12 rails, 45 modules, 28 case files and a season simulator: about 34
hours, from Foundation to Strategic. Every module starts from what you'll be able to do, and shows the exercise,
quiz or case file that proves it.
Calculate and explain margin, markup, sell-through, weeks cover, GMROI and open-to-buy, taking sales tax out first.
Spot, validate and translate trends for a specific customer, and use trend and market-intelligence tools critically.
Build a range plan with clear price architecture, breadth versus depth, a commercial colour palette, size curves and store allocation.
Cost a product from FOB to landed cost, choose a sourcing strategy that weighs cost, speed, ethics and risk, and negotiate with suppliers on more than price.
Trade a season: read weekly data, decide when to chase, hold, cancel or mark down, and plan events such as Christmas and Easter from critical path to exit.
Plan sales, stock and intake, explain variances by volume and price, and split responsibilities clearly with planners and allocators.
Make commercial decisions under uncertainty: buy depth, range editing, pricing, own brand and channel economics.
Lead and develop a team, give and receive feedback, and build your own growth plan.
Rail 1 · Foundation
Foundations
How the buying engine works, the maths that runs it, and the customer it serves.
You'll be able to
Explain how buyers, merchandisers and allocators share responsibility for the five rights across a season.
Calculate margin, markup, sell-through and weeks cover, taking sales tax out correctly.
Plan customer, store and competitor research that ends in clear buying decisions.
Module 01 The commercial engine Free
35 min · 3 lessons · exercise: Whose job is it? · 3-question check
Who buys, who plans, who allocates, and how a season moves from idea to sold-out.
By the end of this module you can
Identify which of the five rights a buying failure breaks, such as a late delivery. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Assign common buying tasks to the buyer, merchandiser or allocator. Shown by: Exercise: Whose job is it? · Quiz question 2
Distinguish options from SKUs and count each for a style. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Explain how a clear customer focus and a narrower range simplify each role in the buying team. Shown by: Case file: Kmart Australia
Case file Kmart Australia: Deciding what you are not Free
Australia · 2008–2012
Module 02 The buying assistant role
35 min · 4 lessons · exercise: What good looks like · 4-question check
What a buying assistant does day to day, what good looks like, and how the role grows towards buyer.
By the end of this module you can
Describe what a buying assistant does and how the role varies between retailers. Shown by: Quiz questions 1 and 3
Tell strong buying-assistant habits from weaker ones, such as flagging a late shipment early with a fix. Shown by: Exercise: What good looks like · Quiz question 2
Choose practical ways to show you're ready to step up towards buyer. Shown by: Quiz question 4
Module 03 Retail maths
45 min · 5 lessons · exercise: The margin lab · 4-question check
Margin, markup, sales tax, sell-through, weeks cover and GMROI, until they are second nature.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate margin and markup from cost and selling price, and convert one into the other. Shown by: Exercise: The margin lab: markup-to-margin challenge · Quiz question 2
Remove sales tax before calculating margin, and set a shelf price for a target margin. Shown by: Exercise: The margin lab: VAT and target-price challenges · Quiz question 1 · Case file: Harbour & Pine
Calculate sell-through, weeks cover and GMROI from stock, sales and margin figures. Shown by: Quiz questions 3–4 · Capstone: Trade a season
Explain the gap between intake and achieved margin caused by markdowns and promotions. Shown by: Case file: Harbour & Pine · Capstone: Trade a season
Case file Harbour & Pine: A margin leak hiding in plain sight
Training scenario · Training scenario
Module 04 Customer, trend & competitor shopping
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Fill in the comp-shop sheet · 3-question check
Know who you buy for, where trend comes from, and how to run a store visit that changes decisions.
By the end of this module you can
Choose how deeply to buy an idea by classifying it as a fad, trend or classic. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Plan a store visit around a specific question that it should answer. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Record competitor observations under price, range, space and service headings. Shown by: Exercise: Fill in the comp-shop sheet
Distinguish what sales data shows from why customers act, using conversations and store feedback. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Case file: Zara (Inditex)
Case file Zara (Inditex): The store as a sensor Free
Spain · global
Rail 2 · Foundation
Trend, tools & market intelligence
How trends spread, how to spot and validate them, and the tools buyers use, from WGSN to EDITED to the spreadsheet.
