As consumers outside of Japan start to embrace the new trend of using QR Codes, San Francisco locals are also beginning to see more of these codes in their local papers, magazines, news websites and retail outlets too. A local San Francisco who recently just ditched her old mobile phone for an iPhone said, 'It's an interesting concept. I first saw this in a store's window and with my new phone, I decided to give it a shot. I would love to see more of this and I think it's really going to change the way we shop.'

These QR Codes can be found on bus stops, railway stations, billboards, magazines, newspapers, etc. Raising the curiosity of passer-bys, QR Codes is set to become the new way to market to consumers.

For those who are unsure about what QR Codes are, it acts like a link to online content. So, instead of having to type out a long URL or memorize a link, all you need to do is to use a QR Code reader on your mobile phone and scan it with the phone's camera. Unfortunately, for now, you will need to find and download a QR Code separately. But considering the fact that this fad is quickly spreading all over the country, mobile phone manufacturers will soon pre-load the QR Code reader into new phones so that owners of the said phone need not go through the hassle of finding a compatible QR Code.

Earlier attempts at bringing other types of barcodes to the United States were unsuccessful because of poor level of knowledge, cost and inconvenience. Not a lot of people could validate spending so much money on something that did not have traction. This time, things are a little different. People are more educated about how to use QR Codes and the benefits that it brings.

What is different between the conventional barcodes that we are using now (on products to help retailers identify the product that you are buying) is that while the conventional barcode can contain information only horizontally, QR Code can contain information both horizontally and vertically. Google's recent dabbles in the technology has lots to do with how quickly consumers are catching on – everything that Google touches turns to gold.

In the future, there will be more QR Code-based tickets, boarding passes, promotion vouchers, discount cards and membership cards, etc.

So, take a look around you and pay attention to these codes when you see them, it is set to have a dramatic effect on consumer purchasing trends.