Local media report that Safeway Stores has removed self-checkout lanes in San Francisco, Oakland and Emeryville, CA.  The justification is to reduce theft and to “ensure the wellbeing of employees and foster a welcoming environment for our customers” according to a spokesperson for Safeway.  Large-scale theft has expanded in California affecting both retail and grocery stores.  Recently an employee was fired for attempting to snatch back bags containing hundreds of dollars of purloined items.  The employee was awarded unemployment benefits that were originally denied on the basis of a justified termination after a 21-year tenure with the store.

The move by Safeway to remove self-checkout follows similar action by other retailers including Walmart and various dollar stores.

Some New England states and now California have proposed legislation requiring limitation on the numbers of items at self-checkout. Other states including California are framing requirements for additional clerks to oversee self-checkout operations.  Enigmatically the California measure is opposed by the California Grocers’ Association and the California Chamber of Commerce. Presumably this is based on the presumed additional cost of store labor notwithstanding the losses from theft sustained by their membership.  Proposed California legislation can be viewed as either a job protection measure or a precaution to limit theft or both.