From staff reports

J.Ella Boutique has a new, larger home in The Bridges at 57th.

The shop, which has been in the retail center for two years, took advantage of another boutique’s move earlier this year to downtown Sioux Falls, and leased the 2,000-square-foot space.

J.Ella opened in the new space in the retail center at 57th Street and Western Avenue at the beginning of April.

J.Ella Boutique has been in Sioux Falls for two years.

Owner Jael Thorpe opened her first boutique in Brookings in 2010, operating it from 200 square feet in her photography studio. In 2011, she moved the store downtown to a much larger space.

“I always wanted to expand to Sioux Falls, and we knew we wanted to be in that development,” she said of The Bridges. “I like the synergy of the other specialty retailers.”

She and her partner in the Sioux Falls boutique, Heather Olson, leased the original tucked-away spot but jumped at the chance for the storefront with more visibility and space.

That smaller space “gave us a chance to see how we liked Sioux Falls” and whether it was feasible to operate two stores, Thorpe said.

J.Ella Boutique has moved into a larger space at The Bridges at 57th.

J.Ella offers clothing for women in their teens to 60-plus. “Our core is a 35- to 50-year-old woman with an active lifestyle that wants to be practical but also on trend,” Thorpe said.

And while many boutiques do a significant portion of their sales online, J.Ella does not.

“We have a strong focus on the in-store experience,” Thorpe said.

The Sioux Falls store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It’s open until 7 p.m. Thursday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.