In a sign of the growing role that mobile plays in helping consumers make purchasing decisions, mobile bar code scans on Black Friday increased 50 percent, according to a report from ScanLife.

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year and consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to scan QR codes and UPC codes that appear on products, in-store displays and ads to help them make informed buying decisions. The numbers also point to continued adoption of QR codes by marketers and media publishers.

?We believe that this holiday season, QR codes are helping retailers close sales and amplify their message via social networks,? said Mike Wehrs, CEO and president of ScanLife, New York.

?Showrooming is here to stay, but QR codes can give shoppers the confidence they need to shorten the path to purchase,? he said. ?Seventy five percent of the scans from Black Friday that we processed came from QR codes and they will undoubtedly play a large role in holiday shopping.?

Promotional offers a draw
Overall, ScanLife saw over a quarter of a million scans completed between 7 p.m. eastern time on Thanksgiving Day and 7 p.m. eastern time on Black Friday using the ScanLife app, making it the busiest day to date for mobile bar code traffic.

The numbers also suggest QR codes are shaping up to be a good way for marketers to deliver rebate offers, with the single best QR code marketing campaign powered by the ScanLife system on Black Friday delivering a promotional rebate offer for a popular DVD title.

By category, the consumer electronics and retail industries saw the most mobile bar code scans on Black Friday.

Other key findings include that during the third quarter, almost 4 million new people scanned mobile bar codes, representing a 45 percent increase over the same period last year.

The mobile, social link
ScanLife recently launched new versions of its mobile bar code application for Android and iOS users to make it easier for users to discover the best QR codes and products via Facebook.

To promote the app and mobile bar code scans, ScanLife is running a "Like It to Win" holiday giveaway, giving mobile users who download the app, scan a mobile bar code and indicate their favorite scans a chance to win an Amazon gift card.

Over 15,000 ?Likes? have been recorded so far. The most liked brands are Best Buy, Kohl?s, Heinz and Samsung.

?This data is showing that people of course like content that provides holiday shopping deals, but they are also giving their approval on a Heinz Corporate Giving effort? Mr. Wehrs said.

?This again proves the potential for QR codes to go far beyond just leading a consumer to a product?s Web site,? he said.

?Interestingly, all of the most liked items are from content that is made for mobile, and none that were PC formatted. This shows again that people appreciate getting content on their mobile device that is relevant and easy to use.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York