BROKEN BOW/ANSLEY—Increasing support for shopping local has prompted two local businesses to expand their retail space. Triple Blessed Boutique in Broken Bow and Livvia’s Boutique in Ansley both announced this week plans to grow their brick and mortar locations.
Triple Blessed announced it has recently purchased the building from Jamie and Adam Bartak, after previously renting. Ache and Pain Family Hair Care previously resided in the building as well. This past weekend the walls in between were torn down and black tarps have taken its place.
The boutique opened in Broken Bow in May 2018 and owner Jamie Eberle said she is excited to grow and expand inventory.
“Well I’m hoping we can bring in more inventory now that we have more space, more room, more wall space and everything. So I’m hoping to bring in more!” Eberle said.
Eberle said the store will be gaining approximately 400 square feet and she is hoping to get the expansion completed during evenings and weekends within the next few weeks. She said Aaron Epley is overseeing the project. Store Manager Marjean Anderson AKA “Jamie’s right hand” has been hard at work organizing inventory in the midst of construction. Eberle said to stay tuned for information regarding a fall open house when the renovations are finished!
“I’m very excited. I mean the community support here in Broken Bow is amazing so I can’t ask for anything better for our community,” Eberle told KCNI/KBBN.
Livvia’s Boutique in Ansley is working on plans to build an additional structure adjacent to the current boutique. The plan is to add on a building but include a walkway to the current store. In a Facebook post Livvia’s stated the Men’s Den and Kids Korner sections will be located in their own building and will allow more room to bring in bonus gift items, consignments from local vendors, and a wider selection of sizes.
Owner Lori Racicky told KCNI/KBBN plans for expansion have been in the works since the summer and she wants more space in order to cater to as many people as possible on the local level and reduce the need for people to shop out of town.
“I think it’s needed in our area to have the wider variety but we need more room to carry the wider variety,” Racicky said. “Everything is cramped and we just need more space! We also want to bring in more gift options.”
Racicky said she is awaiting final approval on building permits but is hoping to use all local vendors to complete the project by May 2022, if things go according to plan she added.
The pending structure would feature more men’s clothes and allow men to have a more masculine shopping experience with separate dressing rooms and additional sizes often difficult to find. Racicky joked that some men might not want to shop at a boutique and this would give them a unique opportunity to still shop local.
Livvia’s Boutique opened in October 2019 is preparing to celebrate its two year anniversary. Racicky said boutique staff cannot walk in the back room because it is so full of new items. Inventory issues remain due to COVID-19 and she said the decision to expand at this time has taken a lot of thought and consideration.
“We need more room to be able to offer more of a variety,” Racicky said.
Racicky said she appreciates all of the community support of Livvia’s Boutique over the last two years.
“It’s taken a lot of thought and consideration because it’s a huge investment in a very small town. We want to keep the streets of Ansley alive and I think we’ve brought in…There’s a lot of businesses now on Main Street where there wasn’t before,” Racicky told KCNI/KBBN.
