A New Life
Street thrift store. As the shop was relatively small
and somewhat off the beaten path of New Albany
shopping, Wells knew she had to take action
to make this work. She formed relationships
with other area consignment stores and greatly
enhanced the stock at Hosparus, making it a viable
destination for uncommon finds.
Wells’s efforts were successful; however,
Hosparus eventually disbanded the store. But
her work did not go unnoticed. In 2012, Laurie
Jacobs, who opened Mariposa in 2010, called
Wells and said that she wanted to move on with
other ventures in her life. She knew Wells was
good at her job and would ensure Mariposa’s
survival. Jacobs asked Wells if she wanted the
store at no cost. “She literally paid it forward,”
Wells recounted. “She wanted it to continue and
knew that I knew what I was doing since I’ve been
in retail my whole life.”
Fast forward six years, and Mariposa is now a
fashion staple of downtown New Albany, where
Wells and her staff see new customers every
28 EXTOL : DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019
day. After working for others throughout her life,
Wells has found her place as a store owner and
ushered in an era of growth at the shop, which
is in no small part due to her business vision
and ardent commitment to customer service.
“My whole goal is for people to find something
really unique, try a new fashion and not spend
a fortune on it,” she said. “One of the things I
strive for is old world customer service. … Going
into the mall, you may not get greeted or you
can’t find what you’re looking for or can’t find a
salesperson anywhere – we hear that a lot from
our customers. And here, regardless of if they’re
spending $9 or $400, we treat them all the same
– like old friends – and help them find whatever
special treat they’re looking for.”
Her one tip for first-time and frequent shoppers
alike: Come often. “We get new items not only
daily but hourly,” Wells said. “We schedule
consignments by appointment that are set up
every hour, sometimes every half hour, and our
goal – the staff and myself – is that it has to be out
on the floor within 15 minutes.”
With repeat visits, customers will undoubtedly
soon develop a diverse, singular wardrobe
representative of their own style. And that comes
from the top down. Wells’s own style has morphed
over time, but she’s proud to wear her fashion
sense with pride. “My own style has evolved over
the years,” she affirmed. “It used to be probably
more preppy and classic, you could say, but as
I’ve gotten older, I’ve had the confidence to wear
what I really, really love. I love vintage. My favorite
piece is a 1950s housecoat that I wear as a dress.
I just love wearing vintage pieces and mixing it
up with current fashion or adding a little quirky
touch to it.”
When customers walk into Mariposa, Wells
utilizes this style confidence to encourage others
to be open-minded and up for seeing pieces
through a different lens – and that all starts with
engaging with the shoppers. “You ask questions,”
she said. “What is it that they like? And you try to
get them to try something a little bit different or