The margin lab
That's one of 45 modules. Enrol to keep going.
Retail Buying School · Retail Buying Mastery
Buy what sells.
Sell what you buy.
A hands-on course in retail buying and merchandise planning, from your first margin calculation to spotting trends, buying for Christmas, planning, allocation, leading a team and running a category. Work the real maths, make the calls real retailers faced, then trade a full season yourself.
45modules 24real-retailer case files 23interactive tools ~34hours
Linen shirt · cost 18.00
54.50
Cash margin36.50
Margin67.0%
Markup202.8%
What you'll be able to do
Every lesson, exercise and case file in the course exists to build one of these.
- 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.
How the course is designed
Designed backwards from the job
We started from what an excellent buyer must be able to do, decided how you would prove it (exercises, case decisions, the season simulator) and only then wrote the lessons. Every module opens with what you'll be able to do and shows the activity that proves it.
- OutcomeWhat a good buyer can do
- EvidenceHow you prove you can do it
- LessonsWhat you need to learn to get there
Built for every kind of learner
Following Universal Design for Learning, there's more than one way in:
- Read short, practical lessons with worked examples
- Do the maths in 23 interactive tools with your own numbers
- Decide in 28 case files, then see what happened
- Reflect with a personal growth plan and SMART goals
Works on phone, tablet and desktop, in light and dark mode, by keyboard and with a screen reader. Learn at your own pace, in any order.
Try it now
Four exercises from the course, working right here. No account needed.
The markdown simulator
That's one of 45 modules. Do the whole module free, or enrol to keep going.
Zara (Inditex)
The store as a sensor
You run a fashion chain. Store managers keep telling you that customers are asking for a style you don't stock. Your next delivery was ordered five months ago.
You're the buyer. What would make that store feedback most valuable?
What actually happened
Zara's model is usually described as a feedback loop. Store managers and staff report what customers buy, ask for and reject, and that information goes to commercial and design teams who sit together at Inditex's headquarters in Arteixo, Spain.
Case studies describe new items reaching stores roughly 4 to 5 weeks after design begins, with changes to existing items taking around 2 weeks.
Customer insight is only useful if the business can act on it in time. A short supply chain turns store observations into buying decisions.
Sources: ICMR case: Zara, Future Ready? · YOOBIC: Zara operating model
That's one of 28 case files. Enrol to keep going.
That's one of 45 modules. Enrol to keep going.
The range wall
Twelve rails, from Foundation to Strategic. Modules teach and test; case files, hanging between them, put you in a real retailer's shoes. Free items are open to everyone.
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 Who buys, who plans, who allocates, and how a season moves from idea to sold-out. 35 min Free
- CASE FILE · 2008–2012 Australia Kmart Australia Deciding what you are not 5 min · decide Free
- MODULE 02 The buying assistant role What a buying assistant does day to day, what good looks like, and how the role grows towards buyer. 35 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 03 Retail maths Margin, markup, sales tax, sell-through, weeks cover and GMROI, until they are second nature. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Training scenario Harbour & Pine A margin leak hiding in plain sight Training scenario Included when you enrol
- MODULE 04 Customer, trend & competitor shopping Know who you buy for, where trend comes from, and how to run a store visit that changes decisions. 40 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Spain · global Zara (Inditex) The store as a sensor 5 min · decide Free
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 Macro trends, micro trends and fads; the diffusion curve; and how ideas travel from street to store. 40 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 06 Spotting & validating trends Where to look, how to tell a real trend from noise, and how to translate it for your customer. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2016–2023 United States Stanley From camping flask to viral cup 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 07 The buyer's toolkit: systems & data The systems behind a range, trend services like WGSN, market intelligence like EDITED, and the spreadsheet skills that still matter. 40 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 08 Using market intelligence well Benchmark your range against competitors, know what the data can't tell you, and turn it into decisions. 40 min Included when you enrol
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 Good, better, best; breadth versus depth; core versus fashion; and building a range that hits the numbers. 50 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Australia Aldi Australia One raspberry jam 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2020 United Kingdom Marks & Spencer Fewer styles, deeper buys 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 10 Commercial colour palettes Build a colour story that looks right on the shop floor and sells through on the numbers. 35 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 11 Fibres & fabrics What things are made of, why it matters to the customer, and how to talk to a mill. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Japan · global Uniqlo Fabric as the product 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 12 Product development & samples Run the critical path from concept to shelf and keep samples under control. 40 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 1976–today France · global Decathlon A brand for every sport 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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.
