Stores in downtown Missoula opened early Saturday to mark the 5th annual Small Business Saturday.

NBC Montana reports Missoula resident Christine Lustik, who was shopping in Missoula Saturday, said the day highlights a healthy downtown.

"Missoula has what I consider to be a vibrant downtown and I think one of them is because we have so many successful small businesses down here that have really been here for a lot of years," Lustik said.

An employee at a downtown business said one of their main goals is to support he downtown community.

"We've done Black Friday in the past, but this year we decided to for small business because we support so much local artists that it only made sense."

According to the Governor Steve Bullock's office, for every dollar spent at a local business, 68 cents stays in the community, compared to 43 cents at chain stores.

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