Grocery price stickers no longer mandatory next week

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - Individual price stickers on groceries may disappear in the new year.

A new state law allows shop owners to place price scanners throughout their store as an alternative to having individual tags on each item. Many larger stores already have such scanners.

It is designed to be a cost saving measure, but it has some disadvantages for customers. Some consumer advocates also argue that scanners can be unreliable.

Mary Ann Spencer of Springfield told 22News that the change is not good for her.

"It would be more difficult for me because I am handicapped, and so if I had to run back and forth with an item to see how much it's going to cost, it would take me an awful long time to do my shopping,” she said.

Before the new law was passed, Massachusetts was the last state in the country to require individual price stickers on each item. Retailers are still required to have product prices marked in store aisles.