The Lee Longlands furniture store established almost 120 years ago in 1902, has gone into administration as a result of the strain coronavirus has put on the business.
The company has a number of showrooms across the Midlands, including its flagship store in Birmingham that was originally opened in 1932. The company has been described as a household name in the region. The company was also the first store outside London to install window display lighting after closing time in 1907, as well as being used in the Second World War as a place to store food rations.
How has the company been affected by Lockdown?
Due to the lockdown restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the Longland shops have now only been able to reopen after three months, which has had a devastating financial impact on the business.
The joint administrator Matt Ingram, has confirmed that his appointment was a direct result of the impacts from lockdown.
“For almost 120 years our family business and our employees have put our customers at the heart of everything we do. That will not change. We are very much open for business as usual and our customers can be assured, we will continue to give them the highest levels of service as we restore our short-term finances and get back to work. Now that the Coronavirus restrictions are being eased and we can begin to operate again, we are working extremely hard, under the highest level of safety standards, to start deliveries again for all our customers and get our showrooms open so that the public can once again furnish their homes with our fantastic quality products.”
“This is a firm with a sound financial proposition. Being unable to trade for almost three months has severely disrupted its working capital cycle but working with management and with the support of the company’s suppliers, we will be focusing on restructuring its cash flow and exiting the Administration period as soon as possible.”
Robert Lee, the fourth generation of family stewardship of the firm
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