EXECUTIVE COURSE IN BUYING AND MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT

 

 

Executive Course in Buying and Merchandising Management (ECOM)

 

Key Facts

Duration: 66 hours — 6 weekends (Fridays and Saturdays). From January 2027

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: € 3500 + VAT

Open for registration: now

 

Schedule

The detailed calendar is currently being finalised — further information coming soon.

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