The web shines for Pier 1

Direct-to-consumer sales were a bright spot in an otherwise tough financial year for Pier 1 Imports Inc.

The company’s direct sales, which are mostly generated through e-commerce, grew by 23.5% while total sales decreased by 8.6%.

For the 2007 fiscal year, Pier 1, No. 298 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, grew direct sales to $18.9 million in 2006 from $15.3 million in the prior year. For the year, Pier 1 reported a net loss of $227 million on total sales of $1.62 billion vs. a net loss of $39.8 million on sales of $1.77 billion in fiscal 2006.

In fiscal 2007, Pier 1’s e-commerce site received an average of 5.7 million visits per month, the company says. Pier 1 also recently implemented new online features that allow customers to use discount and coupon codes at checkout and redeem Pier 1 gift cards.