Bedouin has been a mainstay in Sisters since 1986, the year Janet Brockway opened the doors. Way back when, as a teenager, Harmony Thomas worked in the boutique—so when Brockway decided to retire, Thomas was a natural fit to take over, buying the business from that original owner last year.
Since then, Thomas has been busy putting something of her own stamp on the place, while also offering the mix of global and local goods that people have come to love. During her time as owner, Thomas says she's been doing more curating of local jewelry and ceramics, because, as she said, if you're going to ask people to shop in a locally owned store, the store should also support local artisans by stocking local items.
As Thomas puts it, she's "taken a beautiful, iconic Sisters store and given it new life." Not only has Thomas made a few aesthetic changes to the place, but she and her husband, Brian, also took over the former Navigator News coffee shop next door, transforming it into the Good Day Cafe.
Bedouin has won the Best Boutique in Sisters category the past five years in a row. Thomas said she's happy to be back in her hometown, now as an owner of a business, and credits the boutique's customer service for all those consecutive wins.
