Waldenbooks in Bowling Green will close in January as part of its parent company’s plan to shutter stores across the nation.

Borders Group Inc., the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain, said Thursday it will close about 200 Waldenbooks and Borders Express Stores to make the chain more profitable.

The closings will cut about 1,500 jobs across the nation. Officials at the local Waldenbooks declined comment and would not reveal the number of employees at the Bowling Green store.

Bonnie Schmick, a spokeswoman for Borders Group, said she did not know the number of workers at the Bowling Green store, but officials are trying to place laid off employees at another Borders store. If they cannot relocate, workers will be offered a severance package, she said.

The Bowling Green Waldenbooks has operated in Bowling Green since 1979 and is in the Greenwood Mall. Mall officials could not be reached for comment.

Schmick said she could not comment on the Bowling Green store’s sales or how profitable it’s been, but “we made these decisions on a case by case basis,” she said. “There wasn’t one single piece of information that led to this store over the others.”

The company has been reducing its stores over the past few years as part of a program to cut rent expenses, generate more cash flow and make the business more profitable, she said.

It shut down 112 stores in the 2008 fiscal year and an average of about 66 stores each year between fiscal 2001 through 2007.

Borders, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., said the closings would leave about 130 stores in its Waldenbooks Specialty Retail unit, which includes Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores, still in business.

According to Schmick, the company is closing eight Borders outlet stores and the rest of the closings will impact mall stores. Currently, about 340 Waldenbooks operate within malls across the nation.

Borders’ chief rival, New York-based Barnes & Noble, said last month it would close all of its remaining 50 B. Dalton stores by the end of January.

But Borders said it expects a smaller Waldenbooks segment, with 130 stores, can be profitable.

“We believe there remains an opportunity to profitably operate a much smaller Waldenbooks segment that complements our core Borders superstore business and continues to serve readers in their communities,” said Borders CEO Ron Marshall in a statement.

Previously purchased gift cards will be valid as long as the stores remain open and at any Borders, Waldenbooks or Borders.com, the company said.

Borders shares rose 9 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $2.20 during aftermarket trading.

— The Associated Press contributed to this article.