Tegut, a regional supermarket chain that operates 40 fully automated shops, must comply with a court ruling forcing it to close its workerless stores on Sundays. Whether the stores are staffed by robots or humans, judges said the company must follow “Sonntagsruhe”—observing Sunday as a day of rest, which has been enshrined in Germany’s constitution since 1919. (The Financial Times)

Talking point: The shops are “basically walk-in vending machines,” said Tegut management board member Thomas Stäb. They look like a large barrel and stock nearly 1,000 fresh and non-perishable items. Staff visit stores for a few hours each day, but not on Sundays. Germany’s service sector union Verdi started the legal challenge after Tegut opened its first robot-run store four years ago on the grounds that retail staff deserve a guaranteed day off. Self-checkout technology has been on the rise as consumers value convenience and the cost to retailers comes down. But its adoption hasn’t been seamless. Amazon is reportedly dropping its Just Walk Out tech from its grocery stores.