Tidymans LLC, the Spokane-based supermarket chain, has bought the Helena County Market grocery store in Helena, Mont., bringing to 22 the number of stores it now operates.


Patty Kilcup, a Tidymans spokeswoman, says the chain decided to buy the store simply because it became available and Tidymans always is looking for opportunities to grow.


Tidymans bought the store from Helena-based Vans Inc. Kilcup declines to disclose the terms of the transaction.


Tidymans now operates nine County Market stores in Montana, including the recently purchased store in Helena, as well as Northwest Fresh Tidymans stores in both Kalispell and Missoula, Mont. Tidymans obtained the other eight County Market stores in Montana when it merged its retail stores with Supervalu Inc., the big Minnesota-based grocery distributor, in 1998.


County Market is a marketing collaboration of largely independently owned stores, and includes other supermarkets not operated by Tidymans.


Tidymans operates supermarketsunder the Tidymans, County Market, or IGA namein Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and employs more than 1,800 people.


Kilcup says the County Market store will retain all of its about 160 employees.