JCK Talks Panel Highlights Clienteling as Best Way to Drive Traffic

By Brittany Siminitz | June 02, 2026

On Day 2 of the Luxury show in Las Vegas last Thursday, attendees gathered for “Where the Customers Are: Driving Traffic in Today’s Market,” one of this year’s most insightful and practical JCK Talks events.

JCK contributing editor Amy Elliott moderated a panel that included Becka Johnson Kibby, CEO of Edge Retail Academy; Fernanda Durmer, founder and designer of Denver-based jewelry brand Universal Deco; Dalton Powell, president of Oz’s Jewelers in Hickory, N.C.; and Kathleen Kimball, owner and CEO of George Thompson Diamond Co. in Camarillo, Calif. While each speaker brought a different perspective, shaped by their business and market, one theme quickly emerged: clienteling.

For some retailers, clienteling can feel intimidating—they may fear that outreach will come across as intrusive or overly sales-focused. But Kimball emphasized that the goal is connection, not simply conversion.

“Clienteling is very specific to the person—not sending a blanket text or e-blast out,” she said. “It is one-on-one, sharing a specific message about something.”

That personalized approach depends heavily on taking notes. From birthdays and anniversaries to recent repairs, children’s names, and small personal details, maintaining thorough records on your clients helps create a more thoughtful customer experience.

“You don’t want to use your customers like an ATM,” Powell stated. “You want them to feel special, invested in your store.”

The panelists agreed that a reliable customer relationship management platform is essential—not only for organization, but for identifying customer patterns and anticipating future purchases.

“We’ve noticed that if a customer buys diamond studs, six to eight months later they’ll likely be in for an engagement ring,” Kimball shared. Powell built on the point: “Are you rolling out the red carpet for your pre-bridal customer?”

That’s not to say attracting new customers isn’t critical. Social media continues to play a major role. For Durmer, an independent designer with a strong digital presence, TikTok has become an especially successful driver of new business.

Powell said his social media functions as a “marketing funnel,” offering teasers of what the store can provide. But he stressed that consistent, multiplatform visibility is what ultimately builds brand recognition.

“Getting your name in front of people—it’s really surprising how much of an impact that makes,” Powell said. “We had a new customer tell us, ‘I saw your ad on TV.’ We didn’t have an ad on TV. But because of that repetition and seeing our name, someone associated a TV ad with our store.”

The session proved rich with actionable insight, clearly resonating with attendees eager to bring new ideas back to their businesses. As one audience member remarked when the talk concluded: “That was the best hour of my life.”

Top, from left: Becka Johnson Kibby, Fernanda Durmer, Dalton Powell, Kathleen Kimball, and Amy Elliott at the JCK Talks panel on May 28 (photograph by Camilla Sjodin)