The Pretty Posy Books & Gifts Boutique has opened at 7942 Santa Fe Drive in downtown Overland Park, Kan. Last November, owner Erin Oliva had announced the temporary closing of her specialty clothing shop, the Pretty Posy Boutique--located in the same space--with the goal of relaunching the business as a bookstore.
Oliva told the Johnson County Post that while she loved putting together the boutique's collections and connecting with customers, she had started to feel burned out about selling clothes, but wasn't ready to give up the space. As a former elementary school teacher and lifelong reader, the alternative strategy was a logical one.
Pretty Posy carries books in several genres, but particularly caters toward women and children, with a large romance section and substantial children's books section. The former boutique's smaller dressing rooms have become reading nooks, and there is also a "creator's corner" with a table and chairs in the back of the store for children to write and color, the Post noted. Pretty Posy also sells a range of gifts, such as greeting cards, stickers, journals and mugs.
"I'm just really excited to see where it goes," Oliva said, adding that she also plans to host book clubs and read-alouds for younger readers at the store.
Early community support has been strong, including from the recently opened Monstera's Books. The Post wrote that Oliva "paid a visit to that store when it opened, and when hers opened three weeks later, Monstera's Books owner Kate Wieners was there in support too--and armed with a plant from her store."
"I think people are kind of swinging back to wanting the experience of coming into a bookstore," Olivia said. "We can buy from Amazon, it's not going anywhere, but if we want these small book shops to be around, we have to support them or they will just not be here."