Pier 1 Imports Names Michael Benkel Senior Vice President - Planning and Allocations

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (NYSE:PIR) announced today that Michael R. Benkel has joined Pier 1 Imports as Senior Vice President – Planning and Allocations.

Mr. Benkel brings more than 18 years of retail experience to Pier 1 Imports. Most recently, Michael served as the Vice President of Inventory Management for Pottery Barn Retail Stores in San Francisco, California. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of merchandise planning and allocations. Previously, he served as Director, Inventory Management for the home furnishings and furniture divisions. He began his eleven-year tenure at Pottery Barn as a Buyer in home furnishings and furniture. Prior to that, Mr. Benkel held various buying positions with Macy’s Department Stores.

Alex Smith, Pier 1 Imports’ President & CEO, commented, "We are excited to welcome Michael to our senior executive team. Michael brings great expertise in the area of planning and allocations and I am confident he will make immediate contributions to our organization that will further our progress in our goal of returning to profitability and beyond.”

Any forward-looking projections or statements made in this press release should be considered in conjunction with the cautionary statements contained in the Company’s most recently filed report on Form 10-Q. Risks and uncertainties that may affect Company operations and performance are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 1, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or otherwise revise its forward-looking statements.

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. is the original global importer and is North America’s largest specialty retailer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts. Information about the Company is available on www.pier1.com.