Red Group Retail, which owns both Borders and Angus & Robertson, has been in administration since 17 February and the latest development will see the Borders franchise in Australia completely closed down by 17 July.

Administrator John Melluish said the nine remaining stores are closing because no buyers had emerged for the Borders outlets.

“The employees have shown extraordinary commitment in their efforts to keep the business going,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the reasons for the store closures are beyond their control.”

Griffin Press national sales manager Warren Griffin said that the PMP-owned book printer has already seen slight reductions in order numbers with publishers buying in a more “cautious” manner.

“It obviously concerns us because it is a set of book shops that won’t exist anymore, and even though it is further along the line this definitely affects us,” he said

Griffin added that the company had geared its business model toward shorter runs, with the upcoming installation of a HP T350 press being part of this commitment.

Victorian-based book printer McPherson’s said that it was bracing for a reduction in numbers, but added that the impact would not be too drastic.

National sales manager Greg Brown said: “We envisage there will be some impact, but we are too far removed to know exactly how much.”

ProPrint has previously reported that Geon and PMP face a $1.7m exposure in the wake of the administration.

Angus & Robertson’s 61 locations and Borders’ website currently remain in operation.

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