Jeff Long
VP OF SALES & MARKETING FOR LONG & MCQUADE
As the VP of Sales and Marketing for Long & McQuade , Jeff Long has a truly national view of the Canadian MI industry . As he is able to see the performance of more than 80 stores spread out across every province , we felt there was nobody better than Long to assess the current MI landscape and what lay in store .
CMT : Generally speaking , from March to now , how has Long & McQuade weathered the pandemic and the many challenges it ’ s brought ? Have stores in different regions been affected to different degrees or in different ways ?
Jeff Long : Overall , we are doing well , all things considered . The mix of our business has changed a great deal ; however , the overall totals have not changed that much , maybe down slightly . In general , the higher population areas have been affected more so than some of our smaller centres . We have had a huge spike in online sales , which has helped to offset the lower traffic numbers in our stores .
CMT : For you and the company , what have been the biggest challenges ? Have there been any bright spots to emerge from it ?
Long : There have been many challenges ; from implementing safe shopping protocols , to dealing with government regulations , to staffing and inventory issues . One bright spot for us is that our online business increased substantially , almost overnight . We put a lot of effort and resources to improving our web sales logistics , processes , and customer experience .
CMT : When you look at the sales data across L & M stores from the last six months or so , what product categories have struggled and which have done best ? Why do you think that ’ s the case ?
Long : Recording sales have been huge . We have also seen increases in guitars and keyboards . Drums has been kind of flat ; and band , PA , and print are all down . Our rental business and lessons have also been heavily impacted for obvious reasons . We were able to implement online lessons , which many of our customers have enjoyed . We will keep this as an option moving forward for anyone it works for .
CMT : Looking ahead to 2021 , which product categories do you think will perform best and why ? Do you see any trends emerging ?
Long : It is always hard to predict but I would assume that recording will stay strong . Guitars and keys should also do well . If we can get back to any semblance of normal , rentals and lessons should come back strong .
CMT : What have been the biggest lessons regional and store managers have learned during the last six months that could help your stores now and into 2021 ?
Long : The stress of the pandemic has affected everyone a little differently , including our staff and customers . Having patience
Jeff Long
Long & McQuade
and being flexible in terms of how we deal with our customers and staff has been very important .
CMT : Overall , looking towards 2021 , are you feeling more worried or hopeful about your stores now as compared to the earlier months of the pandemic ? Why ?
Long : Early in the pandemic there was so much uncertainty , so I would say that we are more hopeful moving forward as people get used to the new normal . We are a little worried about inventory shortages as many manufacturers were closed for a period of time , which has caused backlogs .
CMT : In terms of the health of Canadian MI retail industry as a whole , what are your feelings and predictions for 2021 ?
Long : I wouldn ’ t hazard a guess as there are so many variables that can have a great effect on the business . Our plan is to continue to try to do all the little things well and keep our customers happy .
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 27