Estorage captures consumers’ hearts with custom-built furniture

Estorage staff pay particular attention to ensuring the quake-resistance of its furniture. They always assess the supporting structure of the building before installing any ordered furniture, and conduct the installing work in the presence of the foreman and the customer.

Estorage, which is 13 years old, now has a strong presence in the industry. Home builders and condominium developers have shown interest in working with Estorage, aiming to differentiate themselves from their rivals by featuring special storage furniture. But the hardships Yajima experienced during its founding years, when he had to promote products with manually prepared flyers in his hands, were so tough his hopes were nearly crushed, he said. He clearly remembers the happy face of the company’s very first customer, who had purchased storage furniture for their living room. He also remembers the customer’s words, “This is just the furniture I wanted!”

‘Architerior’

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted an increasing number of people to re-examine their living spaces as they were forced to stay home amid lockdowns. Estorage’s business is now driven by increased interest from such people. The company initially planned to open the Ginza showroom in May. It considered suspending the plan after the government declared the state of emergency and issued instructions for people to stay home. But inquiries kept coming in even during that period. The number of visitors to its existing showrooms after they reopened reached a record high. “This isn’t a short-lived trend,” Yajima said. “It’s proof that fundamental wishes about storage have been stimulated.”

According to Yajima, the current goals are twofold. One is to strengthen its operation by measures including training to prepare staff for rapid growth. The other is to make people aware of the concept of looking at storage from the viewpoint of interior construction suited to individuals’ lifestyles. With the aim of promoting this latter concept, dubbed architerior, which is a portmanteau of architecture and interior, a general incorporated association was established in November. Yajima hopes to play a role in promoting the sound growth of the market.