This is all due to theft - been seeing articles about several chains (including those mentioned above) moving to this, so I'm not surprised ShopRite is moving to it. As someone mentioned, Costco is changing their pattern, although for different reasons. They're putting card scanners at the entrance, and will have employees verifying the picture on the card. Apparently too many people are loaning out their cards, and Costco wants to get that membership fee.
@bac2therac not sure what you're getting at about handcarts - all grocery stores I go to have plenty of carts. The only thing that got eliminated were baskets, which happened right after we went bagless
(thanks Murphy you a-hole) as people were using the baskets to carry their groceries to their car, then leaving their baskets in the parking lot.