Competition in the Moving Services Industry

Competition in the Moving Services Industry

Several companies focus on providing convenient moving services to college students. The main competitors that serve this target market include Dorm Room Movers, Two Men and a Truck, College Hunks, and Great Guys Moving. The rivalry in the moving industry is relatively intense, given that the services offered are very similar and can barely be differentiated. Most companies rely on exceptional customer service and pricing to differentiate themselves from competitors. Establishing a reputable brand and advantageous partnerships are also strategies that these companies use to protect and expand their market share. The threat of new entrants for this industry is relatively high as a result of low barriers to entry.

Dorm Room Movers is one of the key players in the moving industry. The services offered by Dorm Room Movers include full-service storage, shipping, and storage for students who study abroad. It applies a competitive pricing strategy to ensure that it remains a preferred choice for customers who use the pricing metric to decide on the company to use. The company uses several marketing strategies to ensure that it is ahead of its competitors. Some of the promotional avenues it applies include testimonials from customers that are posted on their website and bringing brand ambassadors on board to help them build a reputable brand. Besides that, the company has partnerships with universities that recommend them as the approved movers and bookstores that recommend them to students.

Two Men and a Truck is another key competitor in the moving industry that targets the college students market. The services offered by the company include packing, college moving services, and storage. The company applies a value-based pricing strategy, which is based on the customers’ perspective. This strategy allows the company to be more profitable, although, on the flip side, it discourages customers who wish that the pricing would be more transparent (Faith & Agwu, 2018). Social media platforms are the leading promotional avenues used by the company. More so, the company is a well-established brand that is known for exceptional customer service.

In addition to that, College H.U.N.K.S. focuses on serving the college students’ target market in the moving industry. Some of the services it offers include local moving, student moving, long-distance moving, packing supplies, storage solutions, and office moving. The company uses a cost-plus pricing strategy that involves factoring in the cost of providing the service plus a profit margin for the company. College H.U.N.K.S. also uses social media platforms as the main promotional avenues for the company.

Another key competitor in the moving industry is Great Guys Moving Company. The services offered by the company include dorm room move-in and set-up, dorm move out, off-campus housing and apartment moves, loading and unloading services, college student auto shipping, and summer storage for college students. The company uses a cost-plus pricing strategy. Social media platforms are the promotional avenues used by the company.

All the key players discussed incorporate a distribution strategy of having franchises all over the country to ensure that customers get the services they need timely and conveniently from anywhere in the country. Customers are easily matched with franchises that are closest to them.

Other than key players in the industry that could offer significant competition, self-service can also be an alternative for the target market. College students can mobilize friends and the resources they need to move without hiring a moving company. Moving companies have to ensure that they offer exceptional services and the convenience that would convince college students to use them rather than move on their own. They also have to adequately promote their services so that students are aware of them, the services they offer, and the convenience they would offer them if they helped them with a stress-free move.

Based on the competitive analysis done, a new market player in the industry has to ensure that it offers a range of services that cover every moving need to be able to have the edge over competitors. The new player also has to differentiate itself by offering excellent customer experience. An aggressive marketing strategy would also enable the latest player to acquire a considerable market share in the industry. Promotional avenues such as testimonials, social media platforms, and advantageous partnerships would be beneficial in building a customer base for the new company.