LifeWay Christian Resources announced this week it plans to close all 170 of its brick and mortal retail locations by the end of 2019.

The Southern Baptist Christian publishing company is based in Nashville and has six locations in Mississippi.

Magnolia State locations include: Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Meridian, Southaven and Tupelo.

“LifeWay is fortunate to have a robust publishing, events and church services business. Our retail strategy for the future will be a greater focus on digital channels, which are experiencing strong growth,” said acting President and CEO Brad Waggoner. “LifeWay is moving into a new era with a strategic digital focus that will prepare us for the future and allow us to better serve our customers.”

The company plans to continue to operate online.

LifeWay was founded in 1891 and today has its products used in more than 160 countries.