We submit some pretty sound reasons to take your shopping dollars to the small, one-of-a-kind businesses owned by your fellow Parker residents.

The media helicopters were circling at the 1996 opening of Park Meadows—freshly dubbed “Colorado’s only retail resort.” And it actually was a newsworthy project. Instead of just tossing up another boxy shopping behemoth, the developers went with a classic mountain theme, using lots of stone and timber, big cushy seats, an appealing mix of restaurants, …