CA Bill Would Restrict Grocery Store Self-Checkouts

The Sacramento Bee reports:

California grocery and drug stores would be prohibited from operating self-service checkout stations without adequate staffing, under a proposed law being considered in Sacramento. The bill is being championed by organized labor and opposed by business groups.

Under Senate Bill 1446, by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, grocery and drug stores would be required to provide at least one cashier-run checkout station, and self-service checkout stations would be limited to no more than two such stations per one employee monitor, who must not have any other duties assigned.

In addition, the bill would require self-service checkout stations to be limited to 10 items or fewer.

Fox Business reports:

Democratic state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, who introduced the bill, said self-checkout machines cause 16 times more losses compared to check-outs with a cashier.

About $10 billion in losses are attributed to these checkout stands annually, Smallwood-Cuevas said. Aside from losing out on profits, she is also worried about keeping employees safe as theft continues to proliferate in the industry.

“As self-checkout has become more commonplace, lone workers have become easy targets for theft and violence as they are forced to stock merchandise, operate checkout stations, and cater to customers” all while “trying to monitor their stores for retail theft,” Smallwood-Cuevas said.

California bill limits self-service checkout stations, restricts them to 10 items or fewer https://t.co/yV1loQ2uIJ

— Capitol Alert (@CapitolAlert) May 6, 2024