🎓 Diploma in Merchandising

Duration: 1 Year (2 Semesters × 16 Weeks)
Credits: 36 – 40 approx.
Mode: Classroom + Workshops + Industry Attachment
Target group: Students or professionals seeking careers in fashion, apparel, retail, or e-commerce merchandising.
Outcome: Ability to plan, buy, price, display, and analyze products professionally.

Course Objectives

Build a practical foundation in retail and fashion merchandising.
Develop proficiency in range planning, buying, costing, and pricing.
Understand visual merchandising and e-commerce principles.
Learn data-driven retail analytics and forecasting.
Apply merchandising knowledge through projects and internships.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, learners will be able to:

Prepare range and assortment plans aligned with sales goals.
Develop supplier/vendor communication and negotiation strategies.
Calculate landed costs, mark-ups, and pricing structures.
Create visual merchandising displays and store layouts.
Use Excel and data tools for merchandising analysis.
Plan and evaluate promotional campaigns and retail KPIs.

Semester 1 – Merchandising Fundamentals (Weeks 1 – 16)

Module 1 – Introduction to Merchandising (Weeks 1 – 2)

Industry overview: retail, wholesale, e-commerce
Merchandising roles and responsibilities
Product lifecycle & merchandising calendar

Outcome: Understand how merchandising integrates design, buying, and sales.

Module 2 – Product & Range Planning (Weeks 3 – 5)

Product categorization, core vs seasonal lines
Range planning: breadth vs depth, SKU hierarchy
Seasonal calendars and collection planning

Practical: Create a 12-SKU seasonal range plan.

Module 3 – Buying & Supplier Management (Weeks 6 – 8)

Sourcing strategies & vendor selection
MOQ, lead time, sample approval processes
Negotiation skills & supplier performance tracking

Practical: Prepare a supplier evaluation checklist and mock negotiation plan.

Module 4 – Costing, Pricing & Margins (Weeks 9 – 11)

Cost sheet components (fabric, trims, freight, overhead)
Mark-up vs margin calculations
Markdown management & profitability analysis

Exercise: Calculate landed cost and RSP for sample items.

Module 5 – Inventory Management & Replenishment (Weeks 12 – 14)

Stock turn, GMROI, safety stock concepts
EOQ and reorder level calculations
Stock-take, shrinkage control, reporting formats

Practical: Design a replenishment plan for a category.

Module 6 – Visual Merchandising & Store Layout (Weeks 15 – 16)

Principles of display design, focal points, colour stories
Planogram creation, traffic flow, window presentation
Fixtures, lighting, and signage

Practical: Design a window display and a 1-page planogram.

Semester 1 Assessment

Midterm quiz (10%)
Range planning assignment (10%)
Supplier negotiation simulation (10%)
Costing exercise (10%)
Final written exam + portfolio (20%)

Semester 2 – Advanced & Applied Merchandising (Weeks 1 – 16)

Module 7 – Product Development & Tech Pack (Weeks 1 – 3)

Market & trend analysis
Spec sheet creation, tech pack components
Sample approval & fit sessions

Practical: Prepare a basic tech pack for one product.

Module 8 – E-Commerce & Omnichannel Merchandising (Weeks 4 – 6)

Differences between store & online merchandising
Product listings: titles, images, SEO keywords
Online assortment, navigation, and UX

Assignment: Create five optimized product listings.

Module 9 – Retail Analytics & KPI Management (Weeks 7 – 9)

Key metrics: sell-through, conversion, GMROI, ASP
Sales forecasting & trend analysis
Data visualization using Excel or BI dashