LIHUE Kauai is going to be minus one more home décor store as Pier 1 Imports prepares to close its doors.
LIHUE — Kauai is going to be minus one more home décor store as Pier 1 Imports prepares to close its doors.
Employees at the store confirmed Tuesday Pier 1 Imports is closing, but said they didn’t know the exact date.
Located at Kukui Grove Center, the store opened in 2014, replacing Borders Books & Music. Currently, it’s holding down the building across from the old Kmart with businesses like Great Harvest Bread.
At a September conference, the Texas-based Pier 1 Imports announced it would be closing at least 70 stores nationwide in this fiscal year, citing financial problems like a 14.3% drop in second-quarter net sales.
Oahu’s Pier 1, the Kapolei Commons store, is set to close on Dec. 31.
More could be on the chopping block — as many as 140 stores nationwide if the company is unable to increase sales and reduce costs.
There are more than 965 Pier 1 Import stores in the U.S. and Canada, according to the company website.
Pier 1 Imports did not immediately respond to requests for a closure date or requests for the number of employees that will lose their jobs when the Kauai store closes.
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Seems that some of the businesses that open and close within a few years on Kaua’i, are opened not based on need but more so as a “trophy” business…we have a store, bar, or restaurant on the Island of Kaua’i. Yay…!
It seems the closing of Kmart with its now empty huge parking lot may have caused some loss of business to Pier 1.
But also the demographics of not enough wealthy population on Kauai, yet, and visitors not coming to Kaua’i with shopping at Pier 1 on their list of things to see and do was sure to have an impact on their closing even before they opened.
Pier 1, a specialty store of expensive non-essential items was another nail in its coffin…as may be the case for so many closed stores at Kukui Grove.
And in addition often you hear that the landlords, whether living on Kauai or corporate based in Chicago or elsewhere think that raising the rent is a sound move, while the amount of raised rent is the amount the storekeeper was dependent on for a living living and was worth the too many hours 7 days a week of effort…some store owners even grateful for the closing.
The landlord’s often then subject themselves to years of an empty rental space which does not seem to add up correctly when it comes to rental increases burdening the storekeepers.
Let’s hope the employees find other jobs soon, and not have to rely on unemployment or welfare to support their families. Why is that, because unemployment eventually runs out and welfare burdens the other tax payers.
Let’s see now, how can we blame this closing on President Trump?
I can tell you exactly why orange diaper baby is(and is not) the culprit. Not just him, but all corporate interests and rich, stock owning 1 percenters. The 2017 tax bill gave away an untold number of trillions in tax breaks and loopholes to the wealthiest American corporations. Thanks to Citizens United, corporations are now considered people, and people have rights. Their main right is that money equals speech. So the more money you can donate to Federal, State, and local political parties and candidates, the louder your voice is. Legalized bribery, basically. Any corporation will do what is best for the bottom line and, in turn, the shareholders. It is simple math, and closing and raiding companies is very profitable.
I would argue that Amazon and online retail is more responsible for the demise of brick and mortar retail. All of the overhead cost cuts are passed on to the consumers, which we are told are king. Just wait until Instacart hits all areas of Kauai. For 99 dollars a year you can have all of your groceries delivered right to your house by qualified shoppers. It is a brave new world, mostly powered by zero interest loans from the federal reserve straight to the gangsters on wall Street. It is all by design, and anyone who is not pissed and ready to take to the streets is asleep at the wheel. Diaper baby is the symptom.We, as apathetic sheeples, are the bug.
I’m really sad to see Pier One go. They had nice quality items and you could find reasonable items on discount. Nice place to pick up a little gift for someone and and a good place to shop for floor rugs. I will definitely be at their going out of business sale. Too bad we cant get a Target here in the old KMart building. They are on the other islands and I think they would be a good fit for Kauai too.
I am so sad to hear of Pier 1’s closing. It is a beautiful store and better merchandise for less money than most places here on Kauai. I live here and I loved having a nice store in which to shop.
My husband and I both love PIER1. The products were very good and the employees were always so nice and helpful. What a shame for all of us.