A Port Coquitlam store specializing in home decor is shutting down March 29 because its parent company is trying to sell its U.S. business.
Pier 1 has placed a notice on its website letting customers know that it has commenced Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. to bring about a sale, and is closing all its stores in Canada in an effort to move forward in the U.S.
“We thank our customers in Canada for your continued loyalty and for shopping with us over the years,” the statement reads.
On Tuesday morning there was little sign of the upcoming closure but a staff member admitted to being sad the store, with more than a decade in the Tri-Cities, is closing.
The Port Coquitlam store, located at 2755 Lougheed Highway at PoCo Place, is one of seven Pier 1 stores in the Lower Mainland.
Before Pier 1 moved to the burbs it was a popular spot in the 1970s, along with Cost Plus, for the hippie generation looking to decorate their pads. They would flock to the Gastown store in search of wicker furniture and beaded curtains.
According to its website: Pier 1 Imports started as a single store in San Mateo, California, in 1962.
“Our first customers were post-World War II baby boomers looking for beanbag chairs, love beads and incense. Pier 1 has carried a wide selection of merchandise through the years, from chocolate-covered ants to clothing lines to life-size Spanish suits of armour.”
It is not known how many people will be losing their jobs, but consumers will lose another place to buy home decor items, and one shopper outside the store expressed disappointment at the shop’s closure.
It’s been more than two years since Sears closed down in Coquitlam, and with Pier 1 shuttering, another sign of the challenges retail is facing with the advent of online shopping.
