A Japanese Chair Designed to Include a Place for Your Bag Heads to the U.S. Hospitality Market

LABOT’s “BAG-STORAGE CHAIR” Draws Buyer Interest at NY NOW

Tokyo, Japan, 11th Aug 2026 – Following 48 meetings with promising buyers, LABOT accelerates the U.S. market expansion of the BAG-STORAGE CHAIR, designed to keep bags securely within reach without placing them on the floor.

LABOT Inc., a Japanese company that plans, develops, and sells products for commercial facilities and retail stores, exhibited at NY NOW Summer 2026, held August 2–4, 2026 at the Javits Center in New York, to showcase the “BAG-STORAGE CHAIR,” a chair designed with a built-in place to store bags. There, 48 meetings held with promising buyers.

The BAG-STORAGE CHAIR is a chair with built-in space between the seat and backrest for storing bags and other belongings. It is designed to let users keep their belongings close by, without placing bags or backpacks on the floor, occupying a neighboring seat, or requiring stores to provide separate baggage baskets. The product reframes a long-overlooked issue — where customers should put their belongings — as a function built into the chair itself.

A Chair Designed for Both the Customer Experience and Store Operations

LABOT developed the BAG-STORAGE CHAIR to let users keep their belongings right beside them while allowing stores to make efficient use of limited space. By building storage directly into the chair, the design reduces the burden on stores to provide separate baggage baskets or bag racks, keeping limited floor space uncluttered. In Japan, the chair has already been adopted across a wide range of venues — including cafés, restaurants, hotels, lounges, clinics, and offices — supporting efficient store operations while also blending naturally into high-end spaces where thoughtful guest care and a premium stay experience are expected.

In addition, unattended personal belongings remain an ongoing issue in New York’s nightlife districts. The official minutes of Brooklyn Community Board 4’s January 2026 meeting record that local police raised concerns about grand larceny — the theft of phones and bags — at clubs and bars. Preventing theft of personal belongings at cafés and bars is considered to depend not only on customers avoiding leaving bags and smartphones unattended, but also on venues providing a safe, easy-to-use place to store belongings. The BAG-STORAGE CHAIR builds a place for bags into the chair itself, making it easier for users to keep their belongings close at hand and within view.

 

BAG-STORAGE CHAIR Smart
 

BAG-STORAGE CHAIR Robe

 

Functionality, Space Efficiency, and Differentiation Praised by U.S. Buyers

At NY NOW, LABOT held 48 meetings with buyers across a wide range of industries — including hospitality furniture buyers and distributors, interior design professionals, and specialty retailers, as well as general merchandise retailers, apparel wholesalers, and lifestyle businesses. Buyers from outside the furniture industry also responded favorably to the high quality distinctive to Japanese manufacturing and to the originality of the bag-storage concept, with several expressing interest in introducing the product at their own stores.

[Buyer Feedback]

“The Robe is comfortable to sit in, and the concept itself is genuinely original — it really stands out. I’m especially interested in the armrest version and would love to consider introducing it.” (Hospitality-industry buyer)

“An acquaintance of mine is opening a new store in Boston, and I’d like to use this sample to introduce it there.” (Japanese buyer running a general merchandise store in Boston)

The meeting with the buyer

The meeting with the buyer

 

Event Overview

Event
NY Now Summer 2026

Date
June 28 (Sun) – 30 (Tue), 2026

Venue
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, U.S.A.

Booth
Level 1 / Stand No. 3805

 

LABOT Inc.   President and CEO   Masashi Hayashi

“Where to put a bag at a café or restaurant tends to be dismissed as a minor inconvenience. In reality, though, it affects comfort, how space is used, and how secure customers feel. We built that overlooked moment into the design of the chair itself. Through the response we received in New York, we were able to confirm that U.S. buyers see the BAG-STORAGE CHAIR not just as a practical product, but as an idea that improves the customer experience.”

Next Steps in the U.S. Market

Following the show, LABOT will continue discussions with U.S. distributors, hospitality operators, and contract furniture companies, as well as design firms, regarding trial installations, product specifications, and configurations tailored to the U.S. market. LABOT is currently seeking distribution, trial-installation, and project collaboration partners in the United States.

About LABOT Inc.

LABOT Inc. is a Japanese company that plans, develops, and sells products for commercial facilities and retail stores. Its “BAG-STORAGE CHAIR” series consists of chairs for cafés, restaurants, hotels, clinics, and other venues, each built with dedicated bag storage.

Official website: https://www.labot.co.jp/

Media Contact

Organization: LABOT., LTD.

Contact Person: Harumi Kobayashi

Website: https://www.labot.co.jp

Email: Send Email

Address:12 Higashienokicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Kagurazaka Lab

City: Tokyo

Country:Japan

Release id:48036

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