Rooted in community
How The Apple Tree Boutique became more than a store
Jaclyn Wenhold
Lindsey Heyd
The opening sign on the front door hits the glass panels as a customer steps inside The Apple Tree Boutique. Almost immediately, someone behind the counter looks up with a smile and calls out, “Welcome in!” The quick greeting happens before the shopper even reaches the clothing racks.
Inside the store, the atmosphere feels warm and inviting. The soft lighting reflects off the carefully arranged displays of home decor and jewelry. The front windows are styled for the season, along with each display throughout the store. The layout of the boutique encourages customers to move slowly through the space, rather than rush from item to item. Quiet music plays in the background, filling the store without overpowering the conversations happening around it.
Patrons browse casually, sometimes pausing to chat with employees or one another. Someone admires an outfit on the dressing room doors, while another shares their opinion on a pair of earrings nearby. The environment feels relaxed and familiar, like a place people return to.
For many customers, the store is more than just a place to shop. It is a place to stop in, talk and feel connected to the community around them.
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The Apple Tree has been a part of Oxford’s local landscape for decades. The store first opened in 1979 and has remained a steady presence in the community ever since. As trends in fashion and retail have changed over the years, the boutique has continued to grow alongside the town it serves.
The store has evolved from a small collectibles shop into something larger: a community anchor. It is a space offering both a personal shopping experience and a sense of familiarity. In a time when online shopping and large retailers dominate the market, local boutiques like The Apple Tree continue to play an important role in maintaining the character and economic vitality of small towns like Oxford.
The story of the boutique exudes a sense of family because that is where it all began. Barb Clawson, the mother of the boutique’s current owner, Cheri Corcoran, opened the store with a simple goal: to create a welcoming space that specialized in curated collectibles and unique gift items.
Clawson opened the store during a difficult economic moment. In the late 1970s, the local economy was struggling, and several storefronts in Oxford sat empty. Rather than simply observing the downturn, Clawson decided to act. Corcoran said her mom had been serving on the first Oxford Chamber of Commerce Board and came to a realization: If she was going to help promote business in the community, she might as well start one herself.
The first version of The Apple Tree was far different from the store customers see today. Instead of occupying a High Street storefront, the shop began in the lower level of a house the family owned near Uptown. Clawson filled the space with items she personally selected — pieces she discovered during her travels or objects she simply thought were beautiful.
At the time, retail buying worked differently than it does today. Clawson often traveled to gift markets, including one in Columbus, where independent shop owners could browse merchandise from various vendors. The items she chose were eclectic and decorative: glassware, figurines and collectible pieces designed to sit on shelves or tabletops.
Corcoran did not immediately plan to take over the business. For a period of time, she lived in Cleveland and balanced work there with occasional trips back to Oxford to help her mom. She would spend about a week each month assisting with buying and inventory while maintaining her own career elsewhere.
Eventually, however, the family’s involvement in retail expanded. Corcoran and her husband opened additional shops in Oxford, including a lingerie store called Bare Elegance. At one point, the family operated several retail spaces in town simultaneously. Later, when Corcoran’s children were born, another store called Cottontails opened focusing on children’s clothing.
The different stores moved locations throughout Oxford over the years as leases changed and opportunities arose. The Apple Tree itself relocated multiple times before eventually settling into the space it occupies today.
A major turning point came in 2008. That year, Clawson injured her back and began considering leaving the business. Rather than letting the store close, Corcoran stepped in to continue operating it and finish out the remaining lease. At the time, the storefront consisted of two spaces separated by a main wall. Corcoran decided to remove the dividing wall and transform the layout into a single, larger store.
This shift also marked a major change in the boutique’s merchandise. For decades, collectibles and decorative items have been a major part of sales until Corcoran gradually began moving away from those products and introducing more clothing and fashion pieces. The Apple Tree now carries brands such as Free People, Brighton, Peepers, Sugarboo, Enewton and Jellycat. Her goal was to create a store where multiple generations could shop together.
“I wanted it to be a place where you and your mom could both find something,” Corcoran said.
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Each season brings new pieces into the store, but the process behind selecting them remains intentional. Choosing merchandise is part instinct and part observation. Corcoran travels to markets in places such as Atlanta and Las Vegas to browse brands and upcoming trends. As she walks through rows of vendors, she watches for patterns that begin appearing across multiple collections. If a style repeatedly shows up from different designers, it may signal a broader trend.
