pier1

In September, Pier 1 Imports at Ward announced their moving sale. In mid-October the location closed down. But on November 1, Pier 1 at Ward reopened its doors just down the block. The new Pier 1 is still in the Ward Village Shops and shares the same building as T.J. Maxx and soon, the relocated Nordstrom Rack.

This is definitely a potent combination of fashion and furniture at Ward. Additionally, this new Pier 1 location is modeled after their new store concept:

The new store design is a natural evolution of the Pier 1 Imports experience that utilizes a new interior finish-out, including natural-colored floor tiles, rustic ceiling elements, enhanced store lighting and lit shelving units lining the walls, all of which help customers visualize the end-use of the products within their own home. The new look is complemented by the use of “open stock” merchandising, designed to enhance the shopping environment by giving customers the opportunity to see, feel and interact with the product. The exterior design features a signature bamboo door with rustic metal door handles that will mark the entrance to Pier 1 Imports’ unique shopping experience. The features of the new store will allow easier navigation, all while maintaining the “treasure hunt” feel and continuing to make Pier 1 Imports a great place for discovery and spending time browsing.

Over the years, the original Ward Pier 1 location has been eclipsed by its other stores. The Pearl City store has its massive inventory while the smaller Kailua store felt fresher. But now, with its new look and new design concept, the Ward location is the face of Pier 1 in the islands.

That didn’t take long. Less than a month after seeing the moving sale signs at Pier 1 at Ward, the location is now closed.

I still haven’t looked into where this Pier 1 store moved to. The ones in Pearl City and Kailua are still there, and the official Pier 1 imports web site only lists these two stores for Hawaii.

Update 11-03-2013: The new Ward location is open down the street.