You'll be able to
Classify trend signals and time a buy to the diffusion curve and trend lifecycle.
Validate a trend from independent signals, then size the bet from skipping it to building it into core.
Match buying tasks to the right system or data source, and state what each cannot show.
Benchmark a range against competitors and turn the gaps into decisions or tests.
Module 05 How trends are born and spread
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Macro, micro or fad? · 3-question check
Macro trends, micro trends and fads; the diffusion curve; and how ideas travel from street to store.
By the end of this module you can
Classify signals as macro trends, micro trends or fads, and match the response to each. Shown by: Exercise: Macro, micro or fad?
Identify where mass-market volume sits on the diffusion curve. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Distinguish trickle-down, trickle-up and trickle-across movement of a trend. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Choose a buying action for each stage of the trend lifecycle, from test to exit. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 06 Spotting & validating trends
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: What's the right move? · 3-question check
Where to look, how to tell a real trend from noise, and how to translate it for your customer.
By the end of this module you can
Validate a trend by checking for several independent signals pointing the same way. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Exercise: What's the right move?
Choose whether to skip, test shallow, buy into or build a trend into core, based on evidence. Shown by: Exercise: What's the right move? · Case file: Stanley
Translate a trend for your customer, such as adding a new colour to a proven bestseller. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Judge whether a supplier's lead time will land a trend before its peak. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Stanley: From camping flask to viral cup
United States · 2016–2023
Module 07 The buyer's toolkit: systems & data
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Which tool for which job? · 3-question check
The systems behind a range, trend services like WGSN, market intelligence like EDITED, and the spreadsheet skills that still matter.
By the end of this module you can
Match buying tasks to the right type of tool: trend forecasting, market intelligence, planning, PLM or BI. Shown by: Exercise: Which tool for which job? · Quiz question 1
Identify what online market intelligence cannot show, such as competitors' units sold. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Explain why a trend forecast's value depends on interpreting it for your own customer. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 08 Using market intelligence well
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Benchmark the knitwear range · 3-question check
Benchmark your range against competitors, know what the data can't tell you, and turn it into decisions.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate each retailer's share of options by price band from competitor data. Shown by: Exercise: Benchmark the knitwear range: price-band share challenges
Compare your price architecture with competitors' and judge whether each gap is an opportunity or a deliberate choice. Shown by: Exercise: Benchmark the knitwear range · Quiz question 2
Explain why a competitor's sell-out does not prove the product was a success. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Turn each benchmark into a decision, test or question for the next range review. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Rail 3 · Foundation
Range & product
Range architecture, colour, fabric and product development.
You'll be able to
Build a good, better, best range that balances breadth, depth and budget.
Plan a commercial colour palette and describe fabrics in terms a mill understands.
Plan a product's critical path from brief through sample approvals to delivery.
Explain how range editing, exclusive fabrics and own brands create advantages that are hard to copy.
Module 09 Range architecture
50 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Build the knit-tops range · 3-question check
Good, better, best; breadth versus depth; core versus fashion; and building a range that hits the numbers.
By the end of this module you can
Build a good, better, best range that fits a fixed budget and supplier minimums. Shown by: Exercise: Build the knit-tops range · Quiz question 1
Balance breadth and depth, explaining how more options on a fixed budget cut depth per option. Shown by: Exercise: Build the knit-tops range · Quiz question 2
Classify products as core, seasonal or fashion. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Justify editing a range to fewer options bought deeper, on both cost and availability. Shown by: Case file: Aldi Australia · Case file: Marks & Spencer
Case file Aldi Australia: One raspberry jam
Australia
Case file Marks & Spencer: Fewer styles, deeper buys
United Kingdom · 2020
Module 10 Commercial colour palettes
35 min · 3 lessons · exercise: Build a summer palette · 3-question check
Build a colour story that looks right on the shop floor and sells through on the numbers.
