July 17, 2024

BrandyAnn Fiala’s decision to move the business she has owned for 18 months follows a tradition set earlier in Eilers Furs’ 97-year history.

German immigrant William Eilers established a retail store in Huron in 1927. His younger son, Bill, moved Eilers to Rapid City in 1955 and opened a store in Sioux Falls in 1975. Several other stores were opened following that move. In 1991, preparing for retirement, he reached out to a former employee, then living in Marquette, Michigan. Gail Iwinski and her husband, Leonard, purchased Eilers Furs.

In Sioux Falls, Eilers Furs operated on Phillips Avenue before it moved to 41st Street in 1985. In 1999, the Iwinskis moved Eilers Furs to The Bridges on 57th, where it became the first store to open in the new retail development.

Now, Fiala is preparing to make a move on her own. On Aug. 1, Eilers Furs will open at 2425 S. Shirley Ave., in the former Tip Top Tux location. That store closed in August 2023.

“Maybe it’s something that happens with all new owners,” said Fiala, who has owned Eilers Furs since January 2023. “Bill Eilers moved from Huron to Sioux Falls. The Iwinskis moved from 41st to The Bridges. Maybe it’s something each generation of leadership needs to do to make it their own.”

Eilers Furs’ lease in The Bridges will expire this fall, and for several months Fiala has considered making a move. Leaving The Bridges will be bittersweet, she acknowledged, because the store has great neighbors and has been a suitable location. However, she views the move as a way to expand her store’s service beyond just Sioux Falls to an expanded area.

“I just feel like it will better serve us to be more exposed and take advantage of our tourism dollars that come through Sioux Falls,” Fiala said. “I feel that location has better visibility, close to Morrie’s (Steakhouse) and Carnaval (Brazilian Grill) and Ruby Tuesday. And there are three hotels across the street. It’s an opportunity. Someone in town from St. Louis or someplace else, not even thinking about a fur coat or getting their wife a fur coat and just a fur fan, they might see us.”

Few fur stores exist in the Upper Midwest, Fiala said. A store in the Twin Cities closed several years ago; the nearest store is in Omaha.

Eilers Furs offers storage for furs in the warm months at a vault in Huron and also repairs and repurposes furs. Fiala has expanded the pickup and delivery services she offers for those who want their furs stored in the summer. In the past, Eilers’ staff made four stops; this year Fiala added five more, including Minneapolis, Mankato and Rochester, Minnesota; and Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota, her hometown.

Fiala’s new location will offer about the same square footage, but the store’s configuration will allow her to make several changes. Consignment garments now can be separated from the new designer garments, she said.

“As people walk in, they will be more visual and more of an ‘ahh’ moment,” Fiala said of the planned arrangement. The new location will be repainted, and fixtures from The Bridge store will be moved over.

Fiala is holding a moving sale at the current location with inventory discounts of 70, 80 and 90 percent.

“I’d like to move as few garments as possible and start the fall season with a fresh inventory coming in from the market,” Fiala said. “I’m excited for the fall inventory to come in and fill up the space.”

Fiala described her first 18 months as Eilers Furs’ fourth owner as “overwhelmingly fun. I feel like a very blessed little girl with a very hectic lemonade stand.”

As the sole employee, Fiala has learned she can’t delegate to others or receive motivation from others. That is balanced with the freedom to make decisions and the appreciation of her customers.

“If I hadn’t done this, eventually when Leonard and Gail retired, we would have been underserved,” Fiala said. “I’ve met so many interesting people, so that’s a lot of fun. It’s cool to meet new people, and the opportunity and the uniqueness of the business, it’s been very, very cool. Every day’s a challenge, but every day is an opportunity.”

Fiala also has been impressed with the work and craftsmanship that goes into every garment she sells in her store. She respects the natural sustainability of fur, which keeps its wearers warm and sustains the earth.

“I think that gets lost in people’s mind—‘oh, it’s just an expensive fancy’ or ‘oh, you just want to look prestigious and rich,’” Fiala said. “There are some judgments out there on that. But the warmth of a fur garment, there’s nothing comparable. The sustainability and longevity of these garments. They can belong to your great-great-aunt, and with refurbishing — a new liner, a new collar and cuffs — a 30-year-old woman can stay warm in the winter.”