April & Mae’s brings color and creativity to Main Street

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

June 8, 2026

WAUPACA – Sisters Chelsea Rudig and Delaney Schroeder said opening a boutique together in downtown Waupaca was never just about selling children’s clothing.

Instead, the co-owners of April & Mae’s on Main said they envisioned a space that combined shopping, creativity, experiences and community, all wrapped into one colorful storefront.

Rudig said the boutique’s name even holds great significance, formed by combining her and Schroeder’s middle names.

“April is Delaney’s middle name, and mine is Mae, as our parents named us for the months we were born,” she said. “I didn’t arrive on time – that’s why [my middle name is spelled differently].”

Rudig said the boutique – which officially opened its doors earlier this spring – offers children’s clothing from baby through tween sizes, along with apparel and accessories for moms, gifts, custom experiences and an event space.

It runs in the family

The sisters – both born and raised in Waupaca – said entrepreneurship has always been part of their family story. 

“Our dad had a business in town here as a construction company when we were growing up and also was an entrepreneur, and we have always strived for that,” Rudig said. “He’s just everywhere in this town.”

Before opening April & Mae’s on Main, Rudig said Schroeder spent years working in retail and managing local stores, while she owned a Board & Brush studio in the Lake Geneva area. 

Rudig said returning home after years away helped spark the idea of a boutique.

“I’ve had some life changes in the past year, and I wanted to come back home,” she said. “I lived in the Milwaukee area for 24 years.”

At the same time, Rudig said she had long dreamed of opening a storefront on Waupaca’s Main Street.

“I always wanted a business on Main Street and loved the downtown here,” she said. “One day, I said to my sister, ‘Wouldn’t you want your own store?’ and asked, ‘What does Waupaca need?’ We hemmed and hawed, and one day she texted me, ‘A children’s store.’”

Rudig said the idea immediately resonated.

“We have five kids between us, and we went from there,” she said. “Everything has lined up the way it’s been intended to because we haven’t had a struggle getting from one step to the next.”

Filling a need in the community

Seeing a gap in the local retail market, the sisters said they intentionally focused on children’s clothing.

“There is a great need for children’s clothing in the area, as there are no big box stores and the closest Target is in Stevens Point,” Rudig said.

Though they initially considered a consignment-based model, the sisters said the concept eventually evolved into a boutique.

“We did originally plan on doing that, but we didn’t have turnout for the dropoff dates and [decided] we’re going to pivot,” Rudig said.

That pivot, she said, led them to create “The Mom Spot” inside the boutique, featuring women’s apparel, athleisure, jewelry and accessories.

“We want clothes, too, and we like to shop, [so we created] a little spot here, too, which has been very well received,” she said.

Rudig said affordability has been a priority from the start, with the goal of offering price points to fit a variety of budgets.

“We have made sure to buy things the average everyday person can afford,” she said. “But we also have those other pieces that are a little higher end that you won’t find everywhere, and nothing is something you’ll find anywhere else than in a boutique.”

Schroeder said balancing inventory for both locals and seasonal visitors is also part of the boutique’s strategy.

Curating a bright, playful experience

Rudig said the look of the boutique shifted significantly as the planning process unfolded.

“We started with super muted colors, and then as we branched out and started purchasing items, we were like, ‘We are way more bright than that,’” she said.

The sisters said their goal was to create a vibrant, colorful space that resonated with clients.

“Our goal is to keep it fun, exciting and upbeat, to have good turnover of items and always something new to peek at,” Rudig said.

Every item inside the boutique, she said, was personally selected by the sisters, many sourced during a buying trip to Dallas.

“We handpicked everything we have in the store,” she said. “[We went to Dallas in January to meet different brands… and] were able to meet designers and be picky about what we brought into the store.”

Rudig said the trip allowed them to carefully curate inventory they genuinely connected with as parents themselves.

“A lot of the things were things we chose that we love and we would put our kids in, too,” she said.

The sisters said they also wanted the boutique to celebrate Waupaca itself.

Rudig said the area’s tourism is reflected in a variety of T-shirts and other items that highlight not just the Chain of Lakes but the downtown area as well. 

“We have a lot to offer downtown and wanted to emphasize that, too,” she said.

Rudig said some of the apparel items were designed in-house.

“We looked at T-shirts we had seen online and made them our own, with a few designed by Delaney herself,” she said.

The sisters said they then worked with a local vendor to make the shirts.

More than a boutique

Schroeder and Rudig said they intentionally designed April & Mae’s on Main to offer an experience, not simply a transactional environment.

Rudig said that’s the impetus behind the hat bar, charm bar and permanent jewelry for purchase, as well as the basement party space available for birthday parties and other festivities and events. 

“We wanted it to be an experience,” she said. “People come in, and it’s a newer concept and a different experience inside a shop.”

Rudig said this idea developed after looking at the store’s oversized check-out counter.

“We have this really big cash wrap/check-out counter, and thought that could be a bar of some kind,” she said.  

Rudig said Schroeder’s jewelry-design background helped shape the concept further, offering permanent jewelry in store.