By the end of this module you can
Build a colour palette with core neutral, seasonal and accent roles. Shown by: Exercise: Build a summer palette
Allocate unit shares across core, seasonal and accent colours. Shown by: Exercise: Build a summer palette · Quiz questions 1 and 3
Explain how a lab dip is used to approve colour before bulk. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Module 11 Fibres & fabrics
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Name the fibre family · 3-question check
What things are made of, why it matters to the customer, and how to talk to a mill.
By the end of this module you can
Classify fibres into plant, animal, regenerated and synthetic families. Shown by: Exercise: Name the fibre family
Distinguish woven from knitted fabrics and describe fabric weight in GSM. Shown by: Quiz questions 1 and 3
Link a customer complaint, such as shrinkage, to its likely fibre cause. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Explain how an exclusive fabric partnership can create an advantage that is hard to copy. Shown by: Case file: Uniqlo
Case file Uniqlo: Fabric as the product
Japan · global
Module 12 Product development & samples
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Put the critical path in order · 3-question check
Run the critical path from concept to shelf and keep samples under control.
By the end of this module you can
Order the critical path from concept to delivery, planning back from the in-store date. Shown by: Exercise: Put the critical path in order · Quiz question 3
Identify the pre-production sample as the final approval before bulk cutting. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Explain how a vague product brief causes extra sample rounds and delays. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Case file Decathlon: A brand for every sport
France · global · 1976–today
Rail 4 · Practitioner
Sourcing & suppliers
What things really cost, where to make them, and how to work with the people who do.
You'll be able to
Calculate landed cost and explain how Incoterms and currency movements change it.
Choose sourcing models and locations that balance cost, speed and risk across a range.
Respond to ethical sourcing risks, including those created by your own buying practices.
Negotiate with suppliers using evidence and traded concessions, and manage them by tier.
From the factory's price to what a unit really costs you on the shelf.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate landed cost from an FOB price, exchange rate, commission, freight, duty and local costs. Shown by: Exercise: Landed cost calculator: challenge 1 · Quiz question 3
Calculate how a currency movement changes the landed cost of US dollar-priced goods. Shown by: Exercise: Landed cost calculator: challenge 2 · Quiz question 2
Identify who pays for each leg of the journey under FOB and other Incoterms. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Module 14 Sourcing strategy & ethics
40 min · 3 lessons · exercise: The audit finding · 3-question check
Where to make product, how to choose, and why people and planet belong in the decision.
By the end of this module you can
Compare branded, agent, direct and vertical sourcing models and their cost trade-offs. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Case file: Kmart Australia
Choose where to source a product by weighing unit cost against lead time and demand predictability. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Case file: Inditex
Respond to unauthorised subcontracting by establishing facts first and agreeing a corrective plan. Shown by: Exercise: The audit finding: steps 1–2
Explain how a buyer's deadlines and prices drive subcontracting risk, and plan changes to prevent it. Shown by: Quiz question 2 · Exercise: The audit finding: steps 2–3
Case file Inditex: Paying more per unit to make more money
Spain · global
Module 15 Supplier management & negotiation
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The price-increase call · 3-question check
Build partnerships that last, negotiate well, find new suppliers and exit cleanly.
By the end of this module you can
Assign suppliers to strategic, core, specialist or trial tiers. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Negotiate a supplier cost increase by asking for evidence and trading concessions. Shown by: Exercise: The price-increase call: steps 1–2
Identify negotiation levers beyond price, such as payment terms, volume and delivery dates. Shown by: Quiz question 2 · Exercise: The price-increase call: step 3
Plan a fair supplier exit that gives notice and completes open orders. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Kmart Australia: Going direct
Australia
Rail 5 · Practitioner
Trading the season
Price it, read it, chase it, mark it down, and sell your range to the business.
You'll be able to
Calculate the extra volume a discount needs to hold cash margin, and judge whether it pays.
