Twenty years is a long time to stay in business. It's an even longer time to stay true to what made you start in the first place. This year, Country Village Shoppe hits that milestone, and it feels like a good excuse to talk about why so many people keep coming back to this little corner of Appleton, Wisconsin (and its very big website).
If you love country and farmhouse style, or you're just now discovering it, here are 20 reasons Country Village Shoppe is worth your time.
1. Twenty years of staying family owned
Country Village Shoppe began in 2006 with a simple idea shared between a mother and daughter. Gina and Sandy started the business together, never imagining that what began as something fun would grow into what it is today.
Nearly twenty years later, we're still family owned and operated, and many of the same values we started with continue to guide us. We believe in treating our customers the way we'd want to be treated, choosing products we'd be happy to have in our own homes, and creating a place where shopping feels a little more personal.
In a retail world that has changed tremendously over the years, we're especially proud that Country Village Shoppe is still a family business at heart.
2. It grew out of real farm roots
Long before Country Village Shoppe existed, Gina grew up on a small family farm in Wisconsin. It was a place where hard work was simply part of everyday life, family time mattered, and home was meant to feel comfortable, welcoming, and lived in.
Those early years helped shape what Country Village Shoppe would eventually become. Our love for warm, inviting homes and timeless country style isn't something created around a trend or marketing idea. It's personal to us.
That feeling still influences the pieces we choose for the shop today. We look for things that add warmth and character to a home, the kinds of pieces we would use ourselves and enjoy for years to come.
For us, country has never been about where you live. It's about the feeling you create when you walk through your own front door.
3. A woman-owned family business
Country Village Shoppe has been proudly woman-owned since Gina and her mom, Sandy, started the business together in 2006. And over the years, it really has been a family affair. Gina's daughter, sons, and aunts have all spent time working in the store, and Ron, Sandy's husband and Gina's dad, is a familiar face around here, keeping things looking their best inside and out.
And then there's Sheila. She may not technically be family, but after working alongside us since day one, she's certainly become part of ours.
When we say Country Village Shoppe is a family business, we truly mean it, and we're pretty lucky to have a few honorary family members, too!
4. More than 30,000 reviews from real customers
We're pretty proud of this one. Country Village Shoppe has earned more than 30,000 customer reviews and a 4.8-star rating through Shopper Approved, an independent third party that verifies customer feedback.
But those reviews mean more to us than a number. Each one represents someone who trusted our family business with a little piece of their home, and after twenty years, that's something we're incredibly grateful for.
5. You can walk into an actual store
While so much shopping has moved online, we're proud that Country Village Shoppe is still a place you can walk into and experience for yourself. Our Appleton, Wisconsin store has grown to more than 10,000 square feet, filled with room displays designed to help you imagine how our pieces might look and feel in your own home.
You can wander through the displays, feel the fabrics, see the colors and textures in person, and discover those special pieces that sometimes find you when you're not even looking for them. And if you need a little help pulling everything together, there's always someone nearby who's happy to offer ideas or decorating advice.
We love our online shop and the opportunity it gives us to share Country Village Shoppe with customers across the country, but there's still something special about visiting us in person. We hope our store feels less like simply going shopping and more like spending a relaxing afternoon surrounded by beautiful things for the home.
If you're ever in Appleton, we'd love to have you stop in and see us at 144 N. Mall Drive.
6. Real people answer the phone
When you call Country Village Shoppe, you'll talk to a real person right here in our Appleton store, not someone reading from a script. We know our products, we're happy to answer questions, and we'll always do our best to help. It's simply the way we've done business since the beginning: treat our customers the way we'd want to be treated ourselves.
7. We use and test what we sell
We're pretty particular about what makes it into Country Village Shoppe. Many of the products we carry are tried in our own homes first, because we want to know they're something we'd feel good about recommending to you. If we wouldn't use it in our homes, we don't expect you to use it in yours.
8. Honest pricing instead of fake sales
We've always believed in offering our products at a fair price from the start. Rather than marking things up just so we can advertise a big discount later, we prefer simple, honest everyday pricing. It's one more way we try to treat our customers the way we'd want to be treated.
9. We still love a good sale
Fair everyday pricing doesn't mean we don't love a good sale! From time to time, we offer additional coupon codes, promotions, and seasonal savings both online and in our Appleton store. Our email list is one of the best ways to hear about them when they happen.
10. Shipping rates that make sense
We like to keep shipping simple, too. Our rates are based on an easy-to-understand sliding scale, so there are no surprises when you're ready to order. And when your order reaches $150, shipping is on us.
11. We're here to help you put it all together
Sometimes you know what you like, you just don't know what goes with it. That's where we can help. Our staff works with these products every day and can help with everything from choosing a curtain style to finding a rug or bedding that works with colors you already have. Decorating should be fun, not frustrating.
