At first glance, South Shore Market looks like any slick mall, but step inside and you’ll feel a difference.

Where big malls have seen their share of the marketplace diluted by online shopping and a shift in consumer mindset toward finding happiness in experiences, not objects, South Shore Market refreshes the shopping experience simply by being the first of its size to permanently house 100 percent locally owned and operated boutiques, many featuring the work of local artists and designers.

The market, at Auahi Street and Queen Lane, just below T.J. Maxx, is set to open with a three-day celebration starting Friday. It will be home to more than a dozen shops and eateries, including Big Bad Wolf, Big Island Delights, Cameron Hawaii, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Eden in Love, Flotsam & Co., Holoholo Market, Kealopiko, Manaola, MORI by Art + Flea, and Salvage Public.

Step inside and you’ll see rows of human-scale, glass-walled boutiques, intimate enough to talk story with shopkeepers and explore without getting lost or overwhelmed while holiday shopping.

For relative newcomers like Karen Sawicki, owner of Flotsam & Co., it’s been the experience of a lifetime, growing “from an Etsy store operating out of my home to a brick-and-mortar shop.” She started selling her ocean-inspired jewelry at Ward Warehouse before being tapped to move into South Shore Market.

On Thursday the only shop completely set up was Eden in Love.

Owners Bryson and Tanna Dang are no strangers to Ward Village, having run the Wedding Cafe before selling the business to concentrate on their retail boutique, opened eight years ago at Ward Warehouse.

Setting up the new Eden in Love boutique was a fun challenge for the couple.

“It was our first time building out a space from the start, and we wanted to put a lot of things into it,” Bryson Dang said.

Eden in Love started as a women’s fashion boutique, but its product mix has expanded to embrace ideas of home and balance, helping to turn shoppers’ aspirations into reality.

“We’re older now and our friends all have kids, so we wanted to put in a kid section. We have a pet section, and we wanted the whole place to be Instagram-able. There’s so many places where you can take a selfie.”

Walk in the door and there’s a selfie-ready spot for your feet. It’s all part of turning shopping into an experience you can share with friends while browsing a fun, eclectic mix of fashion, accessories, household items and beauty products handpicked by the couple, including a Co-Lab featuring products from local designers.

Inspired by living retail spaces such as New York’s Chelsea Market and California’s Anaheim Packing District, South Shore Market will also encourage experiential use with large communal tables for bringing people together, and interactive public art displays showcasing local artists and designers. Shoppers can also look forward to hands-on make-and-take workshops and events hosted by MORI by Art + Flea’s many designers.