Choose each week whether to chase, hold, fix placement, cancel orders or mark down a line.
Time and size markdowns to clear stock while protecting margin, acting early when demand shifts.
Present a range as a clear commercial story that ends with a specific ask.
Module 16 Pricing, promotions & markdowns Free
50 min · 5 lessons · exercise: The markdown simulator · 3-question check
Set prices with intent, run promotions that make money, and clear stock without wrecking margin.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate the volume a discount needs to hold cash margin. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Choose the timing and depth of markdowns that earn the most margin from a fixed buy. Shown by: Exercise: The markdown simulator · Quiz question 2 · Capstone: Trade a season
Explain the risk of switching a customer base between high-low and everyday low pricing. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Case file: J.C. Penney
Case file J.C. Penney: When customers like the sale
United States · 2012
Module 17 In-season trading
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Run the Monday trade meeting · 3-question check
The Monday trade meeting: read the numbers, make the calls, and move fast.
By the end of this module you can
Choose to chase, hold, cancel on-order, fix placement or mark down each line from its trade data. Shown by: Exercise: Run the Monday trade meeting · Quiz questions 1–2 · Capstone: Trade a season
Check size, store and visibility problems before reaching for a markdown. Shown by: Exercise: Run the Monday trade meeting (fix placement line) · Quiz question 3
Explain how short reorder lead times let you buy small and chase winners. Shown by: Case file: Shein · Capstone: Trade a season
Justify cancelling orders and marking down early when demand shifts away from a category. Shown by: Case file: Target (US)
Case file Shein: Test small, reorder fast
Global · online
Case file Target (US): The pandemic hangover
United States · 2022
Module 18 Presenting your range
30 min · 3 lessons · exercise: Order the range-review story · 3-question check
Range reviews and trade updates: tell a clear commercial story and get the decision you need.
By the end of this module you can
Order a range-review story from customer insight through to a clearly stated ask. Shown by: Exercise: Order the range-review story · Quiz question 1
Express range changes as commercial outcomes, such as a lift in average selling price. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Choose how to show product so reviewers judge it as customers will. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Target Australia: When two stories overlap
Australia · 2020
Rail 6 · Practitioner
Seasonal & event buying
Christmas, Easter and the world's trading calendar: dated product, long critical paths and the exit.
You'll be able to
Build an event calendar that allows for moving dates and hemisphere differences.
Plan seasonal buys that limit dated-product risk and land stock before the build.
Plan a Christmas critical path backwards from the in-store date.
Review an event's sell-through, residual stock and margin, and turn it into lessons.
Module 19 The seasonal & event calendar
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Dated, seasonal or core? · 3-question check
The events that drive retail peaks around the world, why dates move, and why dated product needs extra care.
By the end of this module you can
Sort products into event-dated, seasonal and core by their risk after the event. Shown by: Exercise: Dated, seasonal or core? · Quiz question 2
Explain how a moving event date changes the selling window and delivery plan. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Case file: Brightwell
Identify how event timing differs between markets and hemispheres. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 20 Buying for Christmas & gifting
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Plan the Christmas critical path · 3-question check
The biggest event of the year for many retailers: gifting ranges, price points and a very long critical path.
By the end of this module you can
Explain why gift shoppers usually decide on price point first. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Plan a Christmas critical path backwards from the in-store date and find the slack. Shown by: Exercise: Plan the Christmas critical path · Quiz question 2
Plan the post-Christmas exit before the season starts. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Brightwell: The Easter egg cliff
Training scenario · Training scenario
Module 21 Running & reviewing an event
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Review the Easter event · 3-question check
Launch timing, trading the peak, the exit plan and an honest event review.
By the end of this module you can
Judge launch timing that catches early planners without taking core space too soon. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Choose which lines can sensibly be chased during an event peak. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Calculate full-price sell-through, leftover stock and achieved margin for an event. Shown by: Exercise: Review the Easter event
Set clearance dates and depths before an event, and record lessons for next year. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Case file: Brightwell
Rail 7 · Practitioner
Merchandise planning
The buyer's partner discipline: sales, stock, intake, open-to-buy and the numbers that explain trade.
