Pier 1 Imports offers fresher look for the home
Pier 1 Imports has undergone a radical makeover with the introduction of a new line of streamlined, contemporary furnishings and accessories.When Pier 1 revealed its fresh face, it displayed merchandise designed to appeal to changing consumer tastes.
One of North America’s largest retailers of imported decorative home furnishings, Pier 1 supplants the characteristic handicraft-style merchandise for which it’s been known with a product lineup featuring furniture, accessories and decorative items with clean lines, architectural shapes, larger-scale proportions and a more sophisticated colour palette, according to a company news release.
“We’re not abandoning wicker or unique stemware,” stresses company spokesperson Misty Otto. “We’re offering an updated, fresher look but it still has a specialty feel, that hand-touched international look.”
The Texas-based firm will continue the practice of changing up to three-quarters of store merchandise annually, says Otto, and its 1,300 outlets will have fresh Modern Craftsman-style pieces every season.
Its research showed that because consumers lead increasingly hectic lives they’re looking for products that help simplify their surroundings at home.”They want (to create) a haven at home so it’s less cluttered, more organized and, therefore, more relaxing,” she explains.
Jay Jacobs, the company’s executive vice-president of merchandising, says one way people can de-clutter is by replacing a multitude of less-important decorative items with one or two statement pieces that make a dramatic change in their living spaces.
Pier 1 lost its traditional niche as competition intensified in recent years. Retailers such as Wal-Mart came on the market with similar products at a lower price point, for example, while Pottery Barn also introduced higher-priced merchandise in comparable styles.
In an effort to offer customers something unique, Pier 1 staffers collaborated with vendors in 50 countries to develop one-of-a-kind merchandise under the Modern Craftsman umbrella, Otto says.
The new merchandise includes cubic white dinnerware, camelback sofas, upholstered slipper chairs in “neo-retro” fabrics and wicker fashioned into modern shapes for indoor and outdoor use.
Jacobs says the Pier 1 stores have also been revamped to be more streamlined and reflect the Modern Craftsman no-clutter look. Aisles are wider, displays offer fewer but more focused collections and co-ordinated vignettes show customers how pieces might look in their homes.
