In this episode of Omni Talk Retail recorded live from the Meta Podcast Studio at Shoptalk 2025, hosts Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton welcome Five Below’s VP of Digital Marketing, Abhinav Agrawal, and Ovative Group’s SVP of Growth, Jesse Grittner, for a high-energy discussion on how omnichannel strategies are transforming retail. From the collapse of traditional retail boundaries to the rise of AI-driven personalization and measurement, this episode dives deep into what’s driving growth and innovation.

Key Moments:

0:35 – Introductions and Shoptalk energy

1:00 – Jesse’s background in retail and Ovative’s role

1:20 – Abhinav’s unique path from engineering to marketing

2:15 – What “growth” means for Ovative

2:45 – Defining omnichannel and digital-first engagement at Five Below

3:45 – How digital storytelling connects to in-store sales

4:10 – Measurement techniques: triangulation and Meta partnerships

5:01 – Choosing data-driven retail partners

6:01 – What makes a successful retail collaboration

7:03 – The future of customer journeys and AI influence

8:19 – Five Below’s top priority: content that follows trends

9:17 – Ovative’s investments in creators and rapid insights

10:20 – Smart tech investments and first-party identity

11:40 – AI’s role across the retail tech stack

#shoptalk #retailtechnology #retailinnovation

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