"I think there's more of a downside for these not getting started," he said.

Toni Bishop agrees. When Malta's department store closed, residents had no place to shop for staples like socks, underwear or pajamas. When the idea of a community mercantile was raised, it was billed as investing in the small northern Montana town, Bishop said.

"Once people knew this is what we needed to do, it was impressive how many people came up," said Bishop, manager and buyer for the mercantile, Family Matters Inc.

The store opened in August 2000 and has had steady sales, she said, although it is not yet paying dividends to shareholders. Snowstorms this winter contributed to its best January and February ever, she said.

Acquiring the merchandise and being able to offer it at a reasonable price involves cooperative buying among the stores in Malta, Plentywood and Glendive, Bishop said.