The old Pier 1 Imports location in Duluth is no longer empty! The new storefront occupying the space is officially open to the public.

In case you missed it, Pier 1 announced they would be closing all of their stores. The news was announced in May of 2020 and impacted Duluthians, as there was a store location in the Stone Ridge Shopping Center.

A few months prior to the announcement, the company said they were restructuring and closing about four-hundred stores. However, at that time, the Duluth location was spared, leaving fans of the store with hope it would stay as is.

Sadly, the Duluth location closed and has been vacant ever since - until now. I drove by the spot recently and noticed there was a sign in the window stating that a local business was moving into the spot and now we know it is officially open.

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Bender's Shoes is the new tenant and now, the new store is officially open for business! They shared the news on their official website and even posted a fun video on their Facebook page sharing the news.

The new store officially held their grand opening on Monday, March 7th. Because of the new space, they are able to hold more inventory and therefore able to feature a bigger selection of things like shoes, clothing and gifts.

The new store is located at 901 West Central Entrance. They are open Monday though Friday beginning at 9 a.m. and open until 7 p.m. They are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

In other business-related news, a popular restaurant nearby has closed its doors for good. The Perkins restaurant located next to the Miller Hill Mall has closed, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the main reasons behind the closure.

The spot was a staple, being in decade for nearly four decades. There is no word on what is going in the building now or in the future.

A new business will open its doors in Lincoln Park. The spot is called the Goat Hill Marketplace and it is located inside the Enger Lofts building. There is also a new coffee shop that just moved into the same building!

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