Marketing & Communication

Retail Management and Merchandising

Retail success depends on the right products, in the right place, at the right price. This course covers retail strategy, store operations, merchandising and space planning, assortment and category management, inventory, pricing and promotions, omnichannel retail and retail KPIs.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

Download course PDF

Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Retailers face intense competition and changing customer behaviour. This course gives managers practical tools to improve sales and profitability.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

The course uses retail case studies, merchandising exercises, KPI analysis and store improvement planning.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand retail strategy and customer behaviour
Plan assortment and category management
Apply visual merchandising and space planning
Manage inventory, pricing and promotions
Integrate omnichannel retail
Measure store and category performance

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Retail managers and store managers
Merchandisers and buyers
Category managers
Retail operations managers
Brand managers

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Retail strategy
Category management
Visual merchandising
Inventory management
Pricing and promotions
Retail KPIs

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Retail Strategy

09:00–09:54Retail formats
09:54–10:48Customer behaviour
10:48–11:00Competitive positioning
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–12:12Competitive positioning (continued)
12:12–13:06Retail trends
13:06–14:00Exercise: Store review

Day 2Assortment and Category

09:00–09:54Category roles
09:54–10:48Assortment planning
10:48–11:00Supplier collaboration
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–12:12Supplier collaboration (continued)
12:12–13:06Range reviews
13:06–14:00Workshop: Category plan

Day 3Merchandising

09:00–09:54Visual merchandising
09:54–10:48Space planning
10:48–11:00Planograms
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–12:12Planograms (continued)
12:12–13:06Store layout
13:06–14:00Exercise: Space plan

Day 4Inventory, Pricing and Promotions

09:00–09:54Stock management
09:54–10:48Pricing strategy
10:48–11:00Promotion planning
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–12:12Promotion planning (continued)
12:12–13:06Markdown management
13:06–14:00Case study: Promotion evaluation

Day 5Omnichannel and Performance

09:00–09:54Omnichannel retail
09:54–10:48Retail KPIs
10:48–11:00Store operations
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–12:12Store operations (continued)
12:12–13:06Improvement planning
13:06–14:00Capstone: Retail improvement plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon UK certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon UK programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

Keep exploring

Your next horizon awaits.

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The full course agenda and dates are available above. Use the session links in Dates & venues to choose a session. Registration and quotation forms require JavaScript; you can also contact our learning team directly.