<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0305</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-05-25</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000278130</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PIER 1 IMPORTS INC/DE</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PIR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001179707</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BABROWSKI CLAIRE H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PIER 1 IMPORTS, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>100 PIER 1 PLACE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-05-25</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value>E</value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>190.9563</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>16.365</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4365.5373</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On May 25, 2012, the Pier 1 Imports, Inc. Stock Purchase Plan, restated as amended, purchased in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3(c) 190.9563 shares of common stock for the reporting person's account.  Such shares were purchased at approximately $16.3650 per share, the average of the closing prices of the Issuer's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange for each Friday in the month of May 2012, during which contributions were credited to the reporting person's account for the purchase of common stock.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Claire H. Babrowski  By:  Michael A. Carter, Atty-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-05-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
