YOU DO THE CASHIER’S JOB, SHOULD YOU GET 10% OFF? STATES TARGET SELF-CHECKOUT

NEW YORK – If stores want customers to scan and bag their own groceries, lawmakers are starting to ask a simple question: Should customers get paid for doing the work?

A New York bill would require certain food retailers to give shoppers a 10% discount when they use self-checkout.

The idea is that retailers save money by replacing traditional cashier lanes with machines, while customers do the scanning, bagging and checkout themselves.

New York is not the first state to consider the idea.

Rhode Island proposed a similar 10% self-checkout discount in 2023 for certain customers using self-checkout. That discount proposal was eventually dropped, but Rhode Island continued going after self-checkout and has since passed statewide staffing requirements for grocery stores using the machines.

Other states are also targeting self-checkout, although they are not currently proposing the same 10% discount.

California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington have considered or adopted measures involving self-checkout limits, employee staffing requirements, item limits or requirements that stores keep traditional cashier lanes available.

The debate is spreading nationwide.

Retailers say self-checkout gives customers convenience and helps stores operate efficiently.

But lawmakers are increasingly questioning whether stores should be allowed to replace paid employees with machines, make customers do the work themselves and still charge them the exact same price.

New York’s proposal takes that argument directly to the customer.

If you scan it, bag it and check yourself out, should the store have to give you 10% off?