One of my all-time favorite home decor stores announced this week that it is going out of business. Pier 1 Imports.
I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised.
The company earlier this year announced that it would be closing some of its stores and filed for bankruptcy.
Then the pandemic hit, putting a financial strain on non-essential businesses and hindering Pier 1’s ability to find a new buyer. Now the company is looking to close all of its stores.
People just aren’t buying furniture and housewares like they were decades ago. Nor are they spending the kind of money that one would need to shop at Pier 1.
Just this week I posted about shopping at the store’s clearance section for the Hayworth pieces I have been collecting over the years – smoky mirrored furniture reminiscent of the opulent Hollywood Regency era.
But even before the bankruptcy, I had a sense the store wouldn’t be around for long. So after John and I decided to buy the new house, I shopped for as many Hayworth pieces I could afford and moved them into storage until the house was done.
Over time I became known at the Pier 1 near my condo. The salespeople would see me walk in the door and immediately show me the newest Hayworth piece to move into the clearance section, sometimes offering an additional discount in order to unload the piece.
If it hadn’t been for my gut telling me to drop into the store to see what new pieces had been marked down and if it hadn’t been for the salespeople’s personalized service, I wouldn’t have the furniture I do and at the price I could afford.
If Pier 1 gets its way, it’ll dwindle down its inventory. And if I get my way, I’ll have a few more discounted Hayworth pieces to add to my collection.
Designing Goldilocks 