“All of a sudden, you'll see a trend coming, like, it's huge,” Corcoran said. “So you go down the rows, but you're like, ‘I just don't think that's gonna work.’ Then, you go maybe four or five rows, [later] you kind of go, ‘Well, I guess that is an up-and-coming thing.’ So, we test it and see how it does. We don't buy into it a lot, but it's funny how trends last a season sometimes.”
When the boutique tests new trends, she orders smaller quantities before committing to them fully. Geographic trends also play a role in decision-making. Fashion frequently emerges on the coasts before moving toward the Midwest, giving store owners a sense of what might appear locally in the near future.
Customer feedback can also influence buying decisions. Employees and even students who shop in the store sometimes suggest brands or products they believe will resonate with shoppers. Corcoran credits those conversations with introducing several successful items to the store’s inventory over the years.
Beyond the clothing itself, one of the most defining aspects of The Apple Tree Boutique is the relationships that exist inside its walls. Employees are like family, and customers are often known or recognized, greeting each other by name or catching up on recent life events.
Over the years, The Apple Tree has formed connections with other businesses in the area, contributing to a collaborative local business environment. Partnerships with nearby restaurants, like The Pickle & Pig for a Christmas holiday event at the store, help strengthen the Oxford community by encouraging residents to shop locally and bring joy to the customer base as well as their employees.
For many shoppers, visiting the boutique has become routine. Some stop by to see new arrivals, while others simply browse and talk with friends or employees they may have come to know while shopping. These small interactions help create a sense of loyalty that goes beyond traditional retail transactions.
In contrast to online shopping, where purchases happen quickly and anonymously, the experience inside the boutique is personal. Customers can ask questions, receive styling advice and spend time exploring options without feeling rushed.
Amy Schlake, the front floor manager, said the way customers feel when they enter the store is one of the most meaningful measures of the boutique’s success.
“Another really huge compliment is when … people comment on how they're treated here, … [and] how they feel when they come in the store,” Schlake said. “They just get to enjoy something that's really beautifully curated.”
That focus on creating a welcoming environment has helped shape the boutique’s reputation over the years. What might begin as a quick shopping trip often turns into a longer visit, with conversations continuing between racks of clothing and customers returning not only for the merchandise but for the experience itself.
However, the connection of in-person shopping took a major turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. It presented one of the most difficult periods the store has faced. Like many small businesses, the boutique suddenly had to reconsider how it operated and how to continue reaching its customers. Government relief programs helped the store remain open during that time, but the experience pushed the team to rethink the role of online shopping and digital outreach.
In response, the boutique began focusing more on its website and social media presence. Corcoran admits the website is still evolving, but she views it as an important part of the store’s future.
“I want to be better,” Corcoran said. “I always try to think, if we had a big competition here, why wouldn't I compete against myself?”
Corcoran describes the boutique in deeply personal terms. After almost two decades of running the business herself, she said the store feels like another member of the family.
“It’s like one of my children,” Corcoran said. “Everything that’s in that store reflects me.”
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As evening approaches, the pace inside the boutique begins to slow. The last few customers finish browsing, bringing their selections to the counter before heading out the door.
Employees begin straightening displays and hanging clothing back into place. Seasonal decorations catch the light as the store prepares to close for the night. What customers see during the day — thoughtfully arranged and curated displays — is the result of a team working behind the scenes to keep the store running smoothly.
For years, Corcoran handled many aspects of the business herself, from buying merchandise to managing inventory and paperwork. But as the boutique has continued to grow, the team behind it has grown as well. Employees now contribute in a variety of ways, from styling displays and managing inventory to helping shape the store’s social media and online presence.
Corcoran credits much of the store’s continued success to the people who help run it each day.
“I did it all, almost,” she said. “That's how [much] we have grown, because I have the best team I've ever had since 1979 … and I think that's how we make it bigger and better.”
Over time, those working relationships have turned into something deeper. Many of the employees who help run the boutique today have spent years together inside the store, sharing responsibilities and building a sense of ownership in the space they help maintain.
“The people we're talking about have become my friends,” Corcoran said. “That's how I feel. Like we're family.”
That sense of connection extends beyond the employees themselves. For many customers, The Apple Tree has become a place where familiar faces greet them, conversations continue from week to week, and shopping feels less like an errand and more like a visit.
Soon, the lights dim and the door locks until morning.
But when the opening sign hits the glass panels again tomorrow, The Apple Tree Boutique will once again welcome the community inside — continuing a tradition that has taken root in Oxford for more than four decades.
