Home Depot customers looking for major self-checkout policy change will wait longer after city does an about-face

HOME Depot customers, among others, in a specific city, might be waiting longer than most to see a major self-checkout change.

Anaheim, California, was initially among the cities planning to change self-checkout regulations, but has now reportedly delayed the switch.

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A local California outlet reported that Anaheim was delaying making changes to self-checkouts.

These changes would require one employee to monitor every three kiosks.

Anaheim had also planned to impose a 15-item limit when using self-checkout machines.

Stores that violated the rules would have faced penalties of up to $1,000 per employee per day.

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But on Tuesday, officials said they would be removing the ordinance from the agenda.

Councilwoman Norma Campos Kurtz, who initially requested the ordinance, said that more work was needed.

She said: “We have talked to both sides, grocers and workers, and it’s obvious to us that at this point in time there still needs to be work done on the language of the ordinance.”

Officials had faced backlash from Nate Rose of the California Grocers’ Association.

Rose said that the costs would be passed onto customers.

He argued that there’s “just simply no place else for those costs to go other than to higher prices on grocery store shelves.” 

Latest self-checkout changes

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

However, that test run has been phased out.

At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.

Jenna Thompson, a spokeswoman for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324, was in support of the ordinance.

She commented: “When cities pass an ordinance, they will provide thousands of workers – union and non-union – with extra support and better service for customers.”

Self-checkout ordinances have been passed in other California cities, including Long Beach and Costa Mesa.

The Santa Ana City Council also voted unanimously to pass its own self-checkout ordinance in May.