Serving the West: Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters Named to Prestigious Best-Of List

Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters has been serving the West since 1919. For three generations, the Taubert family has paired intentional customer service with exceptional quality products to earn the business and respect of their customers.

Located in the heart of downtown Casper, the beloved Western store recently gained national acclaim after being named in a New York Times (NYT) best-of list titled “The 50 Best Clothing Stores in America.”

Today, four Taubert siblings – Louis Jr., Anita, Robert and Frieda – keep the business thriving with the same values which have defined the Taubert retail legacy for more than a century.

Legacy of excellence

The story of Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters began in the early 1900s with the current generation’s grandfather C.W. Taubert. 

“My grandfather saw the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and came to America to be a cowboy,” says Louis Jr. “This is where we started.”

After arriving in America from Germany, C.W. made his way from Ellis Island to Wyoming where he found work as a ranch hand in Lusk.

C.W. moved to Fort Laramie and opened a hardware store in 1919, and thus began the Taubert retail legacy.

In the beginning, Louis Jr. says the store catered to all of the area’s agricultural needs – from tools and turpentine to gloves and horse collars. 

The working cowboy was Taubert’s first customer, Louis Jr. explains, and their influence on the business is still felt today. 

In 1947, C.W. went into business with his son Louis Sr. and began focusing more on Western apparel, bringing the family business and the name “Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters” to downtown Casper where it has remained since.

To this day, the store remains family-owned and operated, built upon a generational ethic of serving customers and providing quality products throughout every era.

“For 100 years and three generations, our family has worked hard to win your trust, confidence and warrant your business,” reads the store’s website. “A love for the West, superior service and quality merchandise will always be the backbone of our philosophy.”

Serving the West

Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters is currently operated by Louis Jr., Anita, Frieda and Robert. 

Louis Jr. notes two more siblings, Kurt and Carlene, play less of an active role in day-to-day operations but have nonetheless been instrumental in developing the business over the decades.

Shopping at Taubert’s has been likened to stepping back in time. Aside from functional renovations over the years, Louis Jr. says the store’s interior has remained largely unchanged from its original early 1900s design.

“We like the creak of the old hardwood floors, and we mesmerize our customers with our handwritten tickets,” he says. 

The exposed brick walls display Western artwork and photographs, as well as portraits of the Taubert family throughout the years.

The store spans an impressive nine big floors, offering a variety of Western wares to customers from all walks of life. 

Louis Jr. has fitted hats and boots for just as many tourists as he has cowboys, and all are welcomed to take part in the culture when they visit the store.

“It’s a lifestyle,” says Louis Jr. “You don’t have to wear a suit to be comfortable and do the business you want to do, whatever it may be.”

Taubert’s hand-picked selection is curated with the customer in mind, featuring items from more than 100 reputable Western merchants who make up their iconic “Corral O’ Famous Brands.”

Inventory is still recorded by hand – a method Louis Jr. credits as the best way to keep track of merchandise and cater to customer preferences. He also says it eliminates the headache of having to deal with modern machinery. 

“After doing this for 60 years, you get a pretty good feel for what your customers want,” says Louis Jr. “Our business has always been about the customer.”

National acclaim

In the age of online shopping, brick and mortar stores are closing across the country at an alarming rate. 

However, stores like Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters and others named in the NYT list stand to reason some things are better kept in-person.

The article compiles a list of small businesses which stand in a league of their own in terms of delivering quality customer service and exceptional products – all while keeping the spirit of in-person shopping alive in the modern age of e-commerce.

To compile the list, a team of 11 different NYT reporters and editors visited businesses across all 50 states in person, taking photographs and getting a real-life feel for each store.

Stores were narrowed down from an initial list of 120 contenders, and Taubert’s took the cake for the Cowboy State.

Louis Jr. is grateful Taubert’s made the list, calling the store’s mention “a real honor.” He says all credit is due to the store’s customers, noting their support has allowed the family to do what they love for so many years.

“Our customers are the reason we got this honor,” says Louis Jr. “We have the merchandise and the service, but it’s the customers who keep coming back and supporting us who have enabled us to have this nice honor.”

“We like what we do, and we plan to continue to do what we like to do,” he continues. “It’s been a good lifestyle for us, and we don’t have any thoughts on changing right away.”

Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.