THE LEGACY OF MADAME PEACOCKS ENTERS A NEW ERA
For the last 13 years, Madame Peacocks Beer & Bling has served up more than just Western Couture Fashion and cold Schlitz beer --- it's a space where community is built and women come to feel a little more like themselves. Now, a new chapter begins as founders Tom and Julie Koth officially welcome a new era of ownership. Julie's daughter, Alexandra Ellis, will carry her family's retail legacy into its fifth generation.
Retail has always been part of Alex's story. More than 170 years ago, her great-great-great grandfather, Peter Geyerman, opened a general store along the banks of the Minnesota River. It served families in frontier towns during a time when reliability and relationships mattered more than signage or square footage. Over the next several decades, that rickety general store grew into a five-state operation known as Geyerman's Corporation. Julie spent the last forty years in the industry, creating and growing several multi-state enterprises and earning the title of South Dakota Retailer of the Year in 1996.
"Madame Peacock's has been our passion project," said Julie. "We've poured a lot of heart into this place. It's hard to step away, but it feels right knowing it's staying in the family."
Alex officially takes over on May 1st. She spent the last decade in corporate leadership, most recently as a Compliance Director in the healthcare space, and before that, she led a copyright licensing team in Nashville. Alex is entering into this new role with a mix of reverence and realism.
"I couldn't be more grateful," Alex said. "This transition upholds a legacy; it's been built on memories that span generations -- not just mine, but for our entire community. I've watched women walk in feeling uncertain, then light up when their outfit finally matches the way they shine on the inside. Strangers have become friends, and more than a few Schlitz-fueled stories have been shared within these walls. I'm not here to reinvent something that already works. I'm here to keep it honest, fun, and a little bit untamed -- just like it always has been."
Madame Peacocks will continue to operate with the same team, the same curated collections and the same sense of humor and heart. The only change? A little more focus on modern marketing, and a new owner who grew up counting tags and sorting hangers in a back room -- and somehow knew she'd always find her way back.