12. We're always looking for what's next, without forgetting who we are
Country style has changed quite a bit since we opened in 2006, and we've changed along with it. Today you'll find everything from the deeper, more traditional country colors we've always loved to lighter, softer and more updated looks. We want Country Village Shoppe to feel fresh while still feeling like Country Village Shoppe.
13. Curtains really are our specialty
Curtains have been a big part of Country Village Shoppe from the beginning, and our selection goes far beyond the basics. We carry valances, tiers, panels, swags, prairie gathered curtains, fishtail swags and more, with hundreds of coordinating styles. Finding just the right curtain can be surprisingly difficult, and we like being the place where you finally find it.
14. We make it easier to pull a room together
One of our favorite things is helping a home feel collected rather than simply decorated. Many of our collections include coordinating curtains, bedding, rugs, pillows, table linens and accessories, taking some of the guesswork out of finding pieces that work beautifully together.
15. We haven't forgotten what "country" really means
Trends come and go, but we've never stopped loving the warm, comfortable country style that started Country Village Shoppe in the first place. Plaids, florals, checks, primitive patterns and classic country pieces still have a home here, right alongside lighter and more updated looks.
16. You really can decorate your whole home with us
We're much more than a curtain shop. From bedding and rugs to lighting, wall décor, table linens, shower curtains, candles and all those little finishing touches, we love helping customers create a home that feels warm and welcoming from one room to the next.
17. We really love decorating for the seasons
If you've ever visited our store in fall or at Christmastime, you probably already know this one. We have a soft spot for pumpkins, ghosts, Santas, snowmen and all the little things that make each season feel special. Decorating should be fun, and around here, we have a lot of fun with it.
18. We're picky about the little things
Color, texture, fabric, quality and those tiny details that make something feel special. We notice them. We spend a lot of time choosing what makes it into our store because we want to offer pieces we'd be happy to bring into our own homes, too.
19. Twenty years has taught us a thing or two
After twenty years, we've learned a lot about curtains, rugs, bedding and decorating, but we've learned even more by listening to our customers. We know the questions people ask, the things that can be frustrating when decorating a home, and how much the little details matter. That experience is something you simply can't create overnight.
20. When you shop small, it really does matter
This might be our favorite reason of all. When you place an order with Country Village Shoppe, it doesn't disappear into a giant corporation. You're supporting a family-owned Wisconsin business, the people who work alongside us, and a store we've spent twenty years building.
Every order, whether it's a pair of curtains, a new quilt or one little seasonal decoration, has helped make it possible for us to keep doing what we love. After twenty years, we don't take a single one for granted.
And for that, we really can't thank you enough.
Twenty years, and still going strong
When we started Country Village Shoppe in 2006, we never could have imagined where this little adventure would take us. What began as a mother and daughter doing something we loved has grown into a store, a website, an amazing team, and customers all across the country.
Through all the changes over the past twenty years, we've tried to hold on to the things that mattered to us from the very beginning: treating people the way we'd want to be treated, choosing things we truly love for the home, working hard, and never forgetting where we came from.
But the biggest part of this story has always been you.
Some of you have been shopping with us for nearly as long as we've been here. Others may have just discovered us. Whether you've visited our Appleton store for years, ordered from us online, told a friend about us, left a kind review, or trusted us with even one little piece for your home, thank you.
Twenty years is a milestone we are incredibly proud of, but we know we didn't get here by ourselves. We're so grateful you've allowed our family to be a small part of your homes and traditions.
Here's to twenty years of Country Village Shoppe, and hopefully many, many more.
With love and gratitude,
Gina, Sandy & the Country Village Shoppe familyFrequently Asked Questions
What is Country Village Shoppe?
Country Village Shoppe is a family owned country and farmhouse home decor company based in Appleton, Wisconsin. It started in 2006 as a physical store and added an online shop in 2009. It's still run today by the same mother-daughter team who founded it.
Why should you shop at Country Village Shoppe?
You get a huge selection of country and farmhouse decor at honest prices, real customer service from people who know the products, and a company with 20 years of experience actually testing what it sells. It's also one of the few decor companies that still runs a real, walk-in store.
How does Country Village Shoppe differ from other shops?
Most online decor stores don't have a physical location, and most big-box stores don't specialize in country style the way Country Village Shoppe does. It also prices items fairly from the start instead of inflating prices to fake a discount., It backs certain products, like its stainproof rugs, with real guarantees.
What kind of items are sold in Country Village Shoppe?
The products offered by Country Village Shoppe include country and farmhouse curtains, coordinated bedding, braided and woven rugs, kitchen and dining linens, USA-made candle sleeves and country home decor like wall art, lighting and hanging signs. Styles range from farmhouse and cottage to primitive, colonial, lodge and Americana.