In Case You Missed It Sacramento Bee: Businesses claim a California bill is a threat to discount programs

In case you missed it, the Sacramento Bee is shining a spotlight on one of the biggest concerns surrounding AB 2564: the potential loss of loyalty rewards, digital coupons, and personalized discounts millions of Californians rely on every day. The article examines how the bill’s sweeping disclosure requirements could create significant legal and compliance burdens for businesses, potentially leading some companies to scale back or eliminate these valuable savings programs.

Those concerns are exactly why Californians for Consumer Affordability launched their campaign, Protect My Discounts, urging lawmakers to amend the bill to protect consumer discounts while still addressing legitimate concerns about pricing transparency. The coalition remains committed to working with the author and Legislature to advance a solution that protects consumers from unfair pricing practices without jeopardizing the discounts California families count on every day.

 

“…opponents of the bill argue the requirements it would impose are onerous and legally risky, which is why they say discounts could go away because of it. The dueling fight over shopper savings will be a closely watched fight over the coming weeks as the Legislature finishes its work for the year. “It’s very personal,” said Rachel Michelin, CEO of the California Retailers Association, which is behind the website and the ad campaign. “I like my discounts; I like my coupons.”

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Foes of the measure say their warnings about the future of discounts lie in the disclosure requirement. Not only will listing all of their savings create a lot more work, but they argue it ultimately won’t benefit customers because shoppers are unlikely to scroll through a lengthy webpage looking for the latest deals. And they caution, it will open retailers up to lawsuits if not every single discount is accounted for. “Under the proposed legislation, many businesses may determine that the legal risk and compliance burden are simply too great to continue offering these personalized discounts,” the website warns.”

 

You can read the entire article here.