Dorm Room Shopping
My friends on Facebook won't find this to be a surprise: I went shopping with my daughter this past weekend to outfit her dorm room. I can't believe that just one year ago I wrote a blog post on visiting college campuses and getting sold on dorm merchandise right on the spot. And now here it is, one year later, and I'm shopping with her to go away to college. Yikes!
You know what? We had fun! She made her lists, we picked out the retail locations to visit, and we mapped out our color scheme. Finding Twin XL sheets is no easy feat, let me tell you. The pickings are slim, so you have to shop carefully.
The retailers are out in full force, ready to soak up that dorm room dollar. Every major retailer in the space had prime real estate devoted to very specific merchandise for college life, competing within the inch of their lives to get more than their fair share. Many had added on delivery convenience and special sets that all match. It's one of the most competitive moments in retail that I have seen.
We opted to get more creative with our purchases, and didn't dominate at any one place. We mixed and matched merchandise, colors, and retailers until we found just the right blend of purple, black, grey, bright pink, and seafoam --- to work across her closet, desk, and bed. Sounds confusing, I know, but it all worked. Never thought I'd write a blog post with the word seafoam in it.
What a market! As a marketer (and a Dad), I have always been aware of the back to school promotion period -- second biggest shopping season of the year. I know this, but I've never been observant of the dorm room market and just how big it is. I am now -- with the receipts to prove it.
What's your experience? Jim.
Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
You know what? We had fun! She made her lists, we picked out the retail locations to visit, and we mapped out our color scheme. Finding Twin XL sheets is no easy feat, let me tell you. The pickings are slim, so you have to shop carefully.The retailers are out in full force, ready to soak up that dorm room dollar. Every major retailer in the space had prime real estate devoted to very specific merchandise for college life, competing within the inch of their lives to get more than their fair share. Many had added on delivery convenience and special sets that all match. It's one of the most competitive moments in retail that I have seen.
We opted to get more creative with our purchases, and didn't dominate at any one place. We mixed and matched merchandise, colors, and retailers until we found just the right blend of purple, black, grey, bright pink, and seafoam --- to work across her closet, desk, and bed. Sounds confusing, I know, but it all worked. Never thought I'd write a blog post with the word seafoam in it.
What a market! As a marketer (and a Dad), I have always been aware of the back to school promotion period -- second biggest shopping season of the year. I know this, but I've never been observant of the dorm room market and just how big it is. I am now -- with the receipts to prove it.
What's your experience? Jim.
Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect