In a letter to East Maitland Newsagency, the ABC said the decision had been made to begin a phased exit from its portfolio of ABC Shop properties and his franchising licence would be terminated in February 2016.

“ABC shops have been around for more than 30 years and our outlet here is still very popular with our customers. There is a lot of sentiment attached to these shops,” newsagency manager Daniel Swan said.

“And I know a lot of people buy things online these days, but there are also a lot of people who don’t.”

The ABC has released a statement that said the strategy aligned with the changing retail environment as ­consumers increasingly accessed content digitally through subscription services and downloads and bought products online.

“The ABC shops have been an important part of the ABC’s relationship with its audience for the past 35 years and this decision has not been taken lightly,” ABC Commercial ­director Robert Patterson said.

“However, this strategy will create a more cost-effective, nimble and flexible approach to servicing ­customers.

This direction is also in keeping with the shift of ABC audiences to accessing contact across an array of digital platforms, while maintaining an appropriate level of physical retail distribution.

“The ABC is confident that this new strategy will ensure continued ­audience engagement. Consumers will still be able to purchase much-loved content both online and in stores.”