【Original Survey: 61】OfficeBusters Announces March 2026 'Used Office Furniture Index' - Demand Most Active Annually, 'Non-Office-Like' Furniture Demand Expands Amidst ABW
OfficeBusters announced its 'Used Office Furniture Index' for March 2026. March is the period of highest annual demand, with a particular expansion in demand for 'non-office-like' furniture driven by Activity-Based Working (ABW). While vacancy rates in central Tokyo's five major wards increased, rents also rose, boosting the need for cost-effective and immediately available used equipment.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 17:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 09:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 09:11 (10 min after Collected)
Office furniture lease with buyback guarantee launched this month: https://www.officebusters.com/ob_campaign/circular-eco-lease.php
OfficeBusters Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Masayoshi Kumagai; Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO PRO Market Securities Code: 5890; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has compiled its "Used Office Furniture Index" for March 2026. In March, the vacancy rate in central Tokyo's five major wards rose by 0.02 points from the previous month to 2.22%, while rent increased by 333 yen. Meanwhile, the job opening-to-application ratio improved to 1.19 times, and the unemployment rate improved to 2.6% from the previous month. Although the market is not at a major turning point yet, companies remain cautious about relocation decisions, and demand continues to focus on furniture replacement and layout changes.
■ OfficeBusters Official Web Site https://www.officebusters.com
■ This Month's Conclusion
As is typical for March, it was the period of highest annual office demand, with both unit prices and sales volumes in the used office furniture market growing year-on-year. A key feature this month is that demand has broadly increased across all categories, rather than concentrating on specific ones, particularly for chairs, desks, lockers, and tables.
In particular, as office design increasingly incorporates ABW (Activity-Based Working), there is strong demand not only for conventional office furniture but also for layouts that combine individual booths and simple meeting spaces. Furthermore, with awareness of the impact on material and manufacturing costs, the need for the price advantage and immediate availability of used equipment is expected to further increase.
■ Market Trends and Index Highlights (February 2026 → March 2026 Comparison)
In March, the vacancy rate in the five major wards was 2.22%, an increase of 0.02 points from the previous month, and rent increased by 333 yen. While the vacancy rate has risen for two consecutive months, rent continues to increase, indicating a subtle shift in supply and demand that requires close monitoring. In the employment environment, both the job opening-to-application ratio at 1.19 times and the unemployment rate at 2.6% improved from the previous month. However, with rapid changes in global affairs, uncertainty remains regarding corporate capital investment and relocation decisions. Therefore, office strategies are increasingly focused on:
(1) Proceeding with layout reconfiguration utilizing existing bases without rushing relocation
(2) Procuring additional necessary equipment in line with staff increases or new organizational structures
(3) Flexibly utilizing used equipment that offers cost and delivery advantages
■ Trends by Product Category Handled by the Company
*The symbols (〇/△/×) for each category represent our company's view based on sales trends for the current month, where 〇 indicates strong performance, △ indicates stable performance, and × indicates weakening performance. Prices indicate changes in sales unit price.
Demand for furniture replacement and layout changes continues this month.
〇 Chairs: ↑ Sales price increased by 762 yen (last month) / increased by 396 yen (last year) ...
As is typical, there is high demand for bulk quantities, and demand for colors other than the standard blue is increasing year by year. Demand for preparing workstations due to year-end and new fiscal year responses continued, with both sales volume and unit price remaining strong.
〇 Desks: ↑ Sales price increased by 1,336 yen (last month) / increased by 304 yen (last year) ...
Amid recent layout changes, there is high demand for free-address desks, and sales volume has also increased. This category has high affinity with office design that incorporates ABW, and continued strong performance is expected.
× Storage: ↓ Sales price decreased by -249 yen (last month) / decreased by -1,852 yen (last year) ...
Due to the progress of free-addressing, demand continues to decline. As the way personal storage is re-evaluated, the role of conventional storage is relatively shrinking, and both sales volume and unit price have shown weakening trends.
〇 Lockers: ↑ Sales price increased by 3,678 yen (last month) / increased by 160 yen (last year) ...
Demand remains high, with many inquiries for multi-person lockers for 6 or more people. Securing personal storage has become a standard element in modern offices, and stable demand is expected to continue.
△ Tables: ↑ Sales price increased by 1,490 yen (last month) / decreased by -2,314 yen (last year) ...
