We shopped at Target and the struggling Pier 1 Imports to see which store is better at selling home goods

Pier 1 Imports is a top home-decor retailer — but it’s falling behind competitors like Target and Amazon.
After sales plummeted last quarter, the company announced it would close 57 stores by its 2020 fiscal year.
We visited Pier 1 Imports and Target — a key competitor — to see for ourselves which store does home-goods shopping better. Despite its struggles, Pier 1 Imports was the clear winner.
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Pier 1 Imports might be sinking in terms of sales, but the home-goods retailer still has much to offer in terms of quality.

In June, the company reported a 15.5% drop in sales in its quarterly results. In the past 5 years, the company’s stock has lost more than 95% of its value and the chain announced it would increase its 45 store closures to 57 by the end of its 2020 fiscal year.

According to critics, Pier 1 Imports is failing to meaningfully distinguish itself from its competitors. Analysts have attributed the company’s steady decline to overwhelming store environments and out-of-style merchandise that doesn’t find favor in the eyes of customers.

We compared Pier 1 Imports and Target to see which store offered the better home-goods experience. Though Pier 1 Imports was focused on huge sales and the amount of merchandise was indeed overwhelming, Target left much to be desired in terms of variety and design.

Here’s what we saw:

First, we stopped by Pier 1 Imports on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

The store was having its semi-annual sale, so practically everything was cheaper than usual.

Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

The store was characterized by a lot of open space and a huge amount of merchandise laid out on wooden shelves.

Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

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