Community-owned stores are popular in Europe and even in the Western United States. Some Saranac Lake residents liked the idea so much, they brought it to their own community. With controversy surrounding the addition of a larger department store to the area, officials thought the community-owned store was a better solution. In this week's Your Hometown, our Cara Thomas headed to Saranac Lake, where residents said a small version of a Department Store has brought the community closer together.

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FRANKLIN COUNTY, N.Y. -- Saranac Lake prides itself on its small town atmosphere, with small local shops and welcoming personalities. But like every town, it has its positives and negatives.

Resident Charlene McCullouch said, “I live in an area where the closest department store is 50 miles in any direction."

And when the local Ames department store went out of business in 2002, many people in the community shared this concern.

Retail Options Committee Board President Melinda Little said, “There have been times over the last nine years since Ames has closed where gee it would have been nice to go, blah blah blah that we now have here at the store."

The Community Store has been open for a little over a month and supplies the community with many of their home and clothing essentials. Offering all the big name brands like Hanes and Dickies for the locals to rely on.

General Manager Craig Waters said, “Hopefully this offers a nice destination for customers to come in and enjoy the shopping experience."

An experience that offers a little something special, compared to a normal department store. It tries to have more emphasis on customer service and incorporating local products, even though the product selection may not be as big.

"Maybe not a lot of things, but there are certainly little niches we can fall into the maybe a Walmart or Target can't just because of the size,” said Waters.

The idea began five years ago. A group of local community members created the Retail Options Committee. They decided the Community Store best fit the void that Ames Department Store had left.

Little said, "We're here to fill voids, we're not here to put anyone else out of business so to really go head to head we want to work together."

And working together is exactly what the community did to make this store a reality, as it is the community members who own the store. Buying $100 shares into the business.

"I am 100 percent behind it! I don't own a share but I would love to,” said McCullouch.

And the community store employees said the response has been outstanding.

"So far people have said this is a nice addition and those are kind words and I appreciate them very much,” said Waters.

Melinda Little is the President of the Committee Board. She said the store's first month has been a huge success.

"The proof in the pudding is we need to have at least a year under our belt to see whether we are succeeding or not,” said Little, "Our vision is that we'll be an anchor for the rest of the retailers here and spear head some initiatives which we're already talking about for after the holidays."

Like selling an assortment of gift cards in the community store to promote the other local businesses.

Waters said, “I think that was our whole premise was what can we do to work in conjunction with, not in competition with."

Making the store a place not only for the immediate community of Saranac Lake, but reaching out to the surrounding areas as well.

McCullouch said, "I think it's multi faceted. It's putting Saranac Lake on the map. It's getting noticed from other places which is great."

Store employees said they are always looking for ways to improve the store. All suggestions are taken into consideration to make the Community Store as successful as possible.

The Community Store is striving to not only help their local economy, but the nation's as well. Store employees do their best to purchase American-made products as well as art and books from local talent.