A POPULAR Bewdley bookshop has fallen victim to the recession and will be closing down, with the loss of four jobs.

Bewdley Books will close its doors on Christmas Eve, after 26 years of business in the town.

Helen Jones, who owns the independent store with her husband, Glen, said competition from supermarkets and the internet was also to blame for the closure.

She explained that sales plummeted last year but the store was kept open in a final bid to try and save the business.

“We’re having to close because we have to pay more for our books, which is why we can’t sell them as cheap as other bookstores,” Mrs Jones explained. “Supermarkets have taken a lot of our trade.”

She added that she was upset about closing the shop and was grateful to the customers for their support.

“This was a long and hard decision,” she explained, “It’s something that we’ve had to think really seriously about because we are aware of the value the bookshop has in the town.

“We have had a lot of people from Bewdley and the surrounding areas who have supported us over the years but unfortunately that support wasn’t enough,” she said, “We really needed the support of Bewdley and other areas.”

She explained that staff were not surprised when told of the closure, as they were aware of plummeting sales.

“We’re sad that we’ve had to make the decision,” she said, “We’ve enjoyed having the shop.”

She added that people would miss going into the store for a chat, the staff’s product knowledge and its support of local authors.

The news of the closure will come as a blow to Bewdley, which already has four empty shops.

Peter Miller, managing director of the Bewdley Development Trust said it was currently looking at an empty shops strategy to encourage temporary use of empty premises for the benefit of the community.

He added: “Any vacant premises does effect the feeling of the town and obviously that will be a concern.”

Meanwhile, HMV has opened up a short-lease store in Kidderminster, to cater for the demand in music, film and games in the run up to Christmas.

The shop, in Vicar Street, opened this month and will stay open for eight to 12 weeks.