Gardner beauty store meets multicultural demand for haircare, wigs
When Obed Amponsah opened Lovewell Beauty Supply in Timpany Plaza nearly 16 months ago, he joined the small rank of Black businessowners in Gardner. The store, which he manages with his wife Lois Amponsah, opened in October 2024 and was aimed at serving the hair care needs of an increasingly diverse community.
“Business has been steady,” Obed said. “I think that’s the way I can frame it.”
The couple, who live in Gardner and have five daughters, were inspired to open a local business with a wide variety of weaves, wigs, extensions, shampoos, and conditioners after finding it necessary to travel out of town for such items for their own children. The store, which includes a section men’s section with body wash, styling gels, and beard balms, had developed quite a loyal customer base along the way.
“We have new customers come in every day plus our faithful customers as well, so they keep us steady for sure,” he said.
The store’s success was reflected in the diverse makeup of the community, according to Obed.
“Our original aim was to be able to cater to everyone, so I think we’ve done that,” he said. “We’ve always known that our community was diverse, but having this business definitely enhances that. And we are grateful to everybody that comes in here.”
‘Expect the unexpected’ when running a retail business
Although it had long been a dream of the couple to open their own business after spending years in retail, Obed said they quickly learned to expect the unexpected when it came to running your own store.
“No matter how prepared you are, there is always going to be a challenge, a surprise in some sense, so you have to be open to that,” he said.
Obed added he and Lois depended heavily on customer feedback when it came to deciding which products to keep in stock.
“(The customers) will tell you what they want, and that’s been very helpful when they come in and inquire about something that we don’t have – and we keep getting that inquiry quite often – then that obviously tells us that we have to get it in the store,” said Obed. “The customers have been spearheading that, in some sense.”
The number of customers asking about the availability of wigs, for example, was an early learning experience, according to Lois.
“I was surprised about what a need for wigs we had in our community,” she said. “And so, we’ve definitely expanded on our (wigs) selection and are continuing to expand; we’ve got a lot of great feedback and so we were able to diversify in that way.”
The store’s wig selection appeals to a wide slice of demographics, from teenagers to older adults, Lois added.
“Our goal is to make sure that we have everything customers want,” said Obed.
Timpany Plaza undergoing renaissance with new businesses
The store at 362 Timpany Blvd. opened while the plaza was experiencing something of a renaissance, with the opening of other new businesses such as Aldi, Five Below, and Chipotle. Obed said he and Lois were happy to be a part of that success.
“We meet people from all walks of life in here, then they’re going to get lunch at Chipotle or go shop at Five Below – there are all sorts of people, and it’s really awesome,” he said.
“We may have opened the doors, but it’s the community that has been putting this whole thing together,” said Lois.
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