Guest blog post: Meet LouSells

Lousells, The Mini Edition is one of the most recent local businesses to join The Boxes at Chapelton. With a passion for recycling and reusing clothes, this boutique offers preloved childrenswear and footwear plus a selection of new wooden toys, books and gifts. 

To find out more about the business we caught up with the owner, Louise McIntosh…

Tell us a bit about your background/family and how you started the business?

“I’m Louise, I live in Newtonhill with my husband, three children, our dog Calvin and our bunnies Cheddar & Nibbles. After having my youngest and leaving my job in HR, we desperately needed a clear out of all things that no longer fit or weren’t used any more that the five of us had accumulated. Hating the thought of anything going to landfill that still had life in it but knowing that despite donating lots there were items that I felt were worth selling so our family could get the use of something new to them with the funds raised by selling. 

“After realising that others were in the same position and lots of plotting and planning, the Facebook group was started and shared with close friends. It gave details on how the process would work and the sorts of things we would try to sell on your behalf. We had everything from glassware & golf clubs to jewellery & clothes. For the first year or two we sold locally on Facebook and through eBay and the page grew steadily. The corner in the spare room that I used became the entire spare room and the bed and furniture moved out to create a work and storage space. Towards the end of 2017 I made the decision to focus on fashion.”

How do you relax? What do you do in your spare time?

“Any business owner will appreciate that time to relax is few and far between but luckily I really love what I do so I thrive on the busyness of it. When I do switch off I enjoy hanging out with my family, socialising with friends & family, going for walks and exploring local areas we don’t visit day to day. During lockdown one of my best memories was taking the kids out and playing ‘This way or that way’ and we would let them take turns choosing which way we would go. Made the daily walk much more interesting.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

“The people! Without a doubt the people that I get to meet daily. Some days in the shop it is like an episode of Loose Women with lots of chatter about life, fashion and issues us women deal with daily. Seeing someone get that perfect outfit for an occasion when they couldn’t find anything on the high street and had exhausted all the online brands they knew of. We stock such a vast array of brands that you get the chance to try on something you likely didn’t know existed and often it was just what you were looking for.”

How did you discover The Boxes at Chapelton?

“We are lucky to live within walking distance and I’ve had a keen eye on Chapelton since planning was put in place. I had been keeping in touch with the team about progress over the years and had hoped one day that a space just right for LouSells would come up. The Boxes are exceptionally deceiving and what looks like a relatively small space can easily be turned to suit a variety of business requirements. When we got the call to say that one was coming available, we jumped at the chance to see how we could make it work.”

What do you like most about Chapelton and why?

“Without sounding like a wannabe twenty something, The Vibe! Chapelton has such a great feel, contemporary but classic. Since joining the boxes it has opened my eyes to just how supportive other businesses are of each other. These last few years have been hard on small businesses so it is great to have that business community behind you as well as customer support. We love being a part of Chapelton Life.”

Find LouSells on Facebook and Instagram or get in touch via email at Lou_sells@outlook.com

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