March 19, 2021

A secondhand boutique for plus-size women’s clothing has moved out of owner Ashley Dowd’s home and into a retail center.

Second Helpings opened last week in the Southway Center on Minnesota Avenue between 29th and 31st streets.

“I was running it out of my house for two years – it’s my two-year anniversary this month – and I’m happy to have it all out of my house,” Dowd said with a laugh.

Dowd, who has worked at Torrid, Maurices and DressBarn over the years, said she started building Second Helpings’ inventory with her own closet.

“Basically, I started with a rack full of my own clothes, and then I just started having people bring me stuff. I buy outright, so it’s not consignment.”

Sellers need to make an appointment to bring in their items, Dowd said.

She buys clothing that’s only a couple of years old and is free of any strong smells.

“I carry dresses, jeans, summerwear, activewear, tops, jackets, pretty much a little bit of everything,” Dowd said. “I start at an extra large and go up to a 6X. I don’t have a whole lot in the bigger sizes because people don’t bring me as much. And then I start at a 12 for pants and go to whatever people bring in.”

There’s a need in Sioux Falls for plus-size clothing, she said.

“There’s not a lot of options for plus-size women to begin with, and there’s really a lack of secondhand clothing for plus-size women.”

Her business serves as a matchmaker for buyers and sellers, she said.

“I have a lot of people that come in and say, ‘Hey, I really need to get rid of this stuff because I’m not that size anymore’ or ‘I just have way too many clothes.’ And then I have the opposite to where people are like, ‘Hey, I need a bunch of clothes, and I don’t want to pay mall prices or there’s just not enough options out there.’ So I get the best of both worlds with people wanting to buy and sell.”

She’s happy with the store’s location on a busy stretch of Minnesota Avenue and in a retail center with a couple of other secondhand stores.

The dressing rooms at Second Helpings are open, so customers can try on clothing. Otherwise, the store accepts returns within seven days as long as the tags haven’t been removed.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.