Retail | The Montana Statesman

Skyline of Missoula, Montana, with surrounding hills

Montana Business

From a Klondike Detour to a New Sign: The End of the Bob Ward's Name in Bozeman

Bob Ward's started in Missoula in 1917. Bought by Utah's Al's Sporting Goods in 2022, its Bozeman store will close in December and reopen under the Al's name.

The Wellman Block at 206 East Main Street in White Sulphur Springs, Montana

Montana Business

Work Pants, a Cow Pasture Festival and $210,000 in Grants: Red Ants Pants Turns 20

Sarah Calhoun opened Red Ants Pants in White Sulphur Springs in October 2006. Twenty years on, the women's workwear company also runs a music festival and a rural foundation.

Abstract navy and red geometric graphic for a story on the founding of Costco

National Business

The Hot Dog Stand Warehouse: How Costco Started in Seattle in 1983

Costco opened its first warehouse in Seattle in 1983 with a narrow product list and no advertising. The model has barely changed.