Driving to Montana to shop

[Drummer]

My wife wants to drive down to Montana to check out US Target, Walmart, JC Penny etc. Any advice on what to do or where to go? Neither of us have been there.

[scottish_flame]

Don't.

[ZedMan]

Yeah, keep in mind the entire population of the state is less than Calgary's alone, it's not exactly a shopping destination.

[Slava]

Basically Great Falls is the closest. You're looking at about 5 hours and they have a mall that had most of that and a Target down the same road.

[bluck]

I went to School in Lethbridge and Montana was a short drive. Definitely not a place to shop... Hit up Cross Iron Mills if you're bargain shopping. It'll be 10x what Montana has to offer.

[scottish_flame]

Originally Posted by bluck

I went to School in Lethbridge and Montana was a short drive. Definitely not a place to shop... Hit up Cross Iron Mills if you're bargain shopping. It'll be 10x what Montana has to offer.

Same. I went to great falls for a weekend because everyone said go there. One of the worst places I've ever went to

[InSutterWeTrust]

I have gone to Great Falls and Kalispell, I would recommend Kalispell.
Kalispell has a newer Target and Walmart, they also have a Costco. The drive to Kalispell is a little more exciting than Great Falls. But Great Falls does have a Sonic, Kalispell does not. Think Great Falls drive is about 5 hours, Kalispell about 5.5 hours.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Montana is awesome. That is all.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Montana is awesome. That is all.

Montana is just beautiful, and aside from shopping, the fly fishing is really good. Then you have Yellowstone and Glacier. Really there are a lot of reasons to head to Montana, even if shopping isn't one of them.

[ExiledFlamesFan]

I don't see the appeal of driving 5 hours to go to Walmart or Target.

[Tyler]

This is something I'll never get.. you live in the largest metropolitan area within a couple thousand km radius, a city that is home to a vast selection of shopping in each corner of the city, yet people want to drive 5+ hours to one of the least populated urban states in the entire union to save $8 off of t-shirts at Target.

[vegasbound]

I go down to Kalispell quite often but.... it's because one of my best friend's lives there. I like to shop there, definitely, and will load up on some stuff before coming back to Canada but honestly, I wouldn't go down there just strictly to shop. Kalispell also has no tax which is a bonus!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Montana is awesome. That is all.

Montana is great for golfing.

[ken0042]

Another vote for Kalispell, especially in the summer when mountain roads are not an issue. In addition to the stores mentioned, they also have a Best Buy.

And US shopping isn't just about saving a few bucks- for me it's about buying things that we cannot buy in Calgary. It doesn't matter that Calgary is bigger than Montana, MT is part of a supply chain that is 8 times bigger than Canada on a smaller footprint.
(I say this as I take a sip of my Cherry Coke.)

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by ken0042

And US shopping isn't just about saving a few bucks- for me it's about buying things that we cannot buy in Calgary.

Yeah that's what it is for me. I don't go down to Kalispell specifically to shop, but any time I'm going down there I usually order a ton of things I can't get in Canada, or something I'm saving a lot on, and ship it to the border to coincide with my trip.

That said, +1 for Kallispell over Great Falls. All you're going to get is big box type stores in either though (which it sounds like she's looking for). Stop in Whitefish for a pint or some food. Great little town.

[calgarygringo]

Been to Great Falls several times and many more to Kalispell. I wouldn't just go for the shopping unless a bigger dollar item is cheaper down there but would go for a nice vacation with awesome scenery and a little shopping. Take several days and enjoy Glacier Park, Whitefish etc. and pick up a few things while there. Great falls we found pretty boring, no scenery and not much to do besides eat, shop and drink.

Remember after 48 hours you can bring some good dollars back duty free and can make it worth while on the right items as we have done that a few times and saved a bundle. If you are just going for clothes and kids stuff stay home and just go to Cross Iron as suggested.

[GGG]

Spokane,

7.5 hrs away,

Has real malls that have the full selection if stores including a Nordstoms rack, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Nordstroms rack being the best outlet store there is. At least half of it is real product and not the made for outlet stuff you get at cross iron or other outlet malls. Also if you show an alberta Drivers license you get a tax exception from the state tax.

But to really shop in the states you need to go as far as Seattle and hit the Tululip outlet mall plus Nordstom racks. Only 11-12 hrs away and you can hit a baseball, football or Soccer game while you are there and enjoy a nice weekend in a great city.

Dont go to great falls unless your purpose is to buy a TV or a car that saves you more money than the gas and time to go down there.

[Brendone]

Originally Posted by GGG

Spokane,

7.5 hrs away,

Was going to post the same thing. We do the Spokane / Seattle trip every couple of years for shopping and Columbia Valley wine. Plus the 7.5 hour drive to Spokane is so much better than the 4 to Montana, with some nice stops along the way (Ivanos in Sandpoint is pretty tasty Italian), and Clinkerdaggers in Spokane is a pretty nice dinner spot. Great shops as mentioned, and I would add Cost Plus World Market as a must for house stuff.

[tvp2003]

For those who prefer Kalispell over Great Falls -- two words: Cafe Rio

As someone who goes to Montana two or three times a year, here's what I can tell you: US prices and US selection don't compare to Canada. Specialty food items, clothing, electronics, etc. etc. etc. And if you do it smart, you can effectively subsidize your trip with the money you save (the exchange rate has gone up in the past year, but MT also has no state sales tax). I remember when we purchased some bigger baby things -- a $250 item would be $150, $200 item was $125, etc... That adds up.

For higher end, I agree that the closest place is probably Spokane. Great outlet shopping in the Seattle area as well. However, the OP posted about Walmart, Target, and JCP, so here are my tips:

- Great Falls has all three stores, and they all offer free site to store shipping if you want to pre-purchase online. Kalispell also has all three, but I prefer Great Falls because the drive is easy and stress free. The drive to Kalispell is more scenic, but I'll take the straight flat two lane divided highway/interstate if the point is getting from A to B
- GF does not have a Costco though -- you'd have to go down to Helena (which also has a Macy's and TJ Maxx). Kalispell also has a few other stores that GF doesn't, like Best Buy
- Walmart has tons of additional items you can order online -- just order a few weeks in advance and you have 14 days to pick them up after they arrive
- GF also has an Old Navy and a Ross (think Winners, but the prices are all 30-40% cheaper than in Canada)
- We usually go for a long weekend (3-4 days), which allows you to bring back up to $750 per person tax/duty free (must be out of Canada for a minimum 48 hours)
- I also order a bunch of stuff on eBay and can save a lot of money on postage and duty by shipping packages to Sweetgrass and picking them up on the way (if you're going to Kalispell they have a location in Eureka). With the increased tax exempt limits for a stay over 48 hours, the only issue is usually trunk space!

Happy to share tips and/or answer any specific questions you might have. I think it's worth it, even after you factor in hotel, food, gas, etc. We treat it like a holiday -- kids enjoy staying in a hotel room and we like getting out of town.

[macker]

Would much rather buy to the limit and then periodically drive to Babb only 2 hours and 40 minutes away. I love visiting Montana but for shopping that is the only way to go. Amazon.com alone has caused me to make this trip numerous times