June 13, 2025

Second Helpings, a secondhand store with a focus on plus-size clothing, has expanded and relocated to Minnesota Avenue.

It’s now in the Southway Center at 2133 S. Minnesota Ave.

Owner Ashley Howd grew up in Sioux Falls and recognized an unmet demand for trendy plus-size clothing.

“I’ve been a big girl pretty much since I was in high school, and it’s just really hard to find cute plus-size clothes,” Howd said. “Even now, there’s just not a whole lot of options out there.”

Before starting her business, Howd worked at several retail stores and eventually became manager at Dressbarn. After it closed in 2019, Howd decided to pursue Second Helpings full time.

“I would always get so excited when I would find things that were actually cute and would fit me,” Howd said. “I ended up with a ton of clothes — just my own clothes — that I was like, ‘what do we do with these?’”

Howd started Second Helpings out of her house. In the beginning, she would invite people over to look through — as she put it — more or less a rack of her own clothes. She ran the business from her home for about two years. Over time, she started purchasing items from other people.

Howd moved into her first storefront in 2021 in the Southway Center but eventually moved because of limited capacity. She relocated to a space along Carolyn Avenue, where she was met with the beginning of construction on 41st Street. On May 31, Second Helpings returned to Southway in the storefront previously occupied by Sparkle Uniforms. The retail center includes other tenants such as Ernie November, Fit Revolution Nutrition and 605 Thrift.

“I really was excited to come back over here where I know the traffic is great in this mall,” Howd said. “There’s a lot of people that walk down and go to all the businesses.”

The retail center “is a great location for Ashley’s store because of its central location within the city,” said Bri Kacmarynski, a broker associate with NAI Sioux Falls who represented Second Helpings.

“As one of the few thrift stores that exclusively cater to plus-size women, having it in a central area ensures more equitable access for shoppers across the community.”

Second Helpings sells women’s clothing size extra-large and up. When purchasing items to resell, Howd said she looks for durability, quality and style. She finds that simpler items — the ones that can be found anywhere — are outperformed by more unique pieces. In terms of specific brands, she sees more success with pieces from stores like Torrid, Maurices or boutique brands like Haptics. With Second Helpings, she hopes to prove that it is possible to find high-quality options in plus sizes.

“I think people are more willing to try pieces they wouldn’t necessarily try otherwise when it’s buying from a thrift store or a secondhand store just because it’s not as expensive,” Howd said.

While she settles into the new location, she is buying clothes by appointment only. Howd is the only employee at Second Helpings. She plans to host a grand reopening June 23-29 and intends to incorporate a few later nights into her hours.

“It’s just amazing to me how many people are around me that want a small business to succeed,” Howd said. “And they like coming in here and feeling comfortable and knowing they can find clothes.”

Hours are:

• Monday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Sunday: Noon to 3 p.m.