30/05/2026
In less than 90 minutes, I’ve gone from setting up a pop-up shop at Parkway to setting up a shop in my hallway 📍 TS8.
Before I say anything else, this is not the fault of Parkway Centre management or any of the retailers based there. The team at Parkway were put in a difficult position, and I have absolutely no issue with any other businesses.
My frustration is purely with the lack of communication surrounding today’s booking.
After unloading all my stock, spending over an hour setting up and around 30 minutes trading, I was told I was no longer allowed to trade. Unfortunately, this wasn’t communicated to me beforehand despite previous attempts to clarify arrangements by email.
The reason given was another retailer specialising in baby clothing trades there. Whilst I completely understand the need to support existing businesses, Ettie & Roo is a childrenswear and accessories business, with only a small amount of baby wear. Most of my products are aimed at older children, gifts and accessories. I would never affect someone else’s business.
To top it all off, I damaged my car with the transport trolley whilst unloading, only to pack everything back up again.
What upset me most was that I already had customers there and it genuinely felt like it was going to be a good day.
I’m not going to pretend it hasn’t knocked my confidence. I’ve worked incredibly hard on Ettie & Roo since November, fitting it around family life and now being back at work three days a week with Sam working away regularly.
But I’m not stopping.
So, if you were planning to visit me today, I’m now trading from home in TS8, less than five minutes from Parkway. If you’d like a personalised shopping experience, want to browse today’s stock, or collect an order, send me a message and I’ll get straight back to you with the address 🤍
Megan x
