I’ve noticed two innovations in retail since I left New Zealand a year and a half ago. First is bank branches in shopping malls that are open 7 days a week. These are full-service branches, where you can get a mortgage or investments even on a Sunday.

Second is self-service checkouts in supermarkets. They are not using fancy RFID technology, just regular barcode scanners. Scan yourself, and pay by cash or card at a machine. An attendant hangs around to try to discourage cheating. It seems pretty convenient if you only want to buy a few items and the queues are long. My wife commented that this would never work in Japan — customers would be offended at the idea of scanning their own goods.