L Catterton Makes Strategic Investment in Seki Furniture

Transaction brings L Catterton's operating capabilities in the consumer industry together with Seki Furniture's strong foundation to drive further growth and create greater value for customers

TOKYO, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- L Catterton, a leading global consumer-focused investment firm, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to make a strategic investment in Seki Furniture, a leading comprehensive furniture company headquartered in Japan. The transaction positions Seki Furniture for further growth in the country's robust furniture market by leveraging L Catterton's operating capabilities in the consumer industry.

Japan's overall furniture market has been steadily expanding and is expected to remain on its stable growth trajectory due to several long-term secular trends. These include continued urbanization, an uptick in household formation, and evolving lifestyles, underpinning purchases of residential furniture. Diversifying workplace needs and further investments in the office and hospitality sector, including hotels and restaurants, are also supporting purchases of commercial furniture.

Having an experienced in-house design team, an extensive and diverse network of suppliers and manufacturers, as well as economies of scale, Seki Furniture offers a variety of stylish and high-quality furniture which resonates with both consumers and corporate clients. Its brands, notably RELAXFORM, therefore enjoy best-in-class customer ratings across key purchase considerations such as products' look and feel, material quality, and price.

As a result, Seki Furniture now has the largest share of Japan's wholesale residential furniture market and also sells directly to consumers via 26 stores of its own, such as CRASH GATE, as well as its own and third-party e-commerce platforms. Its commercial furniture business has been growing as well, with a broadening base of clients purchasing its products for use in offices, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and other corporate properties.

Taka Shimizu, a Partner at L Catterton, said, "Seki Furniture has grown over the past 57 years under the steady leadership of its founding Seki Family, as well as its chief executive officer Hideki Haruta, a 27‑year company veteran. They have built a solid enterprise that has thrived across several macroeconomic cycles, and strategically and successfully expanded into multiple product and customer segments. We are honored to be part of Seki Furniture's next chapter of growth and look forward to working closely to create value."

Mr Haruta added, "We are delighted to welcome L Catterton, a firm with a strong global track record of investments in the consumer industry, as our partner. Going forward, we will work together with L Catterton to achieve further medium- to long-term growth and enhance our corporate value, while continuing to provide our customers with services and products that deliver lasting value."

L Catterton has significant experience building home fixture and furnishing brands such as Restoration Hardware, a California-headquartered designer and retailer of premium home furnishing goods, with which the firm partnered to drive portfolio expansion and operational enhancements over a span of five years, and Boll & Branch, a leading designer and retailer of home goods that are rooted in high-quality, sustainably-sourced materials.

About L Catterton

L Catterton is a market-leading consumer-focused investment firm, managing approximately $38 billion of equity capital across three multi-product platforms: private equity, credit, and real estate. The firm's funds have the ability to invest between $5 million and $5 billion, across the capital structure, in well-positioned consumer businesses. Leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad network of strategic relationships, L Catterton's team of more than 200 investment and operating professionals across 18 offices partners with management teams to drive differentiated value creation across its portfolio. Founded in 1989, the firm has made over 300 investments in some of the world's most iconic consumer brands. For more information about L Catterton, please visit lcatterton.com.

About Seki Furniture

Seki Furniture is a leading Japanese residential and commercial furniture company founded in 1968 and headquartered in Okawa, one of the country's longstanding furniture manufacturing regions. Steadily growing since its founding, it has evolved from a wholesaler to an omnichannel business with a portfolio of its own brands. Accordingly, it now not only has the largest share of Japan's wholesale furniture market, but also sells directly to consumers via 26 stores of its own as well as e-commerce channels and services a broad base of corporate clients. Its portfolio includes sofas, office chairs, dining tables and chairs, cabinets and cupboards, bed frames, television consoles, and many other products. For more information about Seki Furniture, please visit sekikagu.co.jp.

CONTACTS

Julie Hamilton (U.S.)
[email protected]
+1 203 742 5185

Bob Ong (Asia)
[email protected]
+65 6672 7619

Teruka Katayama / Arisa Kamei (Kekst CNC, for L Catterton in Japan)
[email protected]
+81 80 4659 0677 / +81 70 3251 6044

SOURCE L Catterton