Food Stores Can Ditch Price Stickers In Favor Of Scanners

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has approved a bill that removes a requirement that food store owners place individual price stickers on each item for sale in their shops.

The Democratic governor on Tuesday signed the law, allowing store owners to instead place price scanners throughout their stores. Customers can use the scanners to determine an item's cost.

Store owners say it will save them the expense of having to put stickers on everything in their shops.

But consumer advocates say scanners can be unreliable, forcing consumers to play "guess the price" before heading to the checkout line.

The state Senate approved the bill Monday. The House has previously backed it.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.