You'll be able to
Build a weekly sales plan from cleaned history, splitting units and average unit retail.
Plan stock and intake week by week to hold cover targets and land stock before demand.
Calculate open-to-buy and re-plan it as trade runs ahead of or behind plan.
Explain variances to plan by volume and price, and say what you will do next.
Module 22 Merchandise planning & its role in retail
40 min · 5 lessons · exercise: Build the planning hierarchy · 3-question check
What planners do, why every retailer needs them, and how planning fits around buying, finance and supply chain.
By the end of this module you can
Distinguish the planner's decisions on how much and when from the buyer's on what. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Order the planning hierarchy from company down to SKU. Shown by: Exercise: Build the planning hierarchy
Explain why a week-based 4-5-4 calendar keeps year-on-year comparisons like for like. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Calculate average stock from sales at cost and stock turn. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 23 Building the sales plan
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Phase the spring plan · 3-question check
From last year's history to a week-by-week plan you can defend.
By the end of this module you can
Clean last year's history of one-off events before using it as a base. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Split a sales plan into units and average unit retail. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Exercise: Phase the spring plan
Phase a season's plan by week, moving sales with events that change date. Shown by: Exercise: Phase the spring plan · Quiz question 3
Module 24 Stock & intake planning (the WSSI)
50 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Balance the WSSI · 3-question check
Plan the flow of stock week by week so it lands before demand, not after.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate closing stock from opening stock, intake, sales and markdowns. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Exercise: Balance the WSSI
Calculate forward cover and keep it within a target range. Shown by: Quiz question 2 · Exercise: Balance the WSSI
Phase intake so stock lands before demand and the season ends at a planned level. Shown by: Exercise: Balance the WSSI · Quiz question 3
Turn a sales ambition into a month-by-month budget you can actually spend.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate open-to-buy at retail and convert it to cost using intake margin. Shown by: Exercise: Open-to-buy calculator · Quiz questions 2–3
Explain how trading ahead of or behind plan opens or closes open-to-buy. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Hold back part of the budget for in-season chases rather than committing it all up front. Shown by: Capstone: Trade a season · Case file: Abercrombie & Fitch
Module 26 Planning KPIs & variance analysis
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Explain the miss · 3-question check
Read the numbers like a planner and explain exactly why you are off plan.
By the end of this module you can
Split a sales variance into volume and price effects. Shown by: Exercise: Explain the miss · Quiz question 1
Read KPIs together to spot risks such as margin leaking through markdown. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Structure a trade report that leads with the exceptions that change decisions. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Abercrombie & Fitch: Rebuilt around the customer
United States · 2017–2023
Rail 8 · Practitioner
Allocation & replenishment
Getting the right stock to the right store, in the right sizes, and keeping it there.
You'll be able to
Allocate a buy by store grade and size curve, holding back reserve to follow demand.
Calculate store replenishment orders and decide when packs or transfers make sense.
Fix broken size runs by sending scarce sizes where they sell and correcting the curve.
Explain why replenishment works best when retailer and supplier share real sales data.
Module 27 The allocator's role
35 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Which part of the job? · 3-question check
What allocators do, why the same buy can succeed or fail depending on where it goes, and how they work with everyone else.
By the end of this module you can
Sort allocation tasks into initial allocation, replenishment, transfers and reporting. Shown by: Exercise: Which part of the job?
Explain how better allocation lifts full-price sell-through from the same buy. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Identify which team supplies each allocation input, such as pack sizes and delivery days. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Identify a broken size run and explain why it loses sales. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 28 Size curves & store grading
35 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Allocate a style · 3-question check
Get the right sizes to the right stores, so a good buy does not turn into broken size runs.
