Shoppers in Bathurst went through the same situation when Grace Bros left the town in 2004, leaving shoppers to continue buying from local boutiques, shop online, travel to the Orange store or go to Sydney.

Bathurst also missed out when Myer announced it was going to open 15 new stores in 2009.

Among those who witnessed the change was Bathurst Business Chamber president Stacey Whittaker who said there was a huge impact on the community.

“While we have a lot of boutique shops in our CBD, bigger brands like Myer and Grace Bros bring in a larger variety, for example my child likes certain brands you can only get at Myer,” Mrs Whittaker said.

“I think there still is a need for one in the Central West, I always shop local and the only time I shop out of town is to go to Myer in Orange which is now closing, or at Myer or David Jones in Penrith and you are always running into people from the Central West there.”

Department chain Harris Scarfe is moving into the Orange Myer store along with other speciality shops.

At the time Grace Bros closed in Bathurst it was Bathurst’s largest retailer. 

“It was tough on the local community, not only from us losing a great business but people are losing jobs as well,” Mrs Whittaker said.

“There had been a lot of people that had been there long term, a lot of people who had been there when it was Western Stores, people who had been there a long time, some did continue when it became Kmart down the track.”

Although she said it was not the only reason, Mrs Whittaker said online shopping would have played a part in the Orange Myer closure and in a recent trip to the Orange store she noticed the number of in-store discounts taking place to encourage more shoppers to enter the building.

“It’s getting people out of their house, no one has to leave their house now [with online shopping], I suppose it’s becoming a bit of a lazy society” she said.