Store leader returns to growing east-side retailer

This paid piece is sponsored by Dawley Farm Village.

Many things seem “meant to be” in the wedding industry — and for Kristin Haakinson, it turned out to be a career fit.

The Sheldon, Iowa native took on a variety of customer service roles after high school, before coming to Sioux Falls in 2007 to be a bridal consultant.

When she began looking for a new role, she applied to be store leader of Maurices at Dawley Farm Village.

“When I arrived for the interview, the interviewer and I both knew instantly where we had previously met — I was the bridal consultant who assisted with her wedding gown for her big day,” Haakinson said.

She left Maurices in late 2019 “as I need to learn and grow,” she said, and changed careers by working in healthcare talent acquisition.

“But much like this interesting time of the ‘Great Resignation’ and ‘Great Regret,’ now we have boomerang employees,” she said.

And that describes Haakinson. She returned as store leader of the Dawley Farms Maurices earlier this summer.

“My relationships with people is what brought me back,” she said. “I am still friends with my Maurices family and here I am back ‘home’ like I never left.”

The area also has evolved since she left.

“I have watched Dawley grow over the years – before Perkins, before the bank and other retailers — and the traffic has changed,” she said. “It’s now definitely its own shopping area with so many opportunities to grow.”

Speaking of shopping, we asked Haakinson what more you should know about Maurices.

What about fall fashion? What’s been popular in the store lately?

Bootie season is upon us! So those are big again. Shoppers also are mad about plaid, acid-washed denim straight out of the 90s, “Mom jeans” and shackets.

Is there anything shoppers might be surprised to learn about Maurices?

The Dawley location has some of the new EVSIE collection, which is Maurice’s styles for the younger gals! Those hard-to-fit tweens love this collection. It’s designed for ages eight to 12 with lots of denim, graphic tees and even adaptive clothing with soft, comfortable fabrics and easy Velcro closures.

We also offer Fashion Fun Days, which is a personalized shopping experience for you and a couple friends/coworkers/etc.

Are you hiring? What kind of person is the right fit for your team?

We are always looking for top talent here. This is a customer experience team, not a transactional customer service role like most big box stores. We are definitely here for our customers always striving to be better, so we are giving the best possible experience to ensure they come back again and again. Click here to learn more or stop in the store.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your return?

I would just like to add that I am happy to be back where it feels like home and my customers and my team are my family. Stepping away from retail I learned how important relationships are to us. At the end of the day, we all just want to feel belonging and be connected.