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The Executive Course in Buying and Merchandising Management (ECOM) is an advanced programme that combines two complementary modules — Fashion Buying and Fashion Merchandising — to train professionals in managing the full commercial process, from assortment planning to budget control, across omnichannel retail environments.
Held in both Italian and English, the course is designed for professionals looking to deepen their expertise in specific buying and merchandising business areas.
Executive Course in Buying and Merchandising Management (ECOM)
Key Facts
Director: Gaya Calabrò
Duration: 66 hours — 6 weekends (Fridays and Saturdays), October to December 2026
Location: Hybrid — Milano Fashion Institute Campus, Via G. Durando 38, Milan / Live Streaming
Teaching mode: 100% in-person, with optional remote participation upon request
Language: Italian and English
Fee: €4,000 + VAT (early bird €3,500 until 12 July)
Open for registration: now
Registration deadline: 22 September 2026
Schedule
Friday — 14:15–18:15 (4 hours) Saturday — 09:15–13:15 / 14:15–18:15 (8 hours)
3–4 October — Fashion Merchandising
17–18 October — Fashion Merchandising
24–25 October — Fashion Buying
7–8 November — Fashion Merchandising
21–22 November — Fashion Buying
12–13 December — Fashion Buying
19 December, morning (live streaming) — Fashion Buying & Fashion Merchandising
Remote participation is available upon request. Attendance and exam tests will be verified for each session in order to meet the requirements for the Certificate.
Participants recommended by member companies of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion are eligible for a preferential rate. Consult the list of associated companies.
Programme
Fashion Buying Lecturer: Gaya Calabrò
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the fashion buyer's role, with a focus on planning, assortment selection, budgeting, and performance management in omnichannel retail environments.
Learning Objectives
Understand the strategic role of the fashion buyer
Analyse buying and selling KPIs
Develop forecasting and budgeting skills
Build buying plans and Open-to-Buy (OTB)
Work effectively in teams and present projects
Main Topics
Buying fundamentals and the buyer's role
Buying cycle and merchandising planning
Forecasting, budgeting and OTB
Customer profiling and trend analysis
Assortment planning and negotiation
Sales and performance monitoring
Fashion Merchandising Lecturer: Olimpia Nocentini
The course explores merchandising as a strategic function in product offer development, with a focus on data analysis, collection architecture, pricing, and performance optimisation in omnichannel environments.
Learning Objectives
Understand the role of merchandising in brand strategy
Analyse product performance through commercial KPIs
Develop skills in building collection architecture
Define pricing strategies aligned with positioning and margins
Integrate merchandising and e-commerce
Translate data and analysis into strategic decisions
Main Topics
The merchandiser's role and interaction with buying, design and retail
Competitive analysis and benchmarking (assortment, pricing, positioning)
Sales analysis and KPI reading (sell-through, margins, stock turn, AUR, conversion)
Collection architecture (width, depth, categories, entry/core/fashion)
Pricing strategies and price architecture
Alignment between merchandising and e-commerce (assortment, availability, digital performance)
Visual merchandising elements in support of commercial strategy
Final Project – Merchandising & Buying
Students will develop a group project focused on merchandising and buying for a direct retail channel format of a brand, managing a purchasing budget.
Project Objectives
Apply merchandising and buying strategies in a professional context
Develop a complete buying cycle for a fashion season
Make data-driven product and budget decisions
Project Structure
Brand and context analysis (DNA, target, distribution, trends)
Merchandising plan (qualitative and quantitative) and pricing grid development
Buying phase: forecast, budget allocation, assortment plan
OTB calculation and application
Final presentation with slides and Excel file
Evaluation Criteria
Completeness and consistency of the analysis
Quality of assortment and buying decisions
Consistency of collection architecture and pricing choices
Ability to use and interpret KPIs
Correct use of tools and calculations
Clarity and professionalism of the presentation