A British activist was threatened with arrest for using physical cash to pay for his purchase at a cashless Aldi grocery.
WND reported that the man, identified as Piers Corbyn, entered an Aldi location in the town of Greenwich. That grocery operates entirely on the Aldi App, meaning all transactions are done electronically and there are no checkout counters. Piers is the elder brother of Jeremy Corbyn, who formerly led the British Labor Party from 2015 to 2020.
He tried to buy a pint of strawberries, but the physical cash he carried to pay for the items was rejected. Piers nevertheless left the money on the counter and exited the store. (Related: Austrians reject digital currencies, demand "right to cash payments.")
"I'm offering exactly the right amount of money here. I've paid my legal tender," he said. Piers told staff members at the Aldi store to take his payment of £1.90 ($2.43), as he forcibly bypassed the exits. Store employees then reported Piers to law enforcement for shoplifting.
While his stunt was captured on video, it is unknown if Piers – a staunch critic of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines and lockdowns – was indeed arrested. The Metropolitan Police told the Daily Mirror that they did not receive any calls from the Aldi in Greenwich over any incidences on July 30 or 31.
"Whether you are a fan of Piers Corbyn or not, he certainly has a point about the dangers of the surveillance state taking control of our currency. For all lovers of freedom, this whole thing should be a hard 'no,'" Warner Todd Huston of the Western Journal commented.
"With digital currency, the government knows where you are; when you are spending it; how much you are spending; and what you are buying. Such information can be used to track you down at a moment's notice and control what you are 'allowed' to own."
Cashless supermarkets coming to America, thanks to Amazon
According to the BBC, the cashless Aldi grocery in Greenwich that Piers visited opened in early 2022.
"Customers can download the Aldi app, and [they] will then be automatically charged for their purchases once they leave the store," the outlet said. "A series of hi-tech cameras will track customers as they do their shopping."
The BBC also noted that the Aldi at Greenwich will check if shoppers purchasing alcohol are of legal age. Cameras at the store will make use of facial-age estimation technology "to check whether they appear to be over the age of 25," though people who cannot or opt not to use the technology can have their age verified by a human store employee.
Retail expert Natalie Berg predicted that cashless shopping, as seen in the Aldi at Greenwich, is "only going to grow."
"Retailers are in a race to offer the most frictionless in-store experience. In retail, 'no touch' has become the new normal," she said. "Amazon was the main catalyst for this trend, and the [COVID-19] pandemic has really accelerated this."
Across the pond, Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon is working on implementing its own cashless checkout system with its Amazon One payment system. According to the Big Tech company's website, its subsidiary Whole Foods Market (WFM) has already included a "palm payment" option at its more than 500 stores. Under the "palm payment" system, a computer scans and recognizes a customer's palm print, deducting the appropriate amount from the linked account.
"This means WFM customers who choose to use Amazon One will no longer need their wallet or even a phone to pay. They can simply hover their palm over an Amazon One device. For Prime members who link their Amazon One profile with their Amazon account, savings will automatically be applied."
Visit Resist.news for more stories about pushbacks against a cashless society.
Watch this video about Piers Corbyn's refusal to comply with Aldi's cashless policy.
This video is from the MEGA (Make Earth Great Again) channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
UK on track to become a FULLY CASHLESS NATION by 2035 as use of cash declines rapidly.
DIGITAL PRISON: ALDI grocery stores in London now requiring digital, cashless purchases.
No cash or cards allowed: Major supermarkets set to accept only BIOMETRICS payment.
Cashless society: Panera Bread debuts "frictionless" palm payment system.
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