Looking to expand her business, Leesa Blackwood reopened her children’s clothing store this month inside the Kalispell Center Mall.

Helen Dean is a children’s consignment boutique that offers gently used children’s apparel and toys. Blackwood first opened the store as Giggles Consignment and Kids’ Shop in Columbia Falls two years ago but has now made the move to Kalispell seeking a larger space and one with more foot traffic.

“More people come to Kalispell to shop so we started looking for places here,” she said. “The new store gives us more space. We had less than 1,000 square feet before then and now we have 3,000 square feet so that’s a significant increase. We’re able to carry more product.”

In first opening the business, Blackwood was looking to fill a niche she saw in offering children’s clothing in a retail setting. She says there are several thrift stores and high-end stores offering children’s clothing but she wanted to offer something in the middle range.

Blackwood owns Giggles Playcare, a drop-in daycare center in Columbia Falls, where the clothing store first opened. In making the move to Kalispell, she updated the name of the retail shop in an effort to differentiate between the two businesses.

The name Helen Dean has a family connection. Dean is for Blackwood’s son and Helen was her grandmother’s name.

“My son wanted his name included,” she said. “And my grandma was very special to me.”

Helen Dean focuses on higher-end gently used children’s apparel. Blackwood selects brands that aren’t sold in stores in the Flathead Valley in an effort to provide more selection to her customers and differentiate the store from what’s already available here.

“Our goal is to focus on bringing in products that you can’t buy locally,” she said. “We look to pick up brands that people have purchased out of town or online. It also has to be in almost like-new condition.”

Sizes range from preemie to youth extra-large. The larger space in the new location has allowed the shop to expand the number of larger sizes carried and it has also allowed the store to add maternity clothes to the mix.

Mixed in with the gently used apparel are other children-related items like books, toys and diaper bags. There’s also a selection of new items like hats and sunglasses, but those are also selected in keeping with being budget-conscious.

“People often think when they come into a consignment store they’ll have to weed through 30 items to find one good item, but here everything is good and it’s well organized,” Blackwood said. “We’re a consignment boutique — when people come through the door they’re often pleasantly surprised by what they find because we have a different vibe.”

For consignors, the profits are split 50% between the consignor and 50% between the store. Payments are issued monthly to consignors, and Blackwood makes an effort to keep all similar items in the store priced similarly.

Helen Dean is located inside Kalispell Center Mall at 20 N. Main St. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, 406-300-1342.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].