Are retail stores going away? At least 3,591 are closing their doors: Forbes.com

HHGregg announced all of its stores will be closing, which includes 17 in Indiana, and other major retailers — such as JCPenney, Macy's, Payless Shoes, RadioShack, Rue 21 and Sears to list a few — have also said they're closing stores.

"It's disheartening to see retailers go through such challenging times, driven primarily by the growth of the internet. I don't see that abating," said Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council.

In fact, e-commerce is the No. 1 reason retailers cite as the reason brick-and-mortar stores aren't doing so well right now, and across the United States, at least 3,591 stores are closing their doors, according to and article at Forbes.com. Several of the retailers are filing for bankruptcy as well, according to an IndyStar article published on April 19. It states this is "the worst period of retail closings since at least the Great Recession."

The reason? Online shopping.

Monahan said websites, such as Amazon, are distracting shoppers from going out to stores in person.

Internet shoppers also are contributing to the reasons that Kirlin's Hallmark is closing its Bedford store, according to Penny Marks, director of operations.

"Ultimately, it's sales," she said. "Sales have to support the cost of a lease. Sales in card shops have been declining for years."

Marks said the sales in stores have been declining because of people buying cards online. She also cited there's more competition now with grocery stores also selling cards.

However, the closings still upset customers, who prefer brick-and-mortar locations to online sales.

Sami Ragsdale, 51, French Lick, was shocked when she learned of Kirlin's would close its Bedford store.

"It seems like it's been here forever. I was probably here the day it opened," Ragsdale said. She grew up in Bedford, and she said she stops in at the local Kirlin's Hallmark 12 to 15 times a year.

"It's a convenience not only for younger folks, but the older ones can't always travel out of town, and Hallmark offers something for every occasion," Ragsdale added.

Aside from being a famous greeting card shop, the store also sells socks Ragsdale loves buying for family members, and it's where several local shoppers find Keepsake Ornaments.

Monahan emphasizes it's a tough retail world right now, and stores have to think outside of the box to stay in business.

"It's only going to get more challenging as we move forward for brick-and-mortar stores. They'll have to define new and unique ways to reach customers," he said.

For JCPenney, that means focusing more on specialty lines, such as Sephora and the Disney store. Though JCPenney announced it is closing several Indiana stores, Monahan said JCPenney's specialty partnerships have been successful for the most part.

In fact, Kathy Weatherford, manager of Bedford's JCPenney, confirmed that those specialty lines are one of the reasons Bedford's location is one of the stores in Indiana staying open.

"We service a pretty good area," Weatherford said. "What else do shoppers have within an hour-and-15-minute drive where they can get everything? We have appliances. We have toys. We have a salon. What else do they have where they can get all those things at one store?"

She said the closest JCPenney's to Bedford are in Seymour, Terre Haute, Jasper, Vincennes and Greenwood.

"And, what we don't have, we can order," she added. "There's over a million items online that we can have shipped to our store."

Neither Weatherford nor Monahan believe that brick-and-mortar stores will go away forever, but think the future of retail will change.

"I'm optimistic that (retailers will) find a way to bounce back. … It's important. It's important for the economy with property taxes, it's important for employment, it's important for the vibrancy of the community," Monahan said. "But nevertheless, the challenges are huge. … to stem people's desire to use shopping online rather than going to the mall.

"We'll just have to see how it plays out."