A New York lawmaker has proposed requiring supermarkets, grocery stores and other food retailers to give customers a 10% discount when they use self-checkout kiosks.
Assembly Bill A11501, introduced May 28 by Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas, D-Brooklyn, would amend the state’s general business law by requiring food retail establishments that offer self-service checkout to reduce the price of all purchases made through those kiosks by 10%. The measure was introduced at the request of the Assembly Committee on Rules.
The bill defines self-service checkout as an automated process that allows customers to scan, bag and pay for purchases at a fixed in-store kiosk without human assistance, writes Forbes. It would apply to supermarkets, grocery stores and other food retailers offering the technology.
Lucas said the proposal is intended to promote fairness for consumers as retailers increasingly rely on self-checkout systems to reduce labor costs.
“Since customers are effectively completing portions of the checkout labor themselves without compensation, providing a mandatory discount helps ensure fairness, acknowledges consumer participation in store operations, and allows the public to share in the financial savings created by self-service technology,” according to the bill’s justification.
Under the proposal, enforcement would be handled by the New York attorney general, who could seek court injunctions against businesses that violate the law and obtain restitution for consumers. The measure would take effect 90 days after becoming law.
I read the bill. The justification offered is that customers perform unpaid labor when they scan items at self-checkout, so the store should compensate them. We are living in Veep. https://t.co/g4IjiPloKu
— Billy Binion (@billybinion) July 31, 2026
The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection on the day it was introduced but did not advance before the close of the 2025-26 legislative session. It would need to be reintroduced in a future session to continue through the legislative process.
The proposal has drawn attention as states consider new regulations governing self-checkout technology. Retail analysts have noted that grocery stores typically operate on thin profit margins—about 2.1% on average—raising questions about whether retailers could absorb a mandatory 10% discount without increasing prices or reducing self-checkout availability. Other states have instead focused on staffing requirements, item limits and theft prevention measures.
The bill gained renewed attention in late July after circulating widely on social media, bringing renewed focus to its proposal to share the savings from retail automation directly with consumers.
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