The billion-dollar Kendra Scott jewelry brand dazzles customers by stressing a simple principle: connection before transaction. In a keynote conversation with ICSC COO Whitney Livingston during ICSC LAS VEGAS, pictured at top, the brand’s founder and chief creative officer, Kendra Scott, emphasized that a brick-and-mortar store isn’t just a four-wall structure. “It’s a place for community. It’s a place for connection,” she said. “At Kendra Scott, we believe in connection before transaction.”

Kendra Scott operates more than 130 stores and pop-ups that sell jewelry, host events and generally aim to create memorable, personalized shopping experiences.

If a customer enters a Kendra Scott store and leaves happier than when they came in, that experience can breed long-term loyalty, according to Scott. “They’re going to embody the brand. They’re going to love what they experience. They’re going to tell their friends. They’re going to maybe go online later and shop for what they saw in the store.”

Scott said the success of retail depends on connecting with brick-and-mortar customers in atmospheres that evoke purpose, energy and engagement. Artificial intelligence and digital shopping aren’t “going to cut it,” she noted. “People need human touch. We need to hug. We need to connect. We need to have people look us in the eye. We need to know that people care about us.”

FROM THE ICSC SMALL BUSINESS CENTER: How Kendra Scott Turned Her Side Hustle Into a Billion-Dollar Brand