Beginning 21 September 2025, Long Beach, California, will enforce a groundbreaking ordinance requiring grocery and drug retail stores to maintain specific staffing levels at self-checkout stations.

This regulation, known as the “Safe Stores are Staffed Stores” ordinance, aims to address concerns over retail theft and enhance customer service.

Staffing requirements and operational implications

The ordinance mandates that for every three self-checkout stations, at least one employee must be dedicated solely to supervising these areas during operational hours.

Additionally, a traditional, staffed checkout lane must be open whenever self-checkout stations are in use.

This ensures that customers have access to assistance when needed and that transactions involving age-restricted items or security-tagged products are properly managed.

Retailers operating in Long Beach must also implement policies to restrict self-checkout purchases to a maximum of 15 items per transaction.

Items requiring age verification, such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as products with anti-theft security tags, must not be processed through self-checkout stations unless an employee is present to authorise the transaction.

Global context and industry response

This move positions Long Beach as a pioneer in regulating self-checkout operations. The city’s initiative responds to a 16% increase in petty theft between 2023 and 2024, highlighting the challenges posed by under-staffed checkout areas.

Major retailers, including Walmart and Target, are now required to adjust their self-checkout practices to comply with the new staffing ratios and item restrictions.

While proponents argue that the ordinance will reduce theft and improve customer service, some critics express concerns about the potential for increased operational costs and the effectiveness of such measures in addressing the root causes of retail crime.

Implications for global retail operations

Retailers worldwide may look to Long Beach's approach as a case study in balancing automation with human oversight.

As self-checkout systems become more prevalent, the industry faces ongoing debates about the optimal balance between technological efficiency and the need for human intervention to ensure security and customer satisfaction.

The Long Beach ordinance underscores the importance of adapting retail operations to meet evolving regulatory standards and consumer expectations.

Retailers operating in multiple jurisdictions will need to stay informed about local regulations and be prepared to implement necessary changes to their self-checkout systems and staffing models.