Bar coding is a method of labeling retail products and other items. A bar code consists of a pattern of lines and bars that a computer can translate into information about an item. Many retail establishments have computerized cash registers that can read bar codes. Different groups administer and manage bar code standards for different areas of business. Perhaps the most important group is GS1 (Global Sychronization 1), which manages the EAN.UCC (European Article Numbering-Uniform Code Council) system. More than 100 countries use this system, primarily in retail trade.