Wild retail crackdown to force more surveillance at self-checkout after shopper rage explodes & cashier ‘pepper sprayed’

SHOPPERS may soon see a massive increase in security around self-checkout machines as store employees have been forced to handle violent and upset customers.

In California , lawmakers are considering passing a bill that would ensure staffing and regulations around self-checkout operations.

Getty

Getty

Supported by state Democratic Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and the California Labor Federation, the Retail Theft Prevention and Safety Act is looking to further protect store employees and shoppers .

Workers in the state have told local outlets that major retailers and small businesses like convenience stores are seeing an increase in understaffing.

As a result, employees have been facing the brunt of rampant retail theft .

One supermarket cashier named Aurora Hernandez told local ABC affiliate WABC that she was recently attacked by a shopper.

“A few days ago I had a customer that got violent. She pepper sprayed me but I got the chance to move away,” Hernandez said.

“She wanted free stuff.”

The cashier claimed that in her store, there isn’t enough staff to keep up with paying and non-paying customers.

“Sometimes they scan things but want to take the rest of the stuff for free,” Hernandez went on.

“We’ve seen that and we also see customers get mad and violent.”

THE STATISTICS

In 2023, a LendingTree survey revealed that around 15% of shoppers who use self-checkout have admitted to stealing when using the machines.

Big box retailers and small businesses alike have seen a massive increase in the use of self-checkout operations in just the last two years.

Within the last year, the Food Industry Association estimated that 44% of transactions that took place at grocery stores were made through self-checkout, NBC News reported .

Meanwhile, shoppers only used self-checkout for 29% of transactions in 2022.

Self-checkout machines have been lambasted by shoppers for a variety of reasons, including customers claiming they feel like they are performing free labor.

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.

However, despite these criticisms, the payment option doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon.

As a result, supporters of the California bill want to see better security in place.

‘SAFE STAFFING LEVELS’

The legislation would specifically ensure “safe staffing levels” at businesses like grocery, drug, and retail stores.

It would also regulate the self-checkout machines .

“This bill will also put in place guardrails to prevent worker displacement and harm to consumers when retail employers adopt new technologies,” Smallwood-Cuevas has said .

However, not all local shoppers are convinced that the bill would end up benefiting the customers .

Shopper Ziv Cohen told WABC that it may in fact just lead to higher prices.

“We’re going to have to have more people hired based on regulations, and it’s going to increase the consumer’s price because they’re going to incur more costs,” Cohen told the outlet.

“That’s all that’s going to happen.”

The legislation was last taken up by the state senate earlier this month and has been placed on “suspense file” to be discussed at a later date.