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Long History of Service
July 31,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2012
For Terri Long, the bedding business was more than just the family occupation. It just may have been her destiny all along.
The current owner of Longs Bedding & Interiors in Manhattans Upper West Side, Long recalls growing up in a home where bedding was omnipresent.
I remember when I was growing up, Long said, my dad would schlep mattresses back and forth. I think the basement of our house served as a secondary warehouse. Weve always been very, very hands-on in all aspects of the business.
Long represents the fourth generation to run the Longs company, which just turned 101. The company began in 1911 as a mattress manufacturer; then Longs grandfather opened up the retail store in 1936. Her father Bob subsequently took over for 40 years, with her mother Judie becoming the stores bookkeeper. And now its my turn, Long commented.
Understanding and Meeting Needs
How has Longs maintained steady success in a competitive retail market for over a decade? One key element is the Long familys customer-centric sales philosophy.
We treat our customers the way we want to be treated when we shop for things, Long stated, and that doesnt necessarily mean pouncing on somebody the minute they walk in the door. Obviously, every customer should have their own unique approach, because everybodys needs are different, but we try and treat our customers with respect. We try and understand their needs and meet their needs and just give the best service we can.
Key to meeting those needs is being able to provide the right bed to each unique consumer who enters the store. We try to have a wide range of mattresses at every price point, Long said, so for somebody who only has maybe $200 to $300 to spend on a bed, we have it. For somebody who has $10,000 to spend, we have that too, and everything in between.
The consideration the Longs sales team shows to customers carries over into its pricing. Shopping for mattresses is a very difficult thing, because its generally not something that people do every year or every other year, Long stated. So, first of all, I think part of the process is, we have to reacquaint people with what an average (bed) cost is today versus what it was 10 years ago when they probably bought their last mattress. ¦ So we try and let our customers know, OK, I understand this is what you have from 10 years ago. Heres the equivalent to that. If thats still in your budget, thats great. If youd like to see something a little bit better or a little bit less expensive, thats OK too.
Boutique Approach
Longs is very selective in the brands it carries. We feature more boutique mattresses, Long said. Youre not going to find any S brands here. Weve dabbled with them over the past 100 years ¦ but our mattresses tend to be a more refined selection. We carry Therapedic, Eclipse, Aireloom, OMI, were starting to work with GoldBond. We import, I think, some of the best mattresses in the world from a company called Relyon. Theyre based in England.
Hearts of Gold
Adding GoldBond models to its stock actually led to a charitable effort from the store. To clear the storage space needed for the new brand, the store donated its overstock beds to Hearts of Gold, an organization providing shelters for women (primarily single mothers) trying to get back on their feet.
Store of the Stars
In addition to quality service and good value, Longs is well-known as a store frequented by celebrities. John Lennon, he was a very good customer, Long recalled. JFK Jr. was a customer of ours. More currently, Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow (are customers). Matt LauerI dont know that he was ever in the store, but he was a customer as well.
Other famous Longs clients include Mick Jagger, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Carly Simon, Connie Chung and Diane Sawyer. HFB