A local store at Mayfaire Town Center in Wilmington has moved to a much larger space on Main Street. 

My Sister’s Cottage is now in a 1,600-square-foot portion of 5,000 square feet at 6869 Main St.

“The option to have a bigger storefront with better exposure and having it be more open was just phenomenal,” said Britteny Bellinger, who had opened My Sister’s Cottage in 600 square feet at 6863 Main St. in October.

The store sells modern coastal home decor, apparel and gifts, and Bellinger began welcoming customers to the new location at the end of January.

“Our first three months at Mayfaire went so great we decided to renew and do a long-term lease and do a bigger location,” Bellinger said. “The response from the community has been overwhelming.”

The name of Bellinger’s store comes from the fact that she and her sister, who lived next door to each other in Nebraska, started the business together online. It also refers to safe houses for victims of sex trafficking, a cause the business supports through 10% of sales.

In its short existence, the store has grown from one to six employees, and Bellinger said she hopes to be using the entire 5,000 square feet of her new location within the next year.

"The last store was very small and it was almost too small with COVID," Bellinger said. "This way it feels safe and open, so whether you’re coming to buy something or not and you just want to get out and browse, it’s a great environment to be in."

The store is also offering a live shopping app.

Bellinger said, "As they’re shopping live, they can add to their cart the items that we’re showing them."

For Mayfaire, the expansion of Bellinger’s store helps fill an empty space that was formerly occupied by New York & Company, a clothing retailer that closed its location at Mayfaire after its parent company filed for bankruptcy during the summer.

The owner of Mayfaire itself, CBL & Associates Properties Inc., filed for bankruptcy near the end of last year, but officials said at the time that the filing wouldn't affect day-to-day operations at its retail centers.