Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Curt and Donna Lambrecht, above, owners of Lambrecht’s Gifts, one of New Ulm’s favorite shopping destinations, are retiring and are in the process of selling their store.

NEW ULM — Curt and Donna Lambrecht, owners of Lambrecht’s Gifts, one of New Ulm’s favorite shopping destinations, are retiring and are in the process of selling their store at 119 N. Minnesota St. to Christina Schwab.

The Lambrechts have been mainstays in the New Ulm retail scene for more than 33 years. Innovators in developing the specialty shop community in town, they have been active in the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce and dozens of local non-profits.

“We have had a wonderful relationship with so many people in this community, which made coming to work each day fun,” said Curt. “Our customers and staff became like family.”

The store has been very successful, according to Curt, who says this year will be one of their best on record.

“However, we’ve reached an age where the amount of hours and the amount of climbing stairs have taken their toll. It’s time for us to work a bit less and enjoy life a bit more,” he said.

Window signs went up last night to advertise a retirement sale which begins at noon today and continues until the store empties, sometime in January. Lambrechts are offering all inventory at 25 percent off storewide. The store will close in February to give the new owner, Christina Schwab, an opportunity to re-decorate and update before the arrival of new spring merchandise.

“We wanted to find an enthusiastic new owner who could carry on the great tradition of the store and add an exciting new dimension,” Curt said. The Lambrechts feel they have found this in Schwab. She plans to continue carrying Lambrecht’s customers’ favorite lines and to add a variety of new eco-friendly products and children’s lines. The store’s new name will be “Inspired.”

“Change can be very exciting,” explained Curt. “This store began as a harness shop in 1898 and has evolved and changed in many ways since then. We thoroughly enjoyed being the third owner of this historic business and watching it grow. Now we are welcoming Christina as the fourth.”

Embracing change has been a key to their success, said Curt.

When the Lambrechts first bought the store, it was still a leather goods shop.

“We still had horse harnesses and dog collars and made custom-made belts,” said Curt. “As the years progressed, we went through changes of carrying bridal registries before Target and the rest of the world had bridal registries. We evolved into a store that carried seasonal products when decorating for all seasons became of interest. We carried collectibles when collectibles were big and moved on to home decor and now on to clothing and jewelry.”

Schwab has already been working at Lambrechts for the past few months and Curt will continue as a consultant for the next year to assist the new owner. Donna will continue her job as Executive Director of the United Way of the Brown County Area.

“We’ve truly enjoyed our 33 years in downtown New Ulm. We hope everyone will stop in to say goodbye, get a great deal at our sale and enjoy the magic of Lambrecht’s one last time,” Curt said.