- MODULE 13 Costing & landed cost From the factory's price to what a unit really costs you on the shelf. 45 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 14 Sourcing strategy & ethics Where to make product, how to choose, and why people and planet belong in the decision. 40 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Spain · global Inditex Paying more per unit to make more money 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 15 Supplier management & negotiation Build partnerships that last, negotiate well, find new suppliers and exit cleanly. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Australia Kmart Australia Going direct 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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 Set prices with intent, run promotions that make money, and clear stock without wrecking margin. 50 min Free
- CASE FILE · 2012 United States J.C. Penney When customers like the sale 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 17 In-season trading The Monday trade meeting: read the numbers, make the calls, and move fast. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Global · online Shein Test small, reorder fast 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2022 United States Target (US) The pandemic hangover 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 18 Presenting your range Range reviews and trade updates: tell a clear commercial story and get the decision you need. 30 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2020 Australia Target Australia When two stories overlap 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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 The events that drive retail peaks around the world, why dates move, and why dated product needs extra care. 40 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 20 Buying for Christmas & gifting The biggest event of the year for many retailers: gifting ranges, price points and a very long critical path. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Training scenario Brightwell The Easter egg cliff Training scenario Included when you enrol
- MODULE 21 Running & reviewing an event Launch timing, trading the peak, the exit plan and an honest event review. 40 min Included when you enrol
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 What planners do, why every retailer needs them, and how planning fits around buying, finance and supply chain. 40 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 23 Building the sales plan From last year's history to a week-by-week plan you can defend. 45 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 24 Stock & intake planning (the WSSI) Plan the flow of stock week by week so it lands before demand, not after. 50 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 25 Financial planning & open-to-buy Turn a sales ambition into a month-by-month budget you can actually spend. 50 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 26 Planning KPIs & variance analysis Read the numbers like a planner and explain exactly why you are off plan. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2017–2023 United States Abercrombie & Fitch Rebuilt around the customer 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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 What allocators do, why the same buy can succeed or fail depending on where it goes, and how they work with everyone else. 35 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 28 Size curves & store grading Get the right sizes to the right stores, so a good buy does not turn into broken size runs. 35 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Training scenario Northfield Stores The missing mediums Training scenario Included when you enrol
- MODULE 29 Replenishment, packs & stock balancing Keep stores in stock without flooding them: model stock, reorder points, pack sizes and transfers. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 1989–1990s United States Walmart Sharing the till data 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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 Hear the message, manage your reaction, and ask for the feedback that helps you grow. 35 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 31 Resilience under commercial pressure Stay effective when ranges fail, numbers disappoint and peak season stacks up. 35 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 32 Your personal growth plan Map your skills, set goals that stick, and plan how you'll grow your buying career. 40 min Included when you enrol
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 Lead assistant buyers, assistant planners and category assistants: set clear expectations and build the team rhythm. 40 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 34 Coaching & feedback Give feedback people can use, coach instead of telling, and plan real development. 40 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Training scenario Larchwood & Co The assistant who stopped asking Training scenario Included when you enrol
- MODULE 35 Delegation, workload & growing the team Decide what to hand over and how much freedom to give, get the team through peak season, and build the next buyers. 40 min Included when you enrol
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 Every forecast is wrong. Advanced buyers plan for the range of outcomes, not the single number. 55 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2018 Sweden · global H&M Four billion dollars of unsold clothes 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 37 Assortment productivity & range editing Which options really earn their space, and what happens to sales when you cut one. 50 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE US · global Costco Fewer items, capped markups 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 38 Pricing science Elasticity, known-value items, price perception, and the law on reference prices. 50 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2022–2026 Australia Coles When 'Down Down' wasn't down 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 39 Own brand & design to price When to build your own product, how to start from the price, and how to remove cost the customer doesn't value. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE Sweden · global IKEA Design the price tag first 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 40 Omnichannel inventory & returns One customer, many channels: range, stock pools, returns and the true profit of an online order. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2017–2025 US · global Nike Going direct, then coming back 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2012–2013 United States Best Buy Beating the showroom problem 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
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 Give each category a job, measure it properly, and decide where to invest. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2022–2026 Ireland & UK · Europe Primark Saying no to home delivery 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 42 Test, learn & read data properly Run tests that prove something, and avoid the data traps that fool experienced buyers. 45 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 1995 United Kingdom Tesco Knowing more after three months 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 43 Advanced supplier economics Should-cost models, total cost of ownership, risk, and supplier funding. 50 min Included when you enrol
- MODULE 44 Sustainability as a commercial decision Overproduction, materials, circular models and claims you can stand behind. 40 min Included when you enrol
- CASE FILE · 2011 United States Patagonia Don't buy this jacket 5 min · decide Included when you enrol
- MODULE 45 Commercial judgement & leading a team Make better calls under uncertainty, spot the biases in buying, and grow other buyers. 45 min Included when you enrol
Case files from real retailers
24 case files from retailers across Europe, the US, Asia and Australia, plus 4 training scenarios. Make the call first, then see what really happened and why.
