RETAILERS including Walmart and Kroger will be forced to roll out several self-checkout changes under a new law.
Thousands of grocery and drug stores could be made to remove the self-service kiosks altogether.
It comes as California lawmakers move to help retail workers, save money and prevent theft.
“Retailers have increasingly implemented automated checkout to drastically cut staffing and reduce labor costs,” they state.
“Self-checkout and the reduction in frontline grocery workers have created a range of problems for retailers, workers, and the public.”
Senate Bill 442, which has been unanimously passed by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, hopes to enforce numerous checkout changes.
First, it states that self-checkouts will not be allowed in stores unless there is at least one open manned cashier checkout.
Then there are some changes that will be made to the self-checkout process itself that could prove controversial with shoppers.
Customers hoping to use the self-service systems will be forced to limit their shop to a maximum of 15 items.
Retailers will also have to alert shoppers to this limit with in-store signage.
Similar limits have been enforced at stores across the country which has sparked backlash from shoppers.
Target implemented a 10-item limit that saw customers complain of having to wait in long lines for manned registers while self-checkouts were empty.
But others gave feedback saying the shopping experience was more enjoyable with more interaction with staff.
The retailer rolled out the test at select locations “to reduce wait times and better understand guest preferences”.
Under the new law, not only will shoppers be limited to how much they can buy when going through self-checkout, some products will be banned entirely.
Shoppers using self-checkout will no longer be able to buy age-restricted products.
Three self-checkout changes that could be coming to California:
The following self-checkout changes have been proposed in Senate Bill 442 affecting grocery and drug stores.
- Self-checkout shoppers limited to maximum of 15 items
- No longer allowed to go through self-checkout with age-restricted items
- No self-checkout if there isn’t at least one manned cashier desk available
Instead, they will have to go to the manned cashier where their ID can be verified more readily.
Such products include alcohol, razors, and kitchen blades.
Other parts of the bill include retailers having to alert employees to the implementation of self-checkout at least two months before the change is made.
Stores that fail to follow the stipulations laid out in the law face fines of up to $200,000.
Protecting workers and profits are two of the main drivers behind the bill.
“Data shows that self-checkout machines cause 16 times more shrink [theft/loss] than checkout via a cashier,” it states
“The elimination of workers’ jobs due to self-checkout is especially harmful.
“The reduction in frontline checkers has caused a crisis with chronic understaffing and an overworked workforce.
“Legislation is required to ensure that deployment and use of self-checkout in grocery stores does not increase crime, increase cost that is passed onto consumers in higher food prices, and increase unemployment or underemployment.”
The bill has now moved to the Assembly Appropriations, where if passed, it will go to the Assembly floor.
