Downtown Bozeman has always been a central place of gathering for locals, but recently received national recognition and has become a desirable destination for tourists. Last week, Downtown Bozeman Association and Prospera's Montana Women's Business Center hosted their quarterly "Women-Owned Business Tour" that features three stores where the owner gives a little background of their store and how they got to where they are today.

 The first stop was Girls Outdoors, owned by Sharon Duggar. Sharon has lived in Bozeman for over 28 years and found her inspiration for her store through the years of difficulty getting her hands on outdoor clothing that actually "fit" her body.  Relying on catalogs, the options were minimal. As enthusiasm grew for women in sports throughout the years, Sharon moved into her first location and relied on her loyal customers that valued her vision. Originally located on a side street off Main St, she always had her eye on a bigger location where she could expand her inventory and her clientele. When the opportunity was presented this past summer, she says it was a no-brainer to move to the corner of Main and Tracy. New customers from near and far come in almost every single day, making her business much more profitable. Sharon primarily carries women-specific lines such as Stonewear, and Isis which was started by two Vermont women. Sharon chooses her brands carefully and makes sure that they are suitable for any type of outdoor activity. The store has a wide variety of athletic clothes but is not solely an athletic store. With the recent expansion of this store, there is even more inventory to choose from including a great selection of handbags and hats.  The store has a Facebook site that lets its customers know about special events they have in the store, so go ahead and "like" Girls Outdoors!

The second stop was Head West located at 24 W. Main, owned by Tara Hall. Tara worked mostly in retail, paying her way through school to study Fashion Merchandise. She was also extremely passionate about fine art, which is why one of her first jobs was in an art gallery, which was in the same location Head West is in today. Tara’s story is unique because when the art gallery closed its doors, Tara and the original owner of Head West created the concept and built it from the ground up, but Tara was still just an employee of the store. One year ago, Tara became the sole owner of Head West and has witnessed her creation become one of the most visited stores in Downtown Bozeman. Her store is an eclectic mix of retail, but everything ties together under one umbrella.  She calls it "crossover western gear", which includes western clothing items for the everyday person. Head West carries new items and vintage and also does consignment and store credit. One of the biggest hidden gems in this store is its downstairs section which is all vintage clothing. Tara's store is definitely one of the most unique stores in Downtown Bozeman that should be visited by locals and tourists. Don’t forget to check out the back room full of Western boots!

The last stop of the day was at Country Bookshelf, one of Bozeman’s most recognized bookstores. The owner, Ariana Paliobagis also has quite an interesting story of how she became a successful owner. After graduating with a degree in English from MSU, she began teaching and working at the bookstore simultaneously. At the time, Country Bookshelf had a different owner that opened the store in 1957 and moved it to its current location in the 1980s. Ariana stopped teaching and purchased the store two years ago which has increased the strong presence this bookstore has in the community. Country Bookshelf is the largest independent bookstore in Montana and is a destination where many national and Montanan authors choose to have their first book signings. In the spring and summer, there are typically 1-4 events a week including book signings, children’s storytelling, and book clubs. Ariana's bookstore provides unbeatable customer service and is unlike any other bookstore in town. They carry books on the bestseller lists but also have items that are unexpected and unique. With every book handpicked by one of their employees, their inventory truly reflects what a Bozeman reader desires. The communities support for unique companies like Country Bookshelf helps her battle the ongoing challenge of dealing with big book powerhouses such as Amazon. If you are looking for any book, Country Bookshelf can help you find it even if they do not have it in the store. On their website, you can purchase all of their books as well as e-books. I highly recommend checking out their "staff picks" on the site!