Over the next several months a lot of Bose retail store employees are going to be out of a job as the audio equipment company drastically scales back its retail presence.

As The Verge reports, Bose has decided to close all of its retail stores in Australia, Europe, Japan, and North America. That's 119 stores in total. The reason for this decision, according to Bose, is "the dramatic shift to online shopping in specific markets."

The reference to specific markets is key because Bose intends to continue operating the other 130 retail stores it has spread across Greater China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as stores in India, Southeast Asia, and South Korea. Clearly there's enough footfall and sales happening in those markets to keep the stores viable.

When explaining the decision for the closures, Colette Burke, vice president of Global Sales at Bose said, "Originally, our retail stores gave people a way to experience, test, and talk to us about multi-component, CD and DVD-based home entertainment systems ... At the time, it was a radical idea, but we focused on what our customers needed, and where they needed it – and we're doing the same thing now. It's still difficult, because the decision impacts some of our amazing store teams who make us proud every day. They take care of every person who walks through our doors – whether that's helping with a problem, giving expert advice, or just letting someone take a break and listen to great music. Over the years, they've set the standard for customer service. And everyone at Bose is grateful."

Bose intends to offer affected employees severance and outplacement assistance as each store closes. After that, Bose products will continue to be widely available in Australia, Europe, Japan, and North America, but not from Bose retail stores anymore.