Unexpected update in bagging area… Retailers that've leaned into self-checkout are taking a second look at their receipts as costs and losses pile up. Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Amazon have recently adjusted scan-it-yourself strategies, removing kiosks or adding new, potentially intrusive tech to make them less vulnerable to theft (retailers with self-checkout have higher rates of theft).

• Hands-on: Walmart announced that a handful of stores are being renovated to replace self-checkout lanes with OG registers. It also assigned more employees to the lanes to help (and monitor) shoppers. This year, Amazon closed eight of its cashier-less Go stores.

• Supervision: Costco has started stationing workers at self-checkouts to check IDs against membership cards. Kroger invested in AI that monitors customers as they bag — and it dispatches employees to investigate abnormalities.

• Price tag: As more employees head to the DIY lane, and self-checkout's role in theft becomes clearer, some experts are questioning how much $$ the tech actually saves companies.

Banana-scanning slipups… US retailers last year lost a record $112B+ to inventory shrink (items lost to theft, damage, or misplacement), and self-checkout may've played a role. Since unsupervised scanning can be easily manipulated (think: weighing a steak as grapes), losses can rise up to 60% above average in stores with self-checkouts. Companies like Costco and Best Buy that don't rely as heavily on the tech have seen smaller shrink rates than rivals.

Trade-offs don't always scan… While self-checkout tech can lower labor costs for companies, its role in shrink might not be cost-effective — especially if employees have to monitor the expensive kiosks anyway. That trade-off isn't worth it to all retailers: Trader Joe's has so far passed on self-checkout tech (opting for chatty cashiers), and Wegmans last year halted its self-checkout app.

Not-so-golden years… As spending continues to sputter in China postpandemic, the gov't looked to its annual Golden Week holiday to herald the country's economic comeback. But that didn't exactly happen. After eight days of national OOO concluded over the weekend, China's gov't shared data that showed tourism and spending came in below its expectations.

• Staycation: 826M people traveled domestically in China during Golden Week, spending more than $100B — that's more total $$ than in 2019, but less per traveler. Int'l travel to and from China recovered to 85% of 2019 levels.

• "For Sale" signs: Compared to last year, home sales declined during the week known for real-estate dealmaking as property prices continue to plummet. Chinese stocks dipped on all the weaker-than-expected data.

Postpandemic problems… China's economy was expected to come roaring back after the gov't lifted its zero-Covid restrictions that essentially shuttered business. But the reboot has been more on pace with a dial-up IBM than a zippy new Mac. The country's GDP grew less than 1% in the second quarter, showing slowing momentum from the first quarter's sluggish 2.2% as real-estate values plunged and consumers spent conservatively. US industries that rely on spending from Chinese tourists (like: travel, luxury) have lamented the slow recovery.

A slow comeback is still a comeback… Golden Week's weak data may be a sign that China's economic recovery is shaped less like a V and more like a checkmark in progress. While spending is ticking up, analysts say pandemic financial habits may stick around, and that the gov't needs to roll out more stimulus measures. Heads up: China's Q3 GDP is expected next week, which could signal just how long the tail on this checkmark-shaped recovery might be.