Shop Local Day will be held Saturday in Gloucester and Mathews counties. Organizers said the event is a time to focus on the importance of how local businesses positively impact the community.

Sponsored by Chesapeake Bank, the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, and Mathews County businesses, the event is intended to emphasize the importance of shopping in our communities instead of in nearby areas. Dollars spent here, said Paula Milsted, director of marketing for Chesapeake Bank, stay in the local area and don’t go to some large out-of-state business that might have a local presence.

The promotional effort is aimed at small businesses, Milsted said, who are major players in providing many specialty services and jobs in the region.

As of Friday, 81 Gloucester merchants and 41 in Mathews had signed up to participate in the effort, she said. Some businesses were having Shop Local promotions on more days than this Saturday, with product discounts, drawings, refreshments and ot...