by Long Beach, CA – Four Vons grocery stores in Long Beach have shuttered their self-checkout lanes in response to a recently passed city ordinance aimed at reducing theft and improving store security. The move comes as the city enforces stricter rules to ensure better supervision of self-checkout areas and protect employees and customers alike.
The new law, officially known as the “Safe Stores are Staffed Stores” ordinance, establishes requirements for staffing and usage of self-checkout machines to combat rising theft incidents in grocery and drug stores across Long Beach. Vons, a major supermarket chain in the area, has chosen to shut down its self-checkout lanes entirely at four locations to comply with these regulations.
New Ordinance Aims to Protect Employees and Reduce Theft
Under the Safe Stores are Staffed Stores ordinance, several key mandates have come into effect:
- Stores must provide one employee for every three self-checkout lanes.
- Customers are limited to paying for a maximum of 15 items through self-checkout.
- Items requiring ID verification or removal of theft-prevention tags cannot be processed at self-checkout stations.
Long Beach Councilwoman Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, a lead supporter of the ordinance, emphasized the law’s intention to create a safer work environment. She stated employees deserve the ability to protect themselves, particularly from individuals attempting to steal or harass staff.
“We want employees to feel empowered and safe while on the job, particularly against those looking to steal or harass an employee,” said Thrash-Ntuk.
Union Supports Enhanced Supervision and Customer Assistance
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324, representing grocery store workers in the region, welcomed the ordinance. They highlighted how increased staff supervision can help deter theft and assist customers facing challenges with self-checkout technology.
Derek Smith, UFCW 324 spokesperson, commented:
“It’s no secret that the grocery industry broadened self-checkout to trim staff, to try to make fewer workers do more.”
By limiting the number of machines each worker oversees, employees can better support customers and monitor suspicious behavior more effectively.
Vons’ Response and Business Perspective
A spokesperson for Vons explained their decision to close self-checkout lanes at affected stores, citing the complexity of complying with certain ordinance rules. Specifically, the requirement that locked or secured items cannot be purchased via self-checkout made the operation impractical for store management.
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USC business professor Florenta Teodoridis weighed in on the broader context of automation in retail, viewing technology as an evolving tool:
“The beauty of technology is to complement human tasks. How can we have, in this particular case, automation and the workers in the store work as complements and provide, in the long run, more value to consumers?”
Implications for Retail and Consumers in Long Beach
This new regulation reflects a growing movement to balance technology use with human workforce needs, mainly focusing on reducing theft while maintaining customer service quality. Key takeaways include:
- Retailers may reconsider the extent of self-checkout deployment based on local laws and theft rates.
- Employees are likely to have increased presence on the store floor, enhancing security and customer interaction.
- Customers need to adjust to item limits and restrictions on certain products at self-checkout lanes.
For more details on the ordinance and its impact on local stores, visit CBS News Long Beach report.
Share Your Thoughts
What do you think about Long Beach’s new self-checkout regulations? Have you noticed changes while shopping at Vons or other stores? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
