Experts say: banning self-checkout lines ends up boosting prices at the market
Experts say: banning self-checkout lines ends up boosting prices at the market
San Jose could become the first city in the Bay Area to place new limits on self-checkout at grocery stores and pharmacies, including a requirement to keep at least one staffed checkout lane open, under a proposal promoted by councilmembers David Cohen and Domingo Candelas.
Nate Rose, spokesperson for the California Grocers Association, argued the rules would raise grocery prices, create longer lines, and put workers in danger without stopping crime.
Rose noted that average grocer profit margins sit at just 1.7%, meaning higher operational costs will immediately drive up prices on store shelves.
Regulating checkout lines privileges union jobs at everybody else's expense
“This seems like a clear example of why Californians pay the highest prices for groceries, regardless of what checkout line they go through,” said Daniel Conway of the California Grocers Association {when opposing a statewide bill on checkout lines in 2025}.
Opponents have expressed concern that a newly added provision in the {state} bill {which was rejected} would invite local municipalities to pass their own more stringent standards, as the city of Long Beach recently did, requiring stores to assign at least one clerk for every three self-checkout machines. {Ed. note: this is essentially what SJ is proposing}.
Companies warn that such a patchwork of laws would make it difficult to run stores with multiple locations, creating a burden for both owners and customers.
Sen. Shannon Grove, Republican of Bakersfield, called it “completely unacceptable” for the Legislature to prevent businesses from introducing automation that could lower costs after committing to an affordability agenda.
“It’s a labor thing, I get it,” said Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Murrieta Republican, on the Senate floor in June. “I’d like as many people to work as possible, but I’d also like to afford the groceries.”--Calmatters
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