Pier 1 Imports opened Monday in the Cranbrook Village shopping center.
Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com
The store opened at 10 a.m. in a 7,832-square-foot space at 926 W. Eisenhower Parkway, in the shopping center anchored by Whole Foods Market and REI. The home decor retailer filled the former Old Country Buffet space, which closed last year as part of its parent company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
"We are pleased to bring this new Pier 1 Imports to Ann Arbor and hope that our new location will inspire customers to discover the eclectic and fun merchandise that is unique to Pier 1 Imports," said company CEO Alex Smith in a statement.
Pier 1 formerly operated a store in the shopping center's outlot building, which is now occupied by a Potbelly Sandwich Shop and the under construction Tony Sacco’s pizza restaurant. Mall owner Tom Goldberg said Pier 1 closed its store in 2008 when its lease expired.
To celebrate the store's opening, the first 200 customers at the new Pier 1 Imports store each day through April 14 will receive a free reusable bag and backscratcher, the company announced in a news release.
Founded in 1970, Pier 1 Imports operated 971 stores in the United States and 81 stores in Canada as of Feb. 25, 2012. There are 33 stores in Michigan, including the location at 3785 Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township. The Ann Arbor store will employ about 12 to 15 workers.
The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.