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Situated between seven empty shopfronts in Clarinda Street is where you can find The Whyte Room.
Owner of the boutique clothing shop, Kelly Dswonitzky said she is feeling the effects of shops closing down around her.
There are currently two empty shops to the right of The Whyte Room and five to the left.
To the right is where Elvis Central was located for multiple years and Parkes Vet which closed in August.
To her left used to be where EB Games was located and more recently Currajong, a property management company.
Next door to Currajong was where APM Employment Services were located, alongside Member for Riverina Michael McCormack’s former office that's no longer operational, then Coffee Pot and Parkes Optical Services which closed in October, and finally the ANZ bank which has been shut since April 2023.
Kelly moved into her new and current location in January after starting her business from home three and a half years ago.
She continued her business at home for six months before doing a pop-up shop in Parkes Decor Shoppe.
Her first move into the CBD was into a shop in Court Street, before moving to where Elders Real Estate is currently located in Clarinda Street where she unfortunately got flooded.
She's now located at 205 Clarinda Street.
“When we first moved in it was great,” Kelly said.
“There was energy, foot traffic and plenty of neighbouring shops.”
But as the year continued shops closed and the street environment changed.
“I am between empty shops. It’s been quiet, there is less foot traffic now.”
Despite the challenges it isn’t slowing down or stopping Kelly.
Rather The Whyte Room has recently expanded its range to include clothing for children.
“We’re not looking to shut down,” Kelly said.
“But we really need more retail to bring people back.”
Still, the search for a shop front in a busier location in the Parkes CBD is underway for Kelly.
“The stretch from Discount Dave’s to Telstra is the busiest area of the street. That’s where we would love to be," Kelly added.