By the end of this module you can
Allocate a style across graded stores and sizes using store weights and a size curve. Shown by: Exercise: Allocate a style
Build size curves from in-stock periods, and correct a curve after a size sells out. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Case file: Northfield Stores
Prioritise scarce sizes to the fastest stores and use a DC reserve to follow demand. Shown by: Quiz questions 2–3 · Case file: Northfield Stores
Case file Northfield Stores: The missing mediums
Training scenario · Training scenario
Module 29 Replenishment, packs & stock balancing
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Calculate the store order · 3-question check
Keep stores in stock without flooding them: model stock, reorder points, pack sizes and transfers.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate model stock from rate of sale, lead time, review period, safety stock and presentation minimum. Shown by: Exercise: Calculate the store order · Quiz question 1
Calculate a store order net of stock on hand and in transit, rounded to pack size. Shown by: Exercise: Calculate the store order
Compare pre-packs with singles on handling cost and precision. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Decide when a stock transfer earns back more margin than it costs. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Walmart: Sharing the till data
United States · 1989–1990s
Rail 9 · Practitioner
Personal development
Receiving feedback, staying resilient under pressure, and planning your own growth.
You'll be able to
Respond to tough feedback by spotting your trigger, asking questions and deciding what to act on.
Recover from setbacks by reviewing what was in your control and using habits that protect your judgement.
Build a personal growth plan from a skills self-rating and SMART goals.
Module 30 Receiving feedback well
35 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The tough range review · 3-question check
Hear the message, manage your reaction, and ask for the feedback that helps you grow.
By the end of this module you can
Identify whether a truth, relationship or identity trigger is shaping your reaction to feedback. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Exercise: The tough range review (step 2)
Respond to critical feedback by asking for specifics, checking the facts and deciding what to act on. Shown by: Exercise: The tough range review (steps 1–2) · Quiz question 2
Ask for future-focused suggestions and close the loop by showing what you changed. Shown by: Exercise: The tough range review (step 3) · Quiz question 3
Module 31 Resilience under commercial pressure
35 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Builds you up or wears you down? · 3-question check
Stay effective when ranges fail, numbers disappoint and peak season stacks up.
By the end of this module you can
Review a disappointing result by asking what was in your control and what you learned. Shown by: Quiz question 1 · Exercise: Builds you up or wears you down?
Distinguish habits that build resilience from habits that wear you down. Shown by: Exercise: Builds you up or wears you down? · Quiz question 2
Identify when lasting stress means you should seek help, and who to turn to. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 32 Your personal growth plan
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Build your growth plan · 3-question check
Map your skills, set goals that stick, and plan how you'll grow your buying career.
By the end of this module you can
Rate yourself across the main buying skill areas and pick your two biggest gaps as focus areas. Shown by: Exercise: Build your growth plan (skills radar)
Write a SMART goal with a deadline for each focus area, and tell goals apart from vague wishes. Shown by: Exercise: Build your growth plan (SMART goals) · Quiz question 1
Explain how sponsors and secondments can support your development. Shown by: Quiz questions 2–3
Rail 10 · Practitioner
Leading a team
Lead assistant buyers, assistant planners and category assistants: expectations, coaching, feedback and delegation.
You'll be able to
Set clear standards and a 30/60/90-day plan for a new assistant.
Give specific feedback with SBI and coach with GROW questions instead of giving answers.
Handle team mistakes privately and make it safe for people to raise problems early.
Choose what to delegate and how much freedom to give, based on experience and risk.
Module 33 Leading assistants: from doing to leading
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Build a 30/60/90 plan · 3-question check
Lead assistant buyers, assistant planners and category assistants: set clear expectations and build the team rhythm.
By the end of this module you can
Set specific work standards and a checklist instead of fixing an assistant's work yourself. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Build a 30/60/90-day plan that moves a new assistant from learning to working independently. Shown by: Exercise: Build a 30/60/90 plan
Explain why a leader's success is measured by what the team delivers. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Explain how psychological safety helps a team raise errors before they become expensive. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Case file: Larchwood & Co
Module 34 Coaching & feedback
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The missing zero · 3-question check
Give feedback people can use, coach instead of telling, and plan real development.
