SA textbook business to close

About 80 people are set to lose their jobs with the closure of a South Australian university textbook business.

The Adelaide University Union will close its eight not-for-profit Unibooks stores and head office next year because of rising online sales and skyrocketing textbook prices.

"It's trundling along at the moment but it's in decline and the whole market of the textbook sector is in decline," AUU general manager Dianne Janes told ABC radio on Thursday.

She said Unibooks had done everything possible to remain viable.

"It's got a fantastic online presence now. They do everything they can to stay in front of the game," Ms Janes said.

"They're offering ebooks when they're available but the reality is the publishers have hiked their prices up enormously in the last two years alone to the tune of 20 or 30 per cent in some cases."

"I think they're really doing what a dying industry does and try and milk what they can out of it while it's still going, but it's hit students' pockets really hard."

The University of Adelaide said it did not want to see students disadvantaged by Unibooks' closure.

"We will be keen to see the decision does not adversely affect our students by exploring the provision of course materials through a variety of means," it said in a statement.