Although after doing quite a bit of research, there don't seem to be any websites or companies that combine both buying necessary college items and moving them into dorm rooms, the greatest competitor for my new venture is when Universities partner with companies like Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I can certainly speak to this firsthand.  When I was an incoming freshmen, knowing that UPenn partnered with BBB, I felt more comfortable buying my items from them and believed that not only was I getting a very good bang for my buck but that I was also getting all the items that I would need.  New college students may feel uncomfortable buying specific dorm room items that UPenn does not partner with.   

In addition, there are also countless "college check list sites" that provide students with necessary information and items that they will need for their first year.  While these sites are quite useful, my venture intends to not only provide this option but also the option to directly buy items from various websites in the check list.  For example, if you know that you need a microwave, instead of just checking it off the list, there will be the option to directly buy it as well from all different companies.  

The biggest competitor with moving the items into dorm room's would be the actual universities. UPenn and many schools across the country offer complimentary move-in services.  It's tough to compete with this when it's free.  However, this service only works when you have the ability to drive everything to school.  For many international students and students coming from across the country this is not feasible.  The option to have everything already moved into your room will make their entire move in experience much easier.  In addition, while this industry would be used more when the economy is doing well, with so many affluent kids coming to UPenn every year it has the ability to be more or less recession proof.