Module 1 - Introduction – Retail Marketing overview

• Structure of the marketing and buying functions in retailing
• Who does what?
• What are the skills and knowledge required?
• How the market leaders are organized
• Sectors of the market and corporate objectives
• Customer profiling
• The 4-way analysis as a means of improving performance
• Brands and brand management

Module 2 - Approaches to Stock Control

• Divisions of the inventory.
• Methods of stock control.
• Who needs what information and how to obtain it.
• Outcomes from stock information – and decisions to take.
• Range rationalization and product life cycles.
• Sales forecasting techniques.
• Measuring productivity of stock investment.
• Pricing techniques – and effects on rate of stock turn.
• Monitoring component parts of the stock assortment.

Module 3 - Financial performance and pricing

• Financial stock control – sales and profits.
• Methods of setting the selling price.
• Managing the profit margin – effects of trading costs and markdowns.

Module 4 - Range Planning

• Budgeting for the purchase allowance.
• How to decide on the range and individual lines to stock.
• Building the range strategy.
• Model stock plans.
• Range presentation exercise.
• Product liability and safety issues.
• Ethical relationships with customers.
• Dealing with suppliers – collaborative or competitive relationships.
• Visualizing the merchandise range presentation.

Module 5 - Negotiating with suppliers

• Basic principles in setting up a partnership.
• When, where and how to negotiate.
• Setting the agenda.
• Targets for negotiation.
• Linking issues.
• Structure for a negotiation.
• Evaluating the negotiation.