On Thursday, October 22^nd the Osceola Chamber of Commerce welcomed The Sleepy Thicket, a new children’s boutique in downtown Osceola, with an outdoor Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The Sleepy Thicket and the Chamber both streamed the ribbon cutting live on their Facebook pages for the public to be able to watch remotely.

“We are so excited to be a part of this town I love and grew up in!” said Sleepy Thicket owner, Nicole Bartley. “I absolutely love helping people find that “just right thing” for the little ones in their lives. And though times have certainly changed for retail businesses, we are doing our best to help customers feel safe and enjoy their shopping experience whether online or in store.”

Nicole started this business online in 2019 when she and husband Brett Bartley found out they were expecting their third child in 3 years. The Sleepy Thicket was brought to life over countless late night brainstorming sessions and Nicole’s passion and previous retail experience coupled with Brett’s marketing background. One short year later in February of 2020, Bartley was able to rent a commercial space on Main Street.

The Bartley’s took 3 short weeks to transform the space and opened the doors of The Sleepy Thicket for the first time on Saturday, March 7^th 2020. Little did they know that 10 short days later the global pandemic that is COVID-19 would cause all non-essential businesses to shut their doors to the public. Thanks to the support of an amazing customer base and fellow downtown businesses, The Sleepy Thicket has, so far, been resilient throughout the pandemic and were recently awarded the 2020 Reader’s Choice Best of the Valley Award for Best Gift Shop. They are set-up and continue to sell online and showcase their offerings via their social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook.

“We hope that as time goes on we can continue to welcome more people into our shop and grow this business here on a Main Street I love so much. To help other stores and our Main Street grow the downtown Osceola experience, I have also taken on a role within the Osceola Chamber of Commerce, leading their Retail & Dining Committee. Osceola is the Valley’s best kept secret and I hope more people will get the opportunity to frequent our streets again.” –Nicole

The Sleepy Thicket carries an array of children’s gift items including clothing for ages infant – 12 years old, toys, books, blankets, and gear for Mom. In-store and online, shoppers can find an array of brands from Melissa & Doug, Tea Collection, Milkbarn, Little Unicorn, Itzy Ritzy, Mary Meyer, to WubbaNub.

You can find The Sleepy Thicket on Main Street at 114 N. Cascade Street or online at www.sleepythicket.com as well as social media pages Facebook/Instagram @sleepythicket

You can view the article on page 2 in it's entirety here: https://issuu.com/thesun9/docs/the_20sun_2010.28.2020