Sales volumes for both conference tables and stacking tables are strong. Demand for creating simple meeting spaces and shared areas, driven by ABW, boosted sales volume compared to the previous month. Solid demand is expected to continue.
■ Summary for March (Observations)
~Demand most active annually. Interest in 'non-office-like equipment' conscious of ABW also increases~
March 2026, as is typical, saw the most active office demand of the year.
OfficeBusters Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Masayoshi Kumagai; Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO PRO Market Securities Code: 5890; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has compiled its "Used Office Furniture Index" for March 2026. In March, the vacancy rate in central Tokyo's five major wards rose by 0.02 points from the previous month to 2.22%, while rent increased by 333 yen. Meanwhile, the job opening-to-application ratio improved to 1.19 times, and the unemployment rate improved to 2.6% from the previous month. Although the market is not at a major turning point yet, companies remain cautious about relocation decisions, and demand continues to focus on furniture replacement and layout changes.
■ OfficeBusters Official Web Site https://www.officebusters.com
■ This Month's Conclusion
As is typical for March, it was the period of highest annual office demand, with both unit prices and sales volumes in the used office furniture market growing year-on-year. A key feature this month is that demand has broadly increased across all categories, rather than concentrating on specific ones, particularly for chairs, desks, lockers, and tables.
In particular, as office design increasingly incorporates ABW (Activity-Based Working), there is strong demand not only for conventional office furniture but also for layouts that combine individual booths and simple meeting spaces. Furthermore, with awareness of the impact on material and manufacturing costs, the need for the price advantage and immediate availability of used equipment is expected to further increase.
■ Market Trends and Index Highlights (February 2026 → March 2026 Comparison)
In March, the vacancy rate in the five major wards was 2.22%, an increase of 0.02 points from the previous month, and rent increased by 333 yen. While the vacancy rate has risen for two consecutive months, rent continues to increase, indicating a subtle shift in supply and demand that requires close monitoring. In the employment environment, both the job opening-to-application ratio at 1.19 times and the unemployment rate at 2.6% improved from the previous month. However, with rapid changes in global affairs, uncertainty remains regarding corporate capital investment and relocation decisions. Therefore, office strategies are increasingly focused on:
(1) Proceeding with layout reconfiguration utilizing existing bases without rushing relocation
(2) Procuring additional necessary equipment in line with staff increases or new organizational structures
(3) Flexibly utilizing used equipment that offers cost and delivery advantages
■ Trends by Product Category Handled by the Company
*The symbols (〇/△/×) for each category represent our company's view based on sales trends for the current month, where 〇 indicates strong performance, △ indicates stable performance, and × indicates weakening performance. Prices indicate changes in sales unit price.
Demand for furniture replacement and layout changes continues this month.
〇 Chairs: ↑ Sales price increased by 762 yen (last month) / increased by 396 yen (last year) ...
As is typical, there is high demand for bulk quantities, and demand for colors other than the standard blue is increasing year by year. Demand for preparing workstations due to year-end and new fiscal year responses continued, with both sales volume and unit price remaining strong.
〇 Desks: ↑ Sales price increased by 1,336 yen (last month) / increased by 304 yen (last year) ...
Amid recent layout changes, there is high demand for free-address desks, and sales volume has also increased. This category has high affinity with office design that incorporates ABW, and continued strong performance is expected.
× Storage: ↓ Sales price decreased by -249 yen (last month) / decreased by -1,852 yen (last year) ...
Due to the progress of free-addressing, demand continues to decline. As the way personal storage is re-evaluated, the role of conventional storage is relatively shrinking, and both sales volume and unit price have shown weakening trends.
〇 Lockers: ↑ Sales price increased by 3,678 yen (last month) / increased by 160 yen (last year) ...
Demand remains high, with many inquiries for multi-person lockers for 6 or more people. Securing personal storage has become a standard element in modern offices, and stable demand is expected to continue.
△ Tables: ↑ Sales price increased by 1,490 yen (last month) / decreased by -2,314 yen (last year) ...
Sales volumes for both conference tables and stacking tables are strong. Demand for creating simple meeting spaces and shared areas, driven by ABW, boosted sales volume compared to the previous month. Solid demand is expected to continue.
■ Summary for March (Observations)
~Demand most active annually. Interest in 'non-office-like equipment' conscious of ABW also increases~
March 2026, as is typical, saw the most active office demand of the year.