Rhode Island cracks down on supermarket self-checkout – and new regulations could spread nationwide soon
Rhode Island has become the first state to impose labor rules on supermarket self-checkout lanes, forcing stores to staff more lanes as older shoppers grow increasingly frustrated.
Governor Dan McKee signed a bill into law last week that requires supermarkets to assign at least one employee to every three self-checkout kiosks.
The law will take effect on January 1, 2027, making Rhode Island the first state in the nation to impose a mandatory staffing ratio for self-checkouts as lawmakers elsewhere weigh similar restrictions.
Supporters say the measure is designed to improve customer service while also tackling retail theft.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328 (UFCW) pointed to a Capital One report estimating Rhode Island retailers lost $244 million to theft in 2022.
California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Washington are among the states considering similar measures aimed at reducing shoplifting, according to USA Today.
Stores will be exempt from the staffing requirements before 8am and after 8pm.
During peak hours, however, employees assigned to self-checkout areas cannot be given other duties, including operating traditional checkout lanes.
Rhode Island has become the first state to crack down on self-checkouts, forcing grocery stores to staff more lanes as older shoppers grow increasingly frustrated
The law will take effect on January 1, 2027, making Rhode Island the first state in the nation to impose a mandatory staffing ratio for self-checkouts as lawmakers elsewhere weigh similar restrictions
Governor Dan McKee signed the bill into law on Thursday, requiring supermarkets to assign at least one employee to every three self-checkout lanes
Retailers that violate the law will first receive a written warning before facing financial penalties for repeat offenses at the same location.
Fines are capped at $500 per day and will be based on the wages for a four-hour shift at the highest hourly rate paid to retail clerks for each day a violation occurs.
The legislation marks another victory for the UFCW, which has also pushed to curb the use of electronic shelf labels and challenged pricing practices it argues are unfair as part of its Affordable Groceries and Good Jobs Campaign.
The staffing law is also the latest victory in the UFCW’s broader campaign against the rapid spread of automation in grocery stores.
Beyond self-checkouts, the union has been pushing lawmakers to regulate electronic shelf labels, arguing the technology could eventually pave the way for dynamic pricing, threaten retail jobs and raise privacy concerns.
The debate has intensified as retailers such as Walmart accelerate the rollout of digital price tags.
The retail giant recently announced plans to install the electronic labels in all 4,600 US stores by the end of the year.
Retailers like Walmart are under fire for their aggressive rollout of digital price tags as fears grow that grocery prices could be subjected to high-tech manipulation
Walmart has insisted the labels are ‘not a tool for surveillance pricing’ and said they simply provide a more efficient way to display prices while reducing the time employees spend replacing paper tags.
Union officials have warned that some electronic shelf labels are equipped with Bluetooth capabilities that can communicate with nearby devices, raising concerns about how the technology could be used if safeguards are not put in place.
Retailers have vigorously pushed back against those claims.
Walmart has insisted the labels are ‘not a tool for surveillance pricing’ and said they simply provide a more efficient way to display prices while reducing the time employees spend replacing paper tags.
The issue has also drawn the attention of lawmakers across the country, with several states considering restrictions on digital shelf labels amid concerns they could one day be used to facilitate dynamic pricing or personalized pricing for shoppers.
