Dec. 3, 2018

Dillard’s department store is coming to The Empire Mall.

The national retailer will take over the former Younkers space and add about 40,000 square feet to the west of the existing 100,000-square-foot store.

The retailer offers a broad selection of clothing and accessories for men, women and children, as well as cosmetics and products for the home.

“We are proud to add South Dakota as our 30th state of operation as we bring our premier shopping experience to Sioux Falls. We are looking forward to serving this new market at a very high level to build lasting relationships with our new Sioux Falls customers,” Dillard’s senior vice president Chris Johnson said.

Dillard’s is based in Arkansas and has 265 stores in 29 states.

Construction is expected to begin early in 2019 with a planned late fall 2019 opening.

“We are incredibly excited over the news that Dillard’s has chosen The Empire Mall for its first location in the upper Midwest,” said Dan Gies, mall manager. “We continue to evolve by offering our visitors more market-exclusive and must-have brands than any mall in the region.”

Younkers closed in late August. Another anchor in the mall, Sears, closed in early September. That space is being leased by Camping World until early spring.