Business phone system for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana

Supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana by the numbers

County Business Patterns counts 260 establishments in Montana classified as Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores (NAICS 445110) for 2023. They employed 10,365 people in mid-March and reported $322.6 million in annual payroll. That is the 40th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Supermarkets and grocery stores make up 0.61% of the 42,566 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Montana has 22.9 supermarkets and grocery stores, 23.5% above the national rate of 18.5. The average establishment has 39.9 employees against 44.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $31,121, 4.4% above the U.S. figure of $29,817.

Where supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana are concentrated

Census published grocery store counts for 7 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Montana. The largest is Bozeman, MT, with 30 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 52% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana

13.9% of Montana's supermarkets and grocery stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 32.9% nationally. 24.3% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Why the phone matters for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana

Independent grocers take calls about stock, deli and bakery orders, and departments need calls routed to them. Holiday orders bring call peaks. That holds for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana as much as anywhere.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana:

• A customer calls about a product in stock.
• The store calls a customer when an order is ready.
• A customer calls about hours.

What supermarkets and grocery stores text about

Grocers text order-ready notices.

Texting from a local number in Montana requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana

Supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana average 39.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 40-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 40 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $1,200.00 a month and 40 on Ooma Office Pro cost $998.00. Callata comes to $799.00 a month for 40 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $4,812 less than RingCentral for a grocery store in Montana of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Montana

Montana has 1 geographic area code in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a grocery store can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Montana is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.