THREE new laws are hitting shoppers from July 1 that swill slap them with fines if they violate certain policies.
Multiple states in the US have now passed the laws, but there are ways to avoid the fees.
Nine states have now passed legislation to deter against the theft of shopping carts.
This includes California, New York, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona, Illinois and Washington.
Right now, retailers in the US are losing roughly $175 million in annual replacement and repair costs for shopping carts.
Supermarket News says that a shopping cart is stolen every 90 seconds in the country.
These states now issue fines up to $2,500 for taking shopping carts off store premises without permission.
Leaving carts on sidewalks or roadsides is also against the law, as well as modifying the carts for personal use.
Those who violate any of these three are subject to fines, and specific penalties will vary by state.
For example, in California, fines are limited at $1,000, or misdemeanour charges.
But in Texas, if you have a prior theft conviction, you could be slapped with a fine of up to $2,500.
To avoid this, you should keep the shopping cart on store premises and not attempt to remove it.
WARDROBING LAW
The second law will fine you for something much more common, called “wardrobing”.
This involves purchasing an item with the intention to use or wear it a single time before returning it.
This practice may be in direct violation of a store’s policy.
A recent study found that about one in five consumers has engaged in this with 43% of those being aged between 16 to 24.
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets
- Security pegs
- Security cameras
- Signs warning about the impact of theft
- Receipt scanners
- Receipt checks
- Carts with locking technology
If the clothing item is lower-value, the fine could be up to $1,000, but higher-value goods with repeat offenders could see up to $5,000.
States that have passed this law include Georgia, Florida, Michigan, California, Arizona, Illinois, New York and Texas.
The exact legislation will vary depending on the state.
CHECKOUT THEFT
Many states are exploring ways of catching self-checkout thieves.
For example, in Texas, the fine you get corresponds to how much you stole.
Customers who steal items adding up to under $100, the maximum fine they will face is $500.
But stealing goods more than $300,000 in value will get you a fine of $10,000 as a maximum.
In California, the council voted to implement a new self-serve kiosk law in a local ordinance called “Safe Stores are Staffed Stores.”
If this is passed, retailers would have to station one or more employees per every two self-checkout machines.
Retailers may face fines of up to $2,500 for each hour that they fail to adhere to the new regulations.
And in Rhode Island, legislation proposes that grocery stores have one or more traditional checkout lanes open for every two self-checkout stations available.
Senate President Valarie Lawson said: “This bill would provide options for the consumer by making sure staffed checkout lanes are always available while also improving the store environment for workers and consumers.”
A recent study found that about one in five consumers has engaged in wardrobing, with 43% of those being aged between 16 to 24[/caption]
