April 14, 2026
The Honorable Ara Najarian
Mayor, City of Glendale
613 E. Broadway
Glendale, CA 91206
RE: Self-checkout Requirements
Dear Mayor Najarian,
On behalf of the Glendale grocery industry, I write with genuine concern with both the process and the policy of regulating self-checkout (SCO) for grocers in Glendale. We are shocked the Council would consider moving forward with regulation of grocers with no contact or discussion with grocers by Councilmembers or city staff. Deciding policy direction with no input from the businesses you intend to regulate should be considered irresponsible. I hope you agree that even if disagreements exist it is vital that all voices be recognized and heard before government acts.
Real-world experience and data shows regulating SCO has no impact on the intended results claimed by advocates. SCO regulation to this point has only burdened its operation, both technically and legally, to the point of forcing its removal. This puts Glendale brick-and-mortar grocers at a competitive disadvantage to more convenient options like neighboring grocers and on-line grocery options.
Due to the lack of contact or discussion with Glendale grocers and the significant impact of this policy to existing and future Glendale grocers we ask the Council provide no direction to develop an ordinance until Glendale grocers have been made fully aware and given the opportunity to share data and impacts regarding SCO regulation.
Employee safety is grocer’s highest concern. This is why there are clear and strict company policies for employees to not engage when retail theft or similar situations arise. There are also multiple layers of state law that protects employees and requires grocers to regularly plan, prevent, train and implement safety plans for all threats in the workplace.
Retail theft at SCO is minimal to non-existent in most grocery stores. The reality of retail theft is thieves simply walk the items out of the front door bypassing all checkouts. SCO stations are equipped with multiple layers of technology to prevent retail theft, which includes hiding or improperly scanning items. It is also important to recognize the passage of Proposition 36 along with partnerships between law enforcement and retailers has had significant impact on the amount of theft at grocery stores.
It is important to recognize that grocery employees with agreement from grocery companies have already self-regulated. In mid-2025 UFCW and its members ratified a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) across all of Southern California that regulates SCO (Attached). This agreement addresses the same points advocates of an ordinance seek to regulate. This begs the question of what is so unique or dangerous about the City of Glendale from all other Southern California jurisdictions that UFCW demands significantly more SCO regulation here. Furthermore, it disrupts the value and purpose of an employee and employer agreement ratified in a CBA for a municipality to override its contents. If anything, Glendale should be focused on supporting the contents of a CBA agreement, not erasing them.
April 14, 2026
Mayor Ara Najarian
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Convenience has become one of the top decision points for where consumers purchase their groceries.
Consumers are choosing in significant numbers grocery purchasing options that best fit their lifestyle – meaning most convenient. For brick-and-mortar grocers this means offering consumer demanded convenience to stay competitive. Data shows that 83% of consumers have used SCO in the last six months, Gen Z and Millennial consumers overwhelmingly prefer SCO and the number of total consumers who prefer SCO is rising at 5% a year. This data makes two important points – it is consumers who want and demand SCO and brick-and-mortar grocers needs SCO as a viable option to stay competitive. Any artificial barriers to Glendale brick-and-mortar grocers offering SCO options negatively impacts that stores sustainability.
The regulation of SCO at grocery is a layered and impactful issue. The Council has not received a clear or full view of SCO operation and regulation impacts, especially with no outreach to Glendale grocers. The Council moving forward or making any level of commitment at this time is both unfair and unwise.
We ask you refrain from pursuing SCO regulation at this time until critical data and real-world impacts are understood and the regulated businesses have been engaged and provided a reasonable opportunity to be heard. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to discussing SCO further in partnership with Glendale.
Sincerely,
Tim James
Director, Local Government Relations
California Grocers Association
cc: Councilmembers, Glendale City Council