By the end of this module you can
Give feedback using Situation–Behaviour–Impact, then agree the next step together. Shown by: Exercise: The missing zero (step 2) · Quiz question 1 · Case file: Larchwood & Co
Handle a team member's mistake by fixing it together, talking privately and improving the process. Shown by: Exercise: The missing zero (steps 1 and 3) · Case file: Larchwood & Co
Coach a team member through a problem using GROW questions. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Plan development mainly through on-the-job stretch tasks, using the 70-20-10 model. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Larchwood & Co: The assistant who stopped asking
Training scenario · Training scenario
Module 35 Delegation, workload & growing the team
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: How would you delegate it? · 3-question check
Decide what to hand over and how much freedom to give, get the team through peak season, and build the next buyers.
By the end of this module you can
Choose which tasks to delegate and which to keep yourself. Shown by: Exercise: How would you delegate it? · Quiz question 2
Match the level of freedom you delegate to the person's experience and the risk, and state it clearly. Shown by: Exercise: How would you delegate it? · Quiz question 1
Rail 11 · Advanced
Advanced buying
Uncertainty, assortment economics, pricing science, own brand and omnichannel.
You'll be able to
Set buy depth from margin, clearance value and forecast uncertainty, and use smaller first buys to limit risk.
Edit and price a range using transferable demand, elasticity and known-value items, with genuine reference prices.
Design own-brand products to a target landed cost, removing cost customers do not value.
Compare channels on contribution after returns, and choose channel approaches that reach customers where they shop.
Module 36 Forecasting under uncertainty
55 min · 4 lessons · exercise: How deep should you buy? · 3-question check
Every forecast is wrong. Advanced buyers plan for the range of outcomes, not the single number.
By the end of this module you can
Distinguish forecast error from bias, and diagnose a team that over-forecasts every season. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Calculate the critical ratio from price, cost and clearance value, and use it to set buy depth. Shown by: Exercise: How deep should you buy? · Quiz question 2 · Capstone: Trade a season
Choose ways to reduce forecast risk, such as shorter lead times, smaller first buys and chasing winners. Shown by: Quiz question 3 · Capstone: Trade a season
Case file H&M: Four billion dollars of unsold clothes
Sweden · global · 2018
Module 37 Assortment productivity & range editing
50 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Free up three spaces · 3-question check
Which options really earn their space, and what happens to sales when you cut one.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate the margin lost when you delete an option, using its transfer rate. Shown by: Exercise: Free up three spaces · Quiz question 1
Choose which options to cut by transferability and each option's job, not by lowest sales. Shown by: Exercise: Free up three spaces · Quiz question 2
Calculate the incremental sales of a new option after cannibalisation. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Costco: Fewer items, capped markups
US · global
Module 38 Pricing science
50 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The price-change lab · 3-question check
Elasticity, known-value items, price perception, and the law on reference prices.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate the change in units from a price change using elasticity. Shown by: Exercise: The price-change lab · Quiz question 1
Calculate how much volume a price rise can lose before cash margin falls. Shown by: Exercise: The price-change lab · Quiz question 3
Choose where to invest in sharp prices, focusing on known-value items. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Identify a misleading 'was' or discount claim and advertise only against a genuine previous price. Shown by: Case file: Coles
Case file Coles: When 'Down Down' wasn't down
Australia · 2022–2026
Module 39 Own brand & design to price
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Design a jacket to price · 3-question check
When to build your own product, how to start from the price, and how to remove cost the customer doesn't value.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate a target landed cost from the net selling price and target margin. Shown by: Exercise: Design a jacket to price · Quiz question 1 · Case file: IKEA
Remove product costs customers do not value while protecting features they notice. Shown by: Exercise: Design a jacket to price · Quiz question 2
Justify keeping a national brand when customers search for it or compare your prices on it. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file IKEA: Design the price tag first
Sweden · global
Module 40 Omnichannel inventory & returns
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The true profit of an online order · 3-question check
One customer, many channels: range, stock pools, returns and the true profit of an online order.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate the contribution of an online order after returns, pick and pack, delivery and returns handling. Shown by: Exercise: The true profit of an online order
Plan online buys on net sales after returns, and identify fit as the main driver of returns. Shown by: Quiz questions 1 and 3 · Exercise: The true profit of an online order (lower return rate)
Explain how a single stock pool improves availability and reduces markdown. Shown by: Quiz question 2 · Case file: Best Buy
Case file Nike: Going direct, then coming back
US · global · 2017–2025
Case file Best Buy: Beating the showroom problem
United States · 2012–2013
Rail 12 · Strategic
Strategy & judgement
Category strategy, evidence, supplier economics, sustainability and commercial judgement.
