Bose Closing 119 Retail Stores Worldwide

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham-based Bose will close 119 retail stores around the world in the coming months due to a "shift to online shopping in specific markets," the company has said. Bose has two stores in Massachusetts at the Burlington Mall and the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets.

The Bose store closures will affect locations in North America, Japan, Australia, and Europe. But the company will maintain about 130 stores in Asia and the Middle East.

There are no figures for how many employees will be let go. Bose opened its first retail stores in the early 1990s. The company will still sell its speakers, headphones, and other peripheries online and in stores like Best Buy.

The Bose announcement is just the latest in a long line of closures hitting the U.S. retail scene. Other recent closures affecting Massachusetts include A.C. Moore, Macy's, Friendly's, and local pizza chain Papa Gino's.