Owner Kathryn Bancroft said while the store’s ABC Centre licensing will come to end in about six months, it won’t affect the independent bookstore, which will continue as it is.

The ABC has announced the closure of 50 ABC stores and 78 ABC Centres within retailer outlets around Australia.

Books Plus has had an ABC Centre since 1989.

Ms Bancroft said the store wanted to be involved because of the strength of the ABC brand. 

“At the time there were only one or two ABC shops and we could see there was a real demand for their products,” Ms Bancroft said.

Books Plus had only opened in Bathurst the year before. 

ABC managing director Mark Scott said digital downloads and the rapid growth of online retail have sounded the death knell for the ABC’s national network of stores.

He said the bedrock of the ABC stores’ book, CD and DVD retailing had changed fundamentally and the 35-year-old chain could not trade profitably into the future.

“Even when the ABC network closes we will pretty much stay the same as we are now,” Ms Bancroft said.

“We will still be able to access the suppliers they currently have. We just won’t have that ABC branding.”

She said Books Plus had been moving away from using the ABC branding for a while anyway and focusing instead on the fact that it is an independent bookstore. 

Ms Bancroft said to her the most important thing is to make sure the store remains in business in Bathurst. 

“We have found that being an independent bookshop is more meaningful to people,” she said.

“We have good support from people in Bathurst.”

Ms Bancroft said the Buy Local cards have been working well for the store.

She feels the gift cards have been giving people an interest in shopping in their local community because there are so many places that redeem them. 

“They are ideal for people living in Bathurst,” she said. 

She said the weakening Australian dollar was also making online shopping less attractive.