San Diego shoppers frustrated by digital-only grocery coupons may soon get some relief.
A City Council committee on Thursday unanimously endorsed a proposed law requiring grocery stores to extend digital-only discounts to all customers, even those without smartphones and with no access to the internet.
The goal is helping seniors, people who aren’t tech-savvy and shoppers with poor English skills get access to the same discounts as everyone else, city officials said.
The law would mirror similar legislation approved by four states: New Jersey, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts.
“We have an opportunity to be national leaders in protecting consumers,” said Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who called digital coupons a “rigged” system.
“This isn’t about innovation,” he said. “This is about corporate greed.”
Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable because they are the least tech-savvy and the most likely to be on fixed incomes where grocery coupons can make a big difference, he said.
“Three dollars or $5 at a time — that adds up, especially for seniors who are on a fixed income,” he said.
Elo-Rivera said grocery chains embracing digital-only deals is manipulative.
“It’s forcing people to navigate confusing apps and hidden steps just get the prices they were promised,” Elo-Rivera told his colleagues on a new committee meeting for the first time Thursday — the Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living.
Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who was a practicing attorney before being elected to the council, said the coupons are often too complicated for her.
“It took me quite a while to figure out how to get this digital coupon, and I’m a millennial,” she said. “I had the app downloaded, and I still couldn’t figure it out.”
The American Association of Retired People has expressed support for such legislation. A story in a recent AARP publication said “people who are often elderly or with limited incomes are forced to pay higher grocery prices than their more tech-savvy counterparts.”
Melinda Forstey, chief operating officer of the local nonprofit Serving Seniors, said she sees on the front lines what a difference a few dollars can make.
“Every dollar and literally every cent can mean the difference between staying housed and accessing medical care or ending up on the street,” she said.
In addition to being required to extend digital-only deals to everyone, the proposed law would force stores to place a sign explaining the new rule in a conspicuous location.
The sign would read: “Fair Pricing for All: Your Right to Equal Discounts – Under San Diego law, approved by City Council, all digital discounts must also be available as printed coupons or clearly readable marked prices. Violations of this law are subject to San Diego Municipal Code section 311.0104.”
A recent study by Pew Research found that 39% of U.S. residents older than 65 don’t own a smartphone, and that 25% don’t use the internet.
Violations would be subject to remedies and civil penalties set forth in the California Business and Professions Code. Retail grocery stores that operate exclusively online would be exempt.
The full City Council is expected to debate giving final approval to the new law in coming weeks.
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