You'll be able to
Assign each category a role and shift investment using a scorecard that goes beyond sales.
Read store trials against a control and check your own calls for common biases.
Compare suppliers on should-cost and total cost of ownership, not FOB price alone.
Cut overproduction as a sustainability lever and approve only specific, evidenced environmental claims.
Module 41 Category strategy & roles
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Give each category its role · 3-question check
Give each category a job, measure it properly, and decide where to invest.
By the end of this module you can
Assign each category a role: destination, routine, seasonal or convenience. Shown by: Exercise: Give each category its role · Quiz question 2
Judge category performance against market growth, not sales growth alone. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Choose whether to invest in, maintain, harvest or exit a category. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Primark: Saying no to home delivery
Ireland & UK · Europe · 2022–2026
Module 42 Test, learn & read data properly
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Read a store trial · 3-question check
Run tests that prove something, and avoid the data traps that fool experienced buyers.
By the end of this module you can
Calculate uplift by comparing test-store growth with control-store growth. Shown by: Exercise: Read a store trial · Quiz question 1
Identify data traps such as stock-constrained sales hiding true demand. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Set the hypothesis, measure and decision rule before a test starts. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Case file Tesco: Knowing more after three months
United Kingdom · 1995
Module 43 Advanced supplier economics
50 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Build a should-cost · 3-question check
Should-cost models, total cost of ownership, risk, and supplier funding.
By the end of this module you can
Build a should-cost from fabric, trims, CMT, packaging, overhead and margin, then challenge a quote. Shown by: Exercise: Build a should-cost · Quiz question 1
Compare suppliers on total cost of ownership, including quality failures, late delivery and lead-time risk. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Explain how nominating fabric improves price and consistency across factories. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Module 44 Sustainability as a commercial decision
40 min · 4 lessons · exercise: The sustainable range · 3-question check
Overproduction, materials, circular models and claims you can stand behind.
By the end of this module you can
Choose cutting overproduction as the first lever where profit and sustainability align. Shown by: Exercise: The sustainable range (step 1) · Quiz question 1
Distinguish specific, evidenced environmental claims from vague, risky ones. Shown by: Exercise: The sustainable range (step 2) · Quiz question 2
Explain why fibre blends are harder to recycle than single fibres. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Plan a pilot for a circular service such as take-back, repair or resale, measuring take-up and cost. Shown by: Exercise: The sustainable range (step 3) · Case file: Patagonia
Case file Patagonia: Don't buy this jacket
United States · 2011
Module 45 Commercial judgement & leading a team
45 min · 4 lessons · exercise: Name the bias · 3-question check
Make better calls under uncertainty, spot the biases in buying, and grow other buyers.
By the end of this module you can
Distinguish the quality of a decision from the quality of its outcome. Shown by: Quiz question 2
Name the bias behind a buying call, such as sunk cost, anchoring, confirmation, recency or overconfidence. Shown by: Exercise: Name the bias
Use a pre-mortem to find and fix risks before committing to a range. Shown by: Quiz question 1
Coach buyers with questions and clear guardrails instead of making their decisions for them. Shown by: Quiz question 3
Capstone
Trade a season
Eight weeks, four products, a 60,000 budget. Place the opening buy, read weekly sales, chase, mark down and
clear. Your result is the share of the margin a buyer with perfect hindsight could have made.