The response from customers, she said, has been enthusiastic.

“People come in and are shocked at the amount of different things they can do in the store,” she said.

Creating space for parties, community events

Rudig said the boutique’s lower level is another key part of their overall vision.

Customers, she said, can rent the space to host their own party or, if preferred, have the sisters handle all of the planning.

“We both have planned our kids’ birthday parties, and I was the head of the PTL (Parent Teacher League) at my daughter’s school for eight years,” she said. “We’re very crafty and love to do party planning, so we definitely wanted to include that in our shop.”

The sisters said the basement space will also host bracelet-making activities, drop-in craft events and community gatherings throughout the year.

Learning the business together

Though Schroeder brought years of retail experience to the business, both sisters said the process of launching a boutique came with a steep learning curve.

“There is a fine line between ordering enough and ordering too much [of something] and being stuck with merchandise,” Rudig said.

Though fruitful, Rudig said their first apparel market experience in Dallas proved especially overwhelming.

“We walked in dazed and left [the market] dazed and confused,” she said. “But I feel like we already have such better heads on our shoulders now. We have more confidence in the decisions we made for the items we purchased and the amounts we purchased.”

Schroeder said they are now carefully tracking customer preferences as they refine inventory.

“Right now, we’re selling more girls’ [apparel] than boys’, and a year from now, we might look completely different,” she said.

Schroeder said they intentionally kept inventory broad at first to test customer demand.

“We are a little slim in each category because we want to see what people are drawn to,” she said. “Once we see those trends, we can hone in on the specific age groups and increase that as we go on. For now, make sure we have a little bit of everything – something for everyone.”

Rudig said one thing has become clear early on: shoppers love the boutique’s “squishy” toys.

“It’s the ‘squishy phenomenon,’” she said. “There’s not one thing we sell more [of] than squishies.”

Rudig said the store has also found success with the Meela and Rose clothing line, particularly its popular “twirl dresses.”

“Those are super popular, and they have fun and different designs,” she said. “Now, they have a boys’ line and babies’ line, and we’re dabbling in that as well.”

The sisters said they also intentionally avoid duplicating inventory offered by neighboring businesses.

“We’re careful not to step on other people’s toes,” Rudig said. “It’s a small town, and it wouldn’t do anybody any good to have the same things.”

Sisters balancing strengths

The co-owners said working together has allowed each of them to lean into their individual strengths.

“I come from a retail background with a lot of merchandising, so I have had fun with that,” Schroeder said.

Rudig said she initially handled more of the financial side of the business.

“I started out where I was more of a money manager,” she said. “[Delaney] is so good at making a space look complete. I get overwhelmed, and she will have it in her mind, and after she does it, I’m like, ‘Oh, that looks awesome.’”

The sisters said their shared vision has made collaboration easier.

“We both have the same vision for what we want the store to look like and brands we carry,” Schroeder said.

Furthermore, Rudig said family dynamics also help them navigate challenges.

“I wouldn’t want to do this with someone who wasn’t my family,” she said. “We give each other more grace and know each other really well. Even with our quirks, we can be understanding.”

The sisters said their relationship has evolved significantly over time.

“We weren’t friends a lot growing up, and now that we have kids and are more mature, we appreciate each other for who we are,” Schroeder said.

Though they have two very different personalities, Rudig said “we vibe so well.”

“If one of us doesn’t have something in mind, the other does,” she said.

Schroeder said some people questioned whether going into business with a sibling was wise, but the sisters said the partnership has worked naturally.

Downtown momentum

Finding the right downtown location, Schroeder said, was critical.

“We knew we didn’t want it anywhere other than Main Street,” she said. “It’s really great down here, and we feel like we would struggle if we weren’t on a main drag.”

Knowing they could not move forward with the boutique until Rudig sold her other business and was able to spend more time in the area – given the logistics of her location – the sisters said the timing worked out perfectly when the storefront became available.

Rudig said they secured the location in October 2025 shortly after hearing about its availability.

She said the landlord worked with them and gave them time to make it their own before opening. 

The sisters said support from the community has exceeded expectations.

“From being 24 years removed from the area, the welcoming we have received since opening…, it wouldn’t be like that anywhere else from a small town,” Rudig said.

The sisters said downtown Waupaca’s growth and collaboration among businesses have also helped drive traffic.

The new distillery location, three-dimensional print shop and boutique nearby, as well as long-standing stores and businesses along the street, they said, have all contributed to this.

In addition, Rudig said downtown events have played a major role in the boutique’s momentum, whether it’s community events such as artwalks, farmers’ markets or other offerings.

That, in turn, she said, has provided exposure throughout the region, including Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Green Bay.

“There are people who want a girls’ day, and want to go walk around and shop in Waupaca as it’s such a cute little town,” she said. “People are drawn to the quaintness.”

However, Rudig said their biggest measure of success remains community connection.

“We are taking the time to do things the right way from the beginning,” she said.

Navigate to April & Mae’s on Main’s Facebook page for details.