Data from the NRF predicts that this year, consumers will spend over $41.5 billion on back-to-school shopping, up from $36.9 billion the previous year.
Dorm decor accounts for a portion of families’ back-to-school expenses for college-age students, and the same data set shows the household average for these furnishing expenses is about $190.80.
For Elin Hood, who will be a freshman at the University of Minnesota this fall, designing her ideal dorm room is top-of-mind. “When thinking about dorm decor, I consider how each piece will contribute to a cozier, homelike space,” she said. “I really want my room to be a safe space that brings me a lot of joy and represents who I am.”
To accomplish this, her parents gave her a budget of $500 to spend on dorm furnishings, and she shared that TikTok and Pinterest have been major sources of inspiration as she does product research and budgeting.
Knowing that funds are earmarked for dorm decor, companies like Dormify are working to strategically position themselves as Gen Z shoppers’ go-to destinations for dorm decor shopping.
Dormify was co-founded by Amanda Zuckerman and her mother Karen in 2009 when, as an incoming freshman at Washington University, struggled to find stylish and practical dorm décor.
“My mom and I were surprised to find that stylish Twin XL bedding and small-space décor were practically nonexistent, let alone sold in one place,” Zuckerman said.
This gap in the market led to the creation of Dormify, which initially launched as a blog with décor tips and college life insights. Amanda’s perspective as a college student provided crucial consumer insight, while her mother brought thirty-plus years of brand-building experience from founding HZ, a large, U.S.-based integrated creative agency.
Leveraging these combined skill sets, Dormify grew by tailoring its offerings to the Gen Z consumer and through strategic university collaborations. Through these partnerships, Dormify is promoted within official university communications, and a portion of sales goes to the university to support on-campus programming.
Along with these mutually beneficial partnerships, Dormify experimented with on-campus pop-ups to build brand awareness, as well as an ambassador program, which now has 1,500 members. “Our college ambassador program incentivizes students to build hype for our brand in return for special perks and freebies,” Zuckerman said.
As the brand grew, the Zuckermans took Dormify beyond the blog and into the CPG space, beginning with a line of Twin XL bedding that has since expanded into additional dorm decor offerings. Among their top-selling items are the phone-charging headboards ($299+) and the Sutton Charging Cart ($179), both of which are designed to meet the specific needs of dorm living.
Today, Dormify works with partner brands that complement its branded product offerings. Currently, 80% of their products are Dormify-branded, with the remaining 20% sourced from third-party partners.
“We look for companies with drop-ship capabilities that fill product holes on the college checklist,” Zuckerman explained. This strategy allows Dormify to expand its product lineup without investing heavily in inventory.
Brands like Dormify are working to capture the spending that’s been earmarked for furnishing college students’ dorms and apartments this fall, and aesthetics and design are certainly top-of-mind.
When marketing consultant Grace Clarke asked her Gen Z Board of Directors (a group of Gen Z consumers she gathers for customer research, learning, and feedback) asked about how much they think about dorm decor and aesthetics, she got responses that spoke to wanting to express themselves through this medium, the desire to create a cozy, safe space, and a draw to the novelty factor of getting to re-invent their space with each new year at college.
“They love changing and updating their spaces easily to keep up with how they see themselves,” Clarke shared. “They talk about their design as chapters or eras.” Clarke went on to say that she finds the way college-age and Gen Z buyers think about dorm decor is especially interesting because it’s one of those buyers’ first opportunities to indivuate.
“They’re practiced at presenting themselves in person and through screens, but now they get a whole world to build out. Their parents may be paying the bills, but this is their first experience of ownership of a space that isn’t under their parents’ roof,” she said.
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