Are New Self-Checkout Restrictions a Good Idea?

Increased scrutiny of retail self-checkout processes — whether in the form of new restrictions on maximum item count or the number of self-checkouts allowed to be in operation at any given time — is capturing headlines as of late. Jurisdictions in Connecticut, certain California cities, and New York City are considering restrictions on self-checkouts, as are retailers such as Target.

According to the U.S. Sun’s Emma Crabtree, council members in NYC have introduced legislation targeted retail theft, which is believed to be costing the industry ~$100 billion annually. If said legislation is enacted, supermarkets and pharmacies in New York City would be both forced to increase staffing ratios attached to self-checkouts, as well as impose a 15-item limit. Under the proposed new rules, at least one worker must be present for each three active self-checkout registers.

“We’ve seen the consequences of removing workers from these spaces: increased retail theft, less oversight, fewer protections for both workers and customers, and generally decreased safety,” said Democrat Councilwoman Amanda Farias.

“This bill is about protecting good jobs, supporting workers on the front lines and creating a more secure shopping environment for New Yorkers,” she added.

Opposing the above view was Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola. “Instead of actually trying to punish criminals, my colleagues are pushing to make life even harder for businesses and consumers,” Ariola said.

Ariola had some backing from Jason Ferraira, a board member with the National Supermarket Association. He termed the plan as a “horrible idea,” instead advocating for heightened police presence and harsher penalties around shoplifting.

The fine for failing to meet these expectations is set for a minimum of $100 per day of infraction.

Critics and Supporters Weigh In, and Connecticut Makes a Similar Move on Self-Checkouts

Earlier this month, Connecticut’s Labor Committee hosted a public hearing on the same subject. A proposed bill focused on two major fronts: that grocery stores state-wide ensure one worker monitoring each two active self-checkout stations, and that stores would face a hard limit of eight self-checkouts.

Arguing for the bill, United Food & Commercial Workers organizer Jake Serafini claimed that while self-checkout had its uses in certain cases, its proliferation had “come at a cost to workers and customers alike.”

“Cashier positions serve as important entry-level jobs for young workers, parents returning to the workforce, and people seeking steady employment in their communities. Maintaining a reasonable balance between staffed lanes and self-checkout stations ensures supermarkets continue to provide meaningful job opportunities,” Serafini said, going on to suggest that the majority of shoppers prefer human cashiers and that self-checkout machines often malfunctioned or created unnecessary confusion. He also suggested that retail theft tied to reliance on self-checkouts, intentional or otherwise, remained heightened.

Republicans in opposition to the bill indicated that they didn’t see how increased staffing or scrutiny of purchases would curb retail theft, given that many stores have policies against staff confronting suspected shoplifters. Further, Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco had ideological concerns over the potential legislation.

“[It’s not the role of government to] tell a private business how many people they should staff when it comes to self-checkouts. To me, it’s un-American, to be quite honest with you,” said Mastrofrancesco. “Who are we, to tell a business like Stop and Shop, you’ve got to have so many people manning your self-checkout?” she said, moving on to say that organization around receipt-checking was already in place.

“If somebody doesn’t like that [self-checkouts] and they want to deal with a real person, then they don’t shop there anymore, and I believe that it would take care of itself,” she added, suggesting that excessive regulation of business could lead to a lack of jobs for younger job-seekers.