A popular Cheltenham children’s clothing shop, which was preparing to shut down, says it is now considering changing the business to be more of a pop-up, which will regularly appear at venues around Cheltenham and the surrounding areas.
Carousel, which is based at The Courtyard in Montpellier, announced in March that it was to close down on Saturday 21 April 2018, because of the huge overhead costs associated with running a shop.
The store specialises in selling second hand children’s clothing, usually from designer brands such a Boden, Monsoon and Joules. But, in a post on Facebook, the shop sited online selling groups as its main competition and said it was time to say a ‘sad farewell’ to the store.
However, a week after the announcement was made, the shop’s owner Libby Reichwald posted again on the shop’s Facebook page, hinting that an different version of the store could be on the cards.
Speaking to SoGlos, Libby said: ‘I was completely bowled over by the response I’ve had. So many people came into the shop to tell me how it had become a safe space for them. The shop had become a support network for Gloucestershire’s Mums. It’s so lovely to hear how important the shop has been for people.
‘Moving forward I don’t just want Carousel to become an online, faceless website. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about community. So I’m planning on going to different venues around the county, and sometimes running the shop as a pop-up. It’s important that parents can see and feel the clothing they buy, and interact with other Mums in the process. So I’ll be using our online presence to let people know of new clothes coming in, and where they can come along to the next Carousel pop-up.’
Instead of buying and selling through a store, Libby has also suggested setting up appointments at people’s homes, offering a service to groups of Mums who might need support, as well as a shopping experience. At the moment the idea is being floated as a solution to closure. It’s after the shop was inundated with messages and calls urging it not to close down.
