Pier 1 Imports closing all its stores in Hawaii

Pier 1 Imports is pulling out of Hawaii and closing all seven of its remaining stores.

The chain retailer, which provides an assortment of imported furniture, home decor items and tableware, is currently undergoing liquidation sales and plans to close early next year.

Company spokeswoman Jennifer Engstrand Reeder said in an email today that the Hawaii stores are closing “as part of a strategic business decision.” She said the exact timing of the closures will vary for each location.

Pier 1, which closed its Kailua store last year, has three stores on Oahu at Ward Village in Honolulu, Pearl Highlands Center and Kapolei Commons; two on Hawaii island at Kona Coast Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona and Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo; one on Kauai at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center and one on Maui at the Maui Marketplace.

The Kapolei Commons store was previously notified it would be closing and began its liquidation sale in October with its last day of operation scheduled for Dec. 19, according to an employee who answered the phone.

“We are committed to having a substantial, national store presence as a cornerstone of our go-forward strategy,” Reeder said. “At the same time, we are working to optimize our footprint to align with the needs of the business. We have previously announced our decision to close 70 stores and that we expected that number could increase.”

Reeder did not respond to a question regarding the number of employees affected or the use of gift cards. But the Kapolei Commons employee said gift cards can be used during the closeout sale as well as online.

However, she said “any time we make decisions about our business, we carefully consider the impact to our associates. We are working with them privately as part of the store closing process.”

”We deeply value and are grateful for our customers in all of the communities in which we operate throughout Hawaii for their loyalty to Pier 1 over the years,” she added.