- Kmart AustraliaAustralia
- Zara (Inditex)Spain · global
- StanleyUnited States
- Aldi AustraliaAustralia
- Marks & SpencerUnited Kingdom
- UniqloJapan · global
- DecathlonFrance · global
- InditexSpain · global
- Kmart AustraliaAustralia
- J.C. PenneyUnited States
- SheinGlobal · online
- Target (US)United States
- Target AustraliaAustralia
- Abercrombie & FitchUnited States
- WalmartUnited States
- H&MSweden · global
- CostcoUS · global
- ColesAustralia
- IKEASweden · global
- NikeUS · global
- Best BuyUnited States
- PrimarkIreland & UK · Europe
- TescoUnited Kingdom
- PatagoniaUnited States
Retailer names are used only to identify the companies discussed. No endorsement is implied.
Capstone
Trade a full season: buy, chase, mark down and clear.
A 60,000 budget, four products and eight weeks of decisions. Place your opening buy against the forecast, read the weekly sales, chase the winners, mark down the losers, and see how much of the possible margin you captured.
Your certificate
Finish every module, case file and the simulator to earn your Retail Buying Mastery certificate. Each one has a unique credential ID and a public verification page that anyone can check.
- Claim it with your name, then download the PDF.
- Add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click: the course, issue date, credential ID and verification link are filled in for you.
- Share the verification link with employers. It shows your name, the course, the date and that it's valid.
Who it's for
- Assistant buyers who want the whole job, not just their corner of it
- Buyers who want sharper maths, better trading calls and stronger supplier conversations
- Merchandise planners who want to understand the product decisions behind the numbers
- Allocators who want to see how buys, size curves and replenishment connect
- Category managers who want a common language with buying and planning teams
- Product developers who design to price and work to a critical path
- Founders of retail brands who are doing the buying themselves
- People moving into buying from stores, merchandising, design, finance or elsewhere
One price. Everything included.
US$299 one payment, priced in US dollars
- All 45 modules, Foundation to Strategic
- All 28 case files and the season simulator
- 23 interactive tools and your personal growth plan
- A verifiable certificate you can add to LinkedIn
- Permanent access on any device; progress saved to your account
No refunds: you get immediate access to the full course when you enrol. Secure payment by Stripe. Promotion codes can be entered at checkout.
Buying for a team?
Email us with how many people you'd like to enrol and we'll arrange it.
Contact us about team placesQuestions
How long does it take?
About 34 hours in total: 45 modules of 30 to 55 minutes, 28 short case files and the season simulator. Go at your own pace and take modules in any order; only the certificate needs everything done.
How long do I have access?
For good. Access is permanent once you enrol and is linked to your email address. There's no subscription.
What devices can I use?
Any modern phone, tablet or computer. Sign in with a link sent to your email on any device and carry on where you left off: your progress is saved to your account.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you finish every module, case file and the simulator you can claim a Retail Buying Mastery certificate with a unique credential ID and a public verification page. Add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click, or download it as a PDF.
Can I get a refund?
No. You get immediate access to the full course when you enrol, so purchases aren't refundable. Try the free modules first to make sure the course suits you.
Can I buy for my team?
Yes. Email support@retailbuyingschool.com with how many people you'd like to enrol and we'll arrange it.
Will it work in my country?
Yes. The maths is taught net of sales tax (VAT, GST or none), the currency symbol can be switched, the case files come from retailers in Europe, the US, Asia and Australia, the seasonal calendar covers both hemispheres, and legal notes point to international references rather than one country's rules.
What do I need to know already?
Nothing. The course starts at Foundation level with how the buying engine works and builds to Strategic. Experienced buyers can jump straight to the rails they need.
Start buying like you mean it.
45 modules, 28 case files, a season simulator and a certificate. US$299, yours for good.