SHOPPERS will soon see faster lines for self-checkout after years of chaos at stores sparked a new law.
More employees will be stationed at checkout lanes thanks to a measure brought forward to stop retail theft.
Grocery stores like Walmart will now be required to have a worker for every two self-checkout lanes (stock image)[/caption]
Long Beach, a city in Los Angeles, is taking steps to stop shoppers who steal store items by using self-checkout kiosks.
The city council voted to require a new staffing ratio in a local ordinance called “Safe Stores are Staffed Stores,” which marks the first of its kind in the US.
The law will establish a “two-to-one” rule, meaning grocery stores and retailers will be required to have at least one worker for every two self-checkout stations.
The ordinance will also mandate self-checkout lanes to limit shoppers to buying 15 items or fewer.
This means check-out lines will likely be slashed as shoppers will only have to scan under 15 items, meaning the process will be much faster.
Plus, customers who need help at the kiosks will be able to get it more quickly.
Stores could be fined up to $2,500 for every hour that a store fails to meet the new staffing standards.
The law will apply to grocery stores and drug stores including Walmart and Aldi.
Long Beach’s city council voted to approve the ordinance on Tuesday, according to the Long Beach Post.
The city will now take 30 days to finalize the law.
The massive move takes aim at theft, as there was a 16% rise in petty thefts in the city from 2023 to 2024, officials said at the meeting.
Some opposed people questioned if staffing would really help the issue.
Other supporters argued the law will “proactively address retail theft and advance the preservation of public safety,” according to The CW affiliate KTLA.
Grocery store workers at the meeting spoke out about the chaos caused by retail theft that they’ve seen at self-checkout lanes, as some of them aren’t allowed to interfere.
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
“Habitual shoplifters are emboldened by company policy, which prohibits employees from assuming, confronting, or accusing,” said Jose Espinoza, a Vons supervisor, according to the Long Beach Post.
“As a result, I’ve witnessed hundreds, if not thousands of dollars walk right out the front door on a daily basis.”
Officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 324 supported the proposal earlier this year because they said they were understaffed.
The union said employees were often forced to monitor up to 10 self-checkout machines by themselves at once.
This means they sometimes had to run back and forth between lanes that were on opposite ends of the store.
Petty theft in Long Beach is reportedly trending downward already in 2025.
However, cops at the city council meeting said the reports don’t account for unreported crimes, which often include shoplifting.
The new self-checkout rule will be implemented in Long Beach, California (stock image)[/caption]
