Don Quixote is that you?
Rite Aid chose to join a group of retailers supporting a different initiative. Big deal.
Bolded from your comment: Rite Aid is not a toddler. They are not mis-behaving. They made a business decision that they feel is in their best interest. It's what all business do, including Apple. Time will prove them wrong... or not.
Make an example of them? Hehe. I'm going out on a limb. This is only an issue on Apple-centric sites. The rest of the world doesn't really care. This doesn't even rise to the level of first world problem. The hyperbolic statements in this thread are fascinating, abhorrent, and puzzling all at once.
We've had posters suggest going into stores intentionally "fake" purchasing just to leave merchandise on the counter (as if these decisions are made at a store level). Juvenile much? We've even had someone suggest they hope Rite Aid gets hacked. Hacked!! That's incredulous. Simply because Rite Aid does something contrary to Apple, this poster wants to put the financial data of others at risk? Who thinks this way? Because Apple?



Words are insufficient to describe the idiocy of that idea.
FWI, Rite Aid may have removed NFC capability completely (not just Apple Pay) because of their decision to go with CurrentC. I've heard that inclusion in the program precludes the use of other forms of mobile payment. Can't verify this so take it with a grain of salt.
Basically this ain't a big deal.