Keen to find work she enjoyed and create something unique in the town she’d grown up in, Penny Campbell transformed a tired old shop on the main street of Bombala, in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, into a vintage haven called Lou Lou’s Boutique & Gifts.
After receiving strong support from the Bombala community for five years, Lou Lou’s moved to a larger premise on the same street, where it has been since 2016. The store sells everything from men’s and women’s clothing, to retro records, vintage suitcases, and a wide range of gifts and knick knacks.
Penny says that locals prefer to shop at home than travel, so the majority of her customers come from Bombala. However, with Bombala’s prime placement as a halfway point between Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, Lou Lou’s also attracts many travellers, and a high number of tourists over the Christmas period.
Recently, Penny and her sister began renting out the family home through Airbnb, and says they’re constantly surprised by the volume of people who come through the town and want to stay in the cottage.
Penny says that opening Lou Lou’s was a great decision, as it has allowed her to do work she loves, while raising her family and continuing to live in the town she’s always called home. “Bombala’s lifestyle is amazing. I have two children and they love living here. It’s safe, and I like to think that we’re a friendly little town. We live in a beautiful part of the world and we’re very lucky.”
For more information, visit Lou Lou’s. You can learn more about living and working in the Snowy Mountains at www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au and visiting the region at www.visitsnowymountains.com.au.