May 3, 2023

Dick and Sandy Murphy are hoping for a dash of that fabled Irish luck.

After nearly 26 years, the owners of Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Gifts in downtown Sioux Falls are planning to retire in the coming weeks, and they’re hoping to find someone to carry on their legacy.

“I don’t want to see it be a liquidation of the inventory,” Dick Murphy said. “I want to see it go on and make a transition.”

They thought they had found a buyer, but a prospective deal didn’t come together, which has them looking for someone who shares their passion for Ireland and independent retail.

“It’s best if you have someone who has an Irish heritage versus someone who wants to buy a business,” Murphy said. “It’s a legacy.”

A passion for the country and a desire to become part of the downtown business community are key too.

After that, “it is a turnkey business,” Murphy said. “All the inventory and fixtures go along with the sale, so it’s not like they have to start over. And that’s inclusive of us holding their hand so there’s a nice transition. We want to introduce them to our wholesale contacts and suppliers, and give them a chance to get their feet on the ground and make it a success.”

The business is located in The Carpenter Building at 219 S. Phillips Ave.

Its lease goes until the end of June, “so that puts the timeline into some urgency,” Murphy said, adding he’s prepared to work with prospective buyers and provide detailed information about the business, which had its best year ever in 2022.

Mrs. Murphy’s hasn’t yet expanded into e-commerce, so that represents another growth opportunity, he said.

Beyond just his business, though, selling is important to the broader downtown retail climate, he said.

“I don’t want to see it get out of balance,” Murphy said. “It’s not just our store, but the whole neighborhood … they consider us part of the color of the neighborhood.”

At 75, he said he looks at his life in 25-year increments — his childhood and young adulthood, his career in health care, his time in retail, and “it’s time to live the next 25 years,” he said. “Doing things with the grandkids and doing traveling, and it’s time to move it to another family so they have time to do what we did the last 25 years.”