Pier 1 files bankruptcy protection, closing 7 Arizona stores

Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR) has become the latest big-box retailer to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and court documents show that the company intends to close six stores in the Phoenix region and one in Tucson. The Fort Worth, Texas-based home décor and accessories retailer filed for bankruptcy protection on Feb. 17 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. In court documents filed Feb. 17, the company listed seven Arizona properties it will close in the…