Three words: bulk toilet paper.
Costco may hail from the land of big box corporatism, but it puts a highly marketable spin on one-stop shopping. A single trip will net customers enough shredded beef, chocolate covered raisins and boxed sets of Bogie flicks to outlast the next ice age-and anyone trying to cut the carbon emissions from those weekly jaunts to Target or K-Mart will agree that’s a huge plus. Missoula’s truly a green-savvy town when locals opt to get the next three months of meals and those back-to-school supplies locked in without putting unnecessary miles on the old pickup.
Costco: 3220 N. Reserve; 721-1535;
www.costco.com
FINALISTS:
2. Target:
2420 N. Reserve;
543-4000;
www.target.com
3. Best Buy:
2640 N. Reserve;
829-0409;
www.bestbuy.com