Parkway Presents — Local services in Northfield Township

As a busy mom of multiple young kids, I finally had a moment to catch up after the holiday and birthday season. I had a few small gifts from December 30th that I needed to exchange, so I decided to visit Parkway Presents for the first time. I was excited to see how close it was to my home and looked forward to shopping there in the future.

Upon arriving, I found the store charming and waited patiently in line. However, when it was my turn at the register, my experience quickly turned disappointing. When I politely inquired about exchanging the gifts, I was met with an unpleasant response. The employee at the register looked at me with clear disapproval and said, “This is from last year.” While I understand that December 30th technically falls in the previous year, we are only seven weeks into 2025—not an unreasonable timeframe to request an exchange.

Since the store’s return policy was not printed on the gift receipt, I apologized and explained that I was unaware of their 30-day exchange policy. I was then told I should have checked their website. Fair enough—I take responsibility for not doing that. However, given that I was only a few weeks outside of the policy and was willing to make a purchase exceeding the exchange value, I politely asked if they might consider an exception. Instead of any understanding or flexibility, another employee—equally unfriendly—firmly stated that they are a small business and do not make exceptions.

As the spouse of a small business owner, I understand the challenges that come with running one. However, exceptional customer service is key to long-term success, and a bit of goodwill can go a long way in building loyal customers. Unfortunately, this interaction left me with an extremely negative impression of Parkway Presents. I had hoped to become a regular customer for my children’s gifts, but this experience has led me to take my business elsewhere. I will also be sharing my experience with other parents in my community.

For those looking for a welcoming, customer-friendly shopping experience, I highly recommend visiting the Snickelfritz in Vernon Hills. It may be a bit farther from Northbrook, but the outstanding service makes the trip well worth it.

Signed, A...

Today was the first time I stopped into Parkway Presents. Took me a while to see what your store is all about & I’m so glad I finally visited! Your customer service and variety of children’s products is outstanding. So great to get back to old school values where customers are appreciated and greeted with a smile. The sales associates were so knowledgeable regarding all the fun creative in stock items. Their suggestions were right on for what I was looking for. I’ll definitely be back with my 7 yr old grandson who I’m sure will love choosing a special toy he’ll enjoy that doesn’t involve screen...

Parkway Presents is the best. First time ordering was during the first week of the pandemic and I feared for how I would entertain my then two and four year old and placed an order for fun crafts and toys to keep us busy. Fast forward 2.5 years later and I don’t know how I’d survive the birthday party circuit without Lisa and her great service. As a notorious procrastinator, being able to order at 11:30pm the night before a bday or even the morning of has made my life so much easier! Also, the variety of...