The local downtown shops were open for their usual Saturday hours, but on small business Saturday business was not as usual.
The Missoula Downtown Association, in cooperation with the Downtown Business Improvement District, helped spread the word of an American Express founded holiday.
MDA distributed posters and door mats to businesses in the downtown area of Missoula who would agree to offer discounts to shoppers who went local the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day.
Local business owners, as well as local product buyers, agreed that buying local is an investment in your community, and joining the masses for “Black Friday,” is just no fun.
“I always think that putting money into the local economy is better than supporting large multinational corporations,” says one downtown shopper, “So that’s why I’m down here today.
“It brings awareness to people to shop small on Saturday and to remember small stores and downtown shopping,” says the owner of a downtown Missoula boutique.
Whatever their reasons for shopping on Saturday, Missoula is a better community for it.