Labor groups, which have been spearheading a statewide campaign to advance similar measures throughout California, argue the proliferation of self-checkout kiosks has eliminated jobs and led to a worse in-store experience for customers. The campaign has also zeroed in on the state\u2019s persistent struggles with retail theft, warning that understaffed self-checkout areas have become a magnet for shoplifters.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hurts businesses, puts workers in difficult situations, contributes to merchandise being locked behind cases and can ultimately make shopping a more frustrating experience for customers,\u201d Yvonne Saavedra, an employee of a Lucky\u2019s grocery store location in San Jose, said during a recent committee meeting.<\/p>\n
But as the reform proposals<\/a> advance, retailers are warning that adding new regulations<\/a> could disrupt their industry<\/a>. When the measure went before San Jose\u2019s Rules and Open Government Committee on Oct. 7, a parade of industry executives and representatives for local business groups told councilmembers\u00a0the rules could force stores to abandon self-checkout lanes entirely. The fallout could even lead to increased food prices<\/a>, they said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an industry, grocery stores operate on thin margins of about 1.7%,\u201d Kent Streeb, a director for Safeway\u2019s Northern California Division, said during the meeting. \u201cAn ordinance would at least double operating costs for self-checkout (machines) at our 12 remaining stores in San Jose. The financial impact could force businesses to make tough decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n A memo laying out the policy push \u2014 authored by Councilmembers Domingo Candelas and David Cohen \u2014 references self-checkout regulations that have been adopted elsewhere,\u00a0including a requirement for stores to maintain minimum staffing of at least one employee for every three self-checkout stations. Another measure would impose a 15-item limit in self-checkout lines. And another would prohibit the use of self-checkout machines to purchase products stored behind locked cabinets.<\/p>\n The memo cites a study from the Public Policy Institute of California<\/a> that found shoplifting increased by 48% between 2019 and 2024, an upsurge that has continued even as the state\u2019s overall crime rate has begun to decline.<\/p>\n Backers of the change \u2014 including United Food and Commercial Workers, a union representing grocery store workers \u2014 point to industry research<\/a> suggesting that far more items are stolen in self-checkout areas than in traditional checkout aisles.<\/p>\n The campaigners\u00a0attempted to pass self-checkout regulations at the state level<\/a>, but their legislation failed\u00a0twice, first in 2024 and then again in 2025<\/a>. Since then, they have turned their focus to lobbying city governments, including San Francisco<\/a>, where one of the city\u2019s supervisors recently put forward a package of self-checkout safeguard proposals.<\/p>\n While grocers acknowledge retail theft is a major problem, they contend it has little to do with the advent of self-checkout stands. Instead, industry representatives said most shoplifters simply grab goods and walk out the front door.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, they said the cities that have adopted such rules have already seen negative impacts take shape.<\/p>\n Nate Rose, spokesperson for the California Grocers Association trade group, pointed to a recent report<\/a> from Long Beach assessing the rollout of a minimum staffing policy that took effect last year in the city. Since then, 10 out of 13 impacted retail businesses reduced the service or abandoned it entirely, the report found.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the grocers have just thrown their hands up in the air and said, \u2018Well, we\u2019re just going to close self-checkout altogether because we can\u2019t get this to work,’\u201d Rose told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n While the sometimes glitchy self-checkout machines can frustrate many shoppers, industry representatives said others seem to prefer them. If stores abandoned the self-service option, they warn shoppers who prize the convenience of online transactions would abandon brick and mortar retail entirely.<\/p>\n But labor advocates scoff at industry groups\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to distract from what\u2019s actually going on, which is they want to reduce the labor costs,\u201d Jim Araby, a campaigner for United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 5, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThey want you, the consumer, to carry more of the burden to do the work, and then they will benefit from the higher increase in prices and it will help them get better returns to their shareholders.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Self-checkout](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_7476-1-1024x768.jpg\")
A central plank of the regulation plan is a proposal to impose minimum staffing requirements for self-checkout areas. Photo by Keith Menconi.<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792109049_277_interactive-321838904008.png\")
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