Montana’s Colossal Growth And The Volatile Chain Store Argument

Why aren't there more 'big box' and larger chain stores in Montana's fastest growing small towns? Suburbs such as Belgrade, Montana used to be bedroom communities to larger towns like Bozeman. Now, they're booming little cities that need more retail...maybe.

Some residents yearn for more retail variety in their smaller towns. Other folks (usually longtime locals), would like to keep the big box chain stores out. Keep the retail stores as local as possible. Let the bigger towns get generic. Protect the charm.

Who's right? Who knows. Convenience and access to retail is a good thing, in theory. But the flipside of growth and development can be those same towns losing whatever unique identity they've enjoyed for decades. It all depends on who you ask.

Let's face it - no matter how you feel about chain and big box type stores, once you become a town/city that has a ton of them - you are just like all the other towns across America that has those same stores.

For instance, as of March 2024, Aldi had 2,361 locations in 38 states. Why couldn't a town like Belgrade support one? (Or something like it..)

QUESTION: "Why doesn't a booming town such as Belgrade, Montana have more large store shopping? We actually NEED some chain stores here." (posted in a local online forum)

• "Because it's Montana and we rather enjoy the beauty of the mountains than endless strip malls."
• "There are more than enough stores...not sure what your looking to buy or why you couldn't find it here..."
• "It’s crazy how people move to Montana, then complain that it’s not like where they came from."

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The responses against more chain stores or a big box store were far more prevalent than responses in support. The "keep it local" crowd was large. But the opinions on both sides are getting stronger.

• "You clearly didn't grow up anywhere around here. Go back to California, Texas, Georgia, or wherever. Enjoy your trash, generic, corporate greed there."
• "Belgrade is in desperate need of some affordable competition. More choices would be good for everyone's budgets. Local is great and all but it's not realistic."
• "Is that really going to make the Gallatin Valley a better place? To be like everywhere else? We used to have a bunch of really awesome locally owned, non-big box shops with owners who lived and played and spent their money locally."
• "Because we prefer to buy things from local shop owners."
• "Because the people actually from Montana don't want that sh**, move somewhere bigger and leave us alone. Maybe take some people with you."

Obviously, larger chain stores have a complex formula they use to determine what markets across the country make sense for them to expand to. Distance to their existing stores also plays a huge part.

• "I enjoy the small-town feel we've got now. I just go into Bozeman if i need more than just food."
• "Stop huffing consumerism, it's bad for your financial, mental, physical, and environmental health."
• "I’d rather see more locals opening up businesses. Why would you purposely support big corporate greed?"
• "Montana is a few decades behind and if you really want that stuff move to a place that has it. We like being far behind. More peaceful that way."
• "Oh good lord, go live somewhere else if you don’t like it."
• "Personally I prefer small mom and pop places over large commercial chains. I can’t speak for everyone but that has been a value of this area for a long time."
• "Because it’s Montana. We’ve never had any of that. Don’t spoil it."

These days, the question of how to retain employees at large retail is huge. The math of pay to cost of living rarely makes sense for residents. And, to make THAT math make sense for an employee to pay their bills, it probably doesn't make a profit for a big chain - or at least not enough in their eyes.

• "I strongly suspect that many chains, especially restaurant chains, avoid the area because they can't or won't pay enough to retain employees for very long. This is a really expensive place to live."
• "Then go shop somewhere else? Let's not screw this town up any worse..."
• "We don’t need any! That’s why! If you cannot shop in Bozeman, Billings, Helena or any of the other towns, you should leave, because you have no idea how to live the country life. People like you are ruining a wonderful place."
• "Do you want that? Why?"
• "The City of Belgrade has so many projects that will be up and coming but they’ve had to focus on infrastructure to make the city run properly with all the growth."
• "Can’t even get people to work at the stores they already have."

Some respondents indicated that local government might have a lot more to do with it than simply economics. City Councils can make a company jump through lots of hoops to set up shop, OR remove obstacles to make it easier.

• "We ballooned in population without the infrastructure to support it."
• "Like it or not... this city is dead set against chain stores. In 1994 for Walmart to build in Bozeman it had to bend to the point that it was only the second store in the country to not be a flat, square red blue and gray building."
• "Wait for it, in the next 5 years it will be completely different."
• "Our existing stores are struggling, our line employees need multiple jobs to survive, building an empty strip mall can't help. We need to catch up and bring our economy back into balance first."
• "It's just not wanted here, unfortunately"
• "Belgrade is open for business though, it’d be nice if Belgrade could get some more restaurants and some better shopping. I hate having to drive into Bozeman to get errands done."
• "It’s mostly a cost issue, whether it’s the cost of land or the cost of staffing, it’s above what investors are willing to risk."
• "The old lumberyard would have been a fantastic opportunity to be turned in a renovated shopping center. With cute stores, art stores, fabric shops, tourism shops, museums, information centers, and so forth."

The debate will continue forever, I suppose. But will a place like Belgrade, Livingston, or Anaconda keep it's small town charm with a Waffle House? An IKEA? A Red Lobster? I have a feeling we'll find out, eventually.