Rimi introduces Smart-ID age verification - now even buying beer becomes more complicated than rushing into St. Joseph's Cathedral

Rimi stores officially announced they're introducing Smart-ID age verification at self-checkout stations, as it turns out that 60% of employee time is spent in philosophical debates with customers about whether they look older than eighteen. Now this oldest problem in the world can be solved by scanning a QR code.

Liene Perija, Rimi's digital development director, reveals that 15-20% of all purchases require age verification. In Liepāja this percentage is naturally higher, as locals head out for energy drinks first thing in the morning to cope with the sea wind. "Now we don't have to stand in line behind some lady who spends 10 minutes explaining why she needs to show her passport to buy Red Bull," admits Andris from the Northern district.

The system works simply - scan the QR code, enter your PIN, and voilà - you're officially old enough to buy a bottle of beer. The process is as elegant as rushing into St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral during major holidays - you need the right vestments and some preparation. In Riga, of course, implementing such technology would be delayed by at least half a year with committees and discussions.

Already 100,000 unique customers have tried the new system, which proves - Latvians are ready for modernization if it helps them get alcohol faster. Now we just have to wait for some bright mind to come up with a Smart-ID system for queues at the doctor's office too.