Exhibit 99.1

                    Pier 1 Imports, Inc. Reports March Sales


    FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2006--Pier 1 Imports,
Inc. (NYSE:PIR) reported that sales for the five-week period ended
April 1, 2006 aggregated $143,658,000 an increase of 1.3% from
$141,805,000 last year, and comparable store sales declined 2.0%.
    Marvin J. Girouard, Pier 1's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
commented, "March began with comp store sales down 10% after the first
week. Customer traffic improved throughout March, but not enough to
offset the early declines. Average ticket transactions for the month
significantly increased over the year-ago period, although conversion
rates were lower. The new modern furniture collections did well during
the month and our updated color palettes re-energized the home
textiles' business. Most notable in March were better merchandise
margins with a higher percent of regular-priced sales.
    "In mid-March, the Pier 1 spring catalog was distributed to
approximately 10 million customers and new television ads began airing
later in the month. The new television commercials airing in April
will support the Dining Tabletop event. We plan to mail another 5
million catalogs to customers for our late spring distribution within
the next two weeks. Looking ahead, in late May, Pier 1's new summer
catalog will be distributed to approximately 12 million customers and
our national magazine advertising hits newsstands in June."

    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. Management's expectations and assumptions regarding planned
store openings, financing of Company obligations from operations,
results from its new marketing, merchandising and store operations
strategies, and other future results are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations
expressed in the forward-looking statements.

    Risks and uncertainties that may affect Company operations and
performance include, among others, the effects of terrorist attacks or
other acts of war, conflicts or war involving the United States or its
allies or trading partners, labor strikes, weather conditions or
natural disasters that may affect sales, volatility of fuel and
utility costs, the general strength of the economy and levels of
consumer spending, consumer confidence, the availability of new sites
for expansion along with sufficient labor to facilitate growth, the
strength of new home construction and sales of existing homes, the
availability and proper functioning of technology and communications
systems supporting the Company's key business processes, the ability
of the Company to import merchandise from foreign countries without
significantly restrictive tariffs, duties or quotas and the ability of
the Company to source, ship and deliver items from foreign countries
to its U.S. distribution centers at reasonable prices and rates and in
a timely fashion. The Company assumes no obligation to update or
revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future
changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied
will not be realized.
    Pier 1 Imports, Inc. is North America's largest specialty retailer
of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts with Pier 1
Imports(R) stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico and
Pier 1 kids(R) stores in the United States.


    CONTACT: Pier 1 Imports, Inc., Fort Worth
             Cary Turner, 817-252-8400