Stores made out of quick response barcodes are going to be a big hit next year.

A growing number of retailers are bridging the gap between their physical brick and mortar shops and the digital universe through the use of QR codes.

This year, more than three hundred 2d barcode stores popped up all over the world.

As impressive as that may sound, it represents only a fraction of the number that are already in the works for next year. At the moment, more than 2,000 stores based on QR codes are already being planned for launch during 2013.

As mobile devices achieve greater penetration, retailers are finding better uses for QR codes.

Chains of retailers and supermarkets have been seeking a way to span the gap between the real world and the online environment, and QR codes have handed them an affordable, simple, and increasingly recognized way to accomplish this goal. It is also allowing them to bring virtual stores into real life, where they can sell products which are depicted in images virtually anywhere – on billboards, on walls of train stations, in a magazine ad, or even on the product, itself.

Consumers simply need to scan the QR codes related to the product that interests them in order to call up the page that will allow them to quickly order it and have it delivered to their homes. The trend has been taking off and is expected to reach an explosive level next year. Among the primary companies driving this trend is a Dutch internet startup called Shop2Mobi. It gives retailers the ability to create their quick response barcode stores from the ground up.

According to the Shop2Mobi co-founder, Roman Markovski, “Offering customers ultimate convenience, both offline and online, is a huge trend.” The QR codes are already being used by companies worldwide in order to sell their products. They include everything from small businesses to large international corporations such as Walmart, Tesco, Best Buy, and PayPal.

The U.K. and Amsterdam were also the home of special popup stores based on QR codes. These digital malls in the middle of city centers were opened by John Lewis and eBay this year.

The new site has been created specifically with tablet using “stylists” in mind.

Stella & Dot has just announced the unveiling of their new T-commerce website that has been optimized specifically for tablet users and not simply those who have smartphones.

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the traffic to the site is from what the retailer calls “stylists”.

The “stylists” who visit the regular site as well as the new t-commerce website are people who hold trunk show parties and who sell the accessories and jewelry from Stella & Dot to their friends and family. The company had discovered over the last several months that a growing number of their stylists were bringing their tablets – primarily iPads – with them when they were holding their parties. They would use the devices to be able to better illustrate the entire selection of different products and be able to take additional orders while on location, instead of having to wait until they had returned home in order to complete the orders on their laptops or desktops.

That said, the t-commerce site can also be used by individual customers, who also make their purchases there.

Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the traffic to the StellaDot.com website comes directly from consumers. While 30 percent of that total amount of consumer traffic is over mobile, t-commerce represents 80 percent of all of the traffic from mobile devices. This makes tablets an exceptionally important part of their mobile business. Among the tablet users, 90 percent are visiting the site over iPads.

Stella & Dot has clearly identified the devices that are being used by their customers and stylists, and are now working with Mobify, a mobile commerce technology vendor, in order to launch a website that has been carefully optimized with the t-commerce visitor in mind.

According to the chief information officer from Stella & Dot, Eduardo Frias, who spoke about the t-commerce updates, “I would not be surprised if tablet traffic doubles between now and next year.” He added that “Our technology roadmap for next year is heavily laden with smartphone-friendly and tablet-friendly initiatives to keep taking advantage of the boom in tablets and smartphones.”