Saturday’s Shop Local Day was a big success, according to Paula Milsted, director of marketing for Chesapeake Bank, which co-sponsored the event locally with the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce.

Milsted said 83 Gloucester businesses and 43 in Mathews took part in the promotion. A total of 337 businesses throughout Chesapeake Bank’s footprint of the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula and Williamsburg participated, she said, with some offering specials beyond the single Shop Local Day.

“We saw a lot of new faces coming in,” said Adrienne Haaf, certified pharmacy technician at Hudgins Pharmacy in Mathews. The store offered a 10 percent discount on gift items that day, Haaf said, and many people stocked up on gifts and cards.

A lot more customers than usual stopped by Dilly Dally Emporium in Mathews on Saturday, said owner Karyn Austin. She said the expanded toy selection was well received, as were gift items. Austin surprised customers with a mystery discount, as ...