New Site Encourages the Purchase of Downtown Chestertown Business Gift Cards

CHESTERTOWN, MD, – A new e-commerce portal makes it easier for the public to purchase gift certificates for downtown Chestertown shops and restaurants. Accessible from the Main Street website (mainstreetchestertown.org), Chestertown’s “Buy Now, Enjoy Later” webpage is one way for community members to support local businesses during the closures and service restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 health crisis.

Main Street administers the page for the two dozen participating businesses, absorbing the credit card and online processing fees and forwarding revenues to the shops on a weekly basis. Gift certificates will then be mailed to each purchaser.

Main Street Executive Director Kay MacIntosh credited Main Street communications manager Jodi Bortz and Treasurer Jeff Weber for their quick work in getting the site up and running. “The site launched midday Sunday and within 12 hours had received more than $2,000 in gift-certificate purchases,” she added. “That’s a great testament to the generosity of our community, and to the important role our independent businesses play in our quality of life.”

The two dozen Chestertown shops and restaurants participating in the e-commerce page are all located in the Historic District, which is the area the Main Street Chestertown program was created to promote and enhance. However, the webpage also includes a link to the county-wide “Buy Now, Enjoy Later” round-up of businesses that offer gift certificates.

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