The retail industry has changed drastically since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic at the beginning of 2020. The businesses that have been the most affected by the pandemic are those that sell age-restricted products such as alcohol and marijuana. This is because the sale of such products is heavily regulated by the state and federal governments. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries had to confirm the age and check the driver’s license of every customer who walked through their doors and made a purchase. Sometimes, they also had to maintain records of the driver’s license information for compliance purposes. However, the pandemic – and the resultant lockdowns – made in-store purchases a rarity. Retailers of all types had to get used to delivering the products to their customers, who were confined to their homes and unable to visit the store in person. Retailers also had to ensure safety and hygiene during the delivery, which meant that too much contact between the buyer and the delivery person could not be allowed. As a result, the process of age verification became more difficult and error-prone than ever before. The delivery person could not touch the buyer’s ID card, as that would increase the risk of infection. So, the buyer typically held up their ID card for the delivery person to see. Because the ID card had to be verified at a distance, the risk of mistakes and verification errors increased drastically. It also became easier for minors to trick the system with a fake ID card, as forgeries are harder to spot at a distance. As a result, more and more liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries are adopting portable ID scanning technology for home deliveries and curbside pickups.
