At a time when Connecticut families are struggling with the cost of everyday necessities, the last thing the state should do is pass laws that make groceries more expensive and shopping less convenient.
Yet that is exactly what SB 438, a bill currently moving through the Labor Committee, would do.
The proposal aims to restrict the use of self-checkouts in grocery stores and mandates how food retailers staff their checkout lanes. It is mainly promoted through cooked-up claims by the United Food and Commercial Workers union. Unfortunately, many of these claims do not reflect the complexity of a grocer’s operations or the preferences of Connecticut shoppers.
At its core, SB 438 seeks to regulate how roughly 300 grocery stores across Connecticut manage their checkout operations as they serve millions of customers every week. Grocery stores operate in a fast-paced environment where staffing needs fluctuate hour by hour based on customer traffic and demand. Imposing rigid staffing mandates removes the operational flexibility retailers need to serve customers efficiently.
Supporters argue that retailers promote self-checkout mainly to reduce labor costs. However, the truth is simpler: consumers are opting for it.
Today, about 60% of transactions in many grocery stores happen at self-checkout stations, mainly because shoppers with just a few items prefer the speed and convenience. Stores keep both traditional staffed registers and self-checkout lanes so customers can choose the option that suits them best.
Another argument is that self-checkout contributes to retail theft and decreases state sales tax revenue. While retail theft is a serious problem, it’s not exclusive to self-checkout, and the grocery industry is already working with policymakers to combat organized retail crime through targeted legislation and better loss-prevention strategies.
Concerns about underage purchases of alcohol or tobacco at self-checkout are unfounded. These claims are simply incorrect. When alcohol is scanned at a self checkout, the transaction pauses immediately and an employee must verify identification before it can proceed.
Tobacco products are not available at self-checkout lanes; they are only sold at staffed service counters.
The claim that self-checkout is cutting jobs is just as misleading. Grocery jobs haven’t disappeared; they’ve adapted with technology and shifts in shopping habits.
Modern supermarkets now hire workers in roles that barely existed 10 years ago, such as curbside pickup, online order fulfillment, home delivery coordination and expanded food service offerings.
What SB 438 actually does is simple: raise operating costs for businesses by imposing strict staffing requirements that don’t align with actual customer demand. Those increased costs translate into higher prices for consumers at checkout.
And there is another important point. Issues related to staffing levels and job responsibilities have traditionally been addressed through collective bargaining between employers and unions, not through legislation that dictates how businesses must organize their operations.
Connecticut lawmakers should be focused on policies that improve affordability, strengthen businesses and give consumers more choices.
SB 438 moves the state in the opposite direction. Instead of making groceries more accessible, it would make them more expensive and shopping for them less convenient. For Connecticut families already feeling the strain of rising food costs, it is a step in the wrong direction.
Wayne Pesce is president of the CT Food Association.
