In this week’s Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Takeoff, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, and Attentive, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga:

• Discuss the dangers of Sainsbury opening a checkout-free store in London that leverages Amazon's "Just Walk Out" technology.

• Extol the many virtues of a combo Amazon Go and Starbucks store.

• Are happy and somewhat skeptical of the news that Target plans to close permanently on Thanksgiving.

• Throw patio umbrella shade at Best Buy for acquiring Yardbird.

• And, finish with a look at whether Kroger offering Google maps pickup at 2,000 stores across the country is cool or just PR sizzle.

There's all that, plus how not to pick a lock, vacuuming in VR, and a salute to the A-Team's Howling Mad Murdock, Dwight Schultz.

To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/

To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/

To learn more about Attentive, visit: www.attentivemobile.com/omnitalk

Plus, check out our ranking in Feedspot’s 45 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/