Coronavirus and Plastic Bag Bans

[storewanderer]

Safeway in NorCal is still trying to get you to pay a 10 cent bag fee if you go through self checkout. The machine prompts for number of bags used, even though they have thin bags now. Nothing is posted to indicate the thin bags are free (but they are). The fee prompt is supposedly if you still take a reusable bag then you have to pay 10 cents, but that is not disclosed anywhere on the fee prompt or elsewhere unless you ask the employee.

Pretty low move. Should be consistent with competitors and do a software update to take the fee prompt away (like every other store did) which also reduces customer contact with the screen, and remove the reusable bags from self checkout area, make the customer ask if they want one then the cashier can assess the fee.

[Bagels]

Safeway in NorCal is still trying to get you to pay a 10 cent bag fee if you go through self checkout. The machine prompts for number of bags used, even though they have thin bags now. Nothing is posted to indicate the thin bags are free (but they are). The fee prompt is supposedly if you still take a reusable bag then you have to pay 10 cents, but that is not disclosed anywhere on the fee prompt or elsewhere unless you ask the employee.

Pretty low move. Should be consistent with competitors and do a software update to take the fee prompt away (like every other store did) which also reduces customer contact with the screen, and remove the reusable bags from self checkout area, make the customer ask if they want one then the cashier can assess the fee.

In SoCal, Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions, Ralph's, Target and probably others have the same prompt, but they have signs at each self-checkout indicating that bags are currently complimentary and to enter "none"." Walmart is the only chain that I know of that removed the prompts.

[storewanderer]

Interesting. Raleys and Save Mart both removed the prompt.

What happens when you enter the quantity at Target? Does it zero charge?

I tried it at Safeway and know what happens: they still charge you 10 cents.

[BillyGr]

Interesting. Raleys and Save Mart both removed the prompt.

What happens when you enter the quantity at Target? Does it zero charge?

I tried it at Safeway and know what happens: they still charge you 10 cents.

What did you enter? I know the couple stores here that had (and/or still have) the prompt allow you to enter 0 and thus no charge is added (which makes sense since I wasn't using their bags when this was in effect or they haven't prohibited using your own, and those are the same bags in the same store all the time).

[Bagels]

Interesting. Raleys and Save Mart both removed the prompt.

What happens when you enter the quantity at Target? Does it zero charge?

I tried it at Safeway and know what happens: they still charge you 10 cents.

I don't know, as I enter 0. Given that the sign instructs us to enter such, I suspect it would charge for bags if we didn't.

Interestingly, Walmart is the only chain still using the "multi-use" bags. Some Albertsons and Ralphs are using dollar store quality bags -- I've had several rip open on me, once making a huge mess out of the carton of eggs. Other Albertsons and Ralphs are using sister store bags. I've seen Safeway and Randalls at Albertsons, and Smith's and Fry's at Ralphs.

Smiths bags at a local Ralphs:

[storewanderer]

Interesting. Raleys and Save Mart both removed the prompt.

What happens when you enter the quantity at Target? Does it zero charge?

I tried it at Safeway and know what happens: they still charge you 10 cents.

What did you enter? I know the couple stores here that had (and/or still have) the prompt allow you to enter 0 and thus no charge is added (which makes sense since I wasn't using their bags when this was in effect or they haven't prohibited using your own, and those are the same bags in the same store all the time).

I entered 1, because I was curious if they had still attached the bag fee or if they had modified it to a "zero amount" line item basically making the prompt meaningless no matter what you input. The store I visited had no signs up that said bags were free, but I did verify it with the employee after that I was supposed to have entered zero.

[storewanderer]

Went into 99 Ranch today and found they continue to charge 10 cents for bags and provide "reusable" bags. I am not sure how reusable their 10 cent plastic bag is; it weighs only 20 grams (most of the thick reusables weigh around 30 grams) and had 3 punctures in it from my 5 item purchase. I had a couple jars and some produce, this should not have punctured this way. Boxes would have probably torn it. The bag is Made in China and this is the first Made in China 125 use plastic bag I have seen. It appears they figured out a way to get less plastic into it.

Quite a money grab by 99 Ranch to keep charging for bags. It was prominently posted that you cannot bring reusable bags into the store.

[CalItalian]

Ralphs in Menifee, which was the first store early on that I visited that was giving free bags, continues to give out the thick plastic reusable Ralphs bags.

Vons in Temescal Canyon has some generic very thin bag but at the SCO they have them piled on top of each self-checkout machine and you can use as many as you wish. Still has the screen at self-checkout prompting how many bags you are using. I can't comment if they charge if you put in more than zero.

99 Cents Only, Aldi and CVS continues to charge for bags but you can bring in your own bags.

I still bring bags with me in the car but other than CVS, Aldi and 99 Cents Only, I don't bring them in store and haven't encountered any store that outright bans them.

[storewanderer]

Interesting. 99 Cents Only in Roseville this weekend was giving thin bags (same ones they use in NV), they had them at every register, no sign of any thick bags anywhere at that store.

One Wal Mart had thin bags, the other had thick bags, but neither charged for bags. Fee prompt is gone, which is good. I can scan items, insert credit card and there is zero interaction with the self checkout screen for me whatsoever. After you scan an item if you insert card and it is a straight credit card (not debit), after a few seconds the machine automatically totals it and processes the card.

[Alpha8472]

Safeway in the San Francisco Bay Area now has the no brand thin plastic bags. Paper bags were also available.