A Salt Lake City-based apparel retailer has opened its first store in a new division of women's fashion outlets, named Lemon Ice, in the bottom level of the Spokane Valley Mall, near the Sears store there.

    The parent company, DownEast, which also operates DownEast Clothing and DownEast Basics stores in eight states, has developed Lemon Ice to offer contemporary fashions to young women, says Rich Israelsen, chief operating officer for DownEast.

    The Lemon Ice store here opened in late September and took over 1,130 square feet of retail space previously occupied by an outlet of DownEast Basics, which moved to 15735 E. Broadway, also in Spokane Valley. The DownEast Basics store here carries women's clothing, but also some fashion for men and young girls.

    Israelsen says that since the Lemon Ice outlet debut in Spokane Valley, two more Lemon Ice stores have opened in Utah.

    DownEast sells clothing online and at 52 stores in the West.

    Jaimie Watson, Lemon Ice's store manager here, says its store has seven employees.