. OVHcloud operates data centres across four continents and serves 1.6 million customers in more than 140 countries, while continuing to emphasise its European identity in cloud and data services.

For Quandela, the agreement places one of its machines in a broader cloud environment that customers can access without direct installation. The approach reflects a wider pattern in quantum computing, where providers increasingly make hardware available remotely rather than selling systems for on-site deployment.

Photonic quantum computing, the model used by Belenos, relies on particles of light rather than superconducting circuits or trapped ions. The field has drawn growing attention from researchers and start-ups because of its potential compatibility with existing optical technologies, though it remains at an early commercial stage.

Miroslaw Klaba, R&D Director at OVHcloud, said the addition marked progress for the company’s platform. “We are delighted to deliver on the promise of the Quantum Platform by adding a second reference quantum computer, Belenos from the French company Quandela. The quantum revolution accelerates and OVHcloud is taking its part as the European Cloud leader within the ecosystem,” he said.

Cloud access

The platform gives private organisations cloud-based access to quantum computers rather than requiring dedicated ownership. That model has become one of the main routes into commercial quantum computing because most businesses are still exploring possible uses and do not yet have a clear case for investing in their own systems.

Providers across the industry increasingly pair access to real hardware with simulators and emulators, allowing users to write and test code in environments that resemble quantum systems. OVHcloud’s platform follows that pattern by combining physical machines with software-based tools.

Quandela said integrating Belenos into the OVHcloud environment should widen access for technical teams working on algorithm development. “The integration of Belenos 12 qubits into the OVHcloud portfolio marks a decisive step for quantum in Europe. Accessible through the cloud, this photonic computer becomes a concrete tool for businesses. With OVHcloud we are offering data scientists and innovators alike the mean to develop their algorithms on a flexible and sovereign infrastructure,” said Niccolò Somaschi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Quandela.