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UPDATE: Baltimore’s Seven Mile Market Puts Groundbreaking New Membership Requirement Policy On Hold

December 4, 2025–Seven Mile Market today announced that it will place the new membership program on hold, after “it has become clear to [the store] that this program, which was exclusively meant as a security measure to benefit [the] customers and employees, was misconstrued to have other motives.”

Social media was abuzz with opinions from all sides over the last 24 hours with some accusing the store of bad faith motives while most voices rallied to the side of Seven Mile Market’s stated goal to increase the safety of its customers and employees.

Management states that “there can be nothing further from the truth,” continuing that its customers “including our professional Instacart shoppers hail from all walks of life, and we welcome and very much appreciate each and every one.”

The store says that after consulting with legal counsel, it has become clear to us that running such a program … would be a legal risk too much for us to bear.” The store will continue to seek ways to enhance the safety of its customers and employees.

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Responses to “UPDATE: Baltimore’s Seven Mile Market Puts Groundbreaking New Membership Requirement Policy On Hold”

  1. Sandee Katz

    I would like to be put on your EMAIL list as I got this info from another friend. I totally support 7Mile Market. And I understand the original reason to implement a policy for security reasons.

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  2. Sandee Katz

    I am a neighborhood supporter of the 7 Mile Market. I understand your original decision to institute identification. I also understand your decision to put this policy on hold…for a while.

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  3. G

    While I am a frequent shopper at Seven Mile Market, I’m both shocked and disappointed that such a measure seems necessary. Considering the demographic diversity in the neighborhood, I understand some people’s anxiety and another group’s obvious support, regardless of the public’s opinion. We live in a different world than just a few years ago. Any appearance of abandoning policies that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion has PR consequences.

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    1. David Zakar

      I’ll say this as someone who was very critical of this policy when they announced it: I understand the need for extreme measures. They are getting eaten alive by retail theft, and there’s no help coming from the government. Having good PR, but closing the store due to unsustainable losses, doesn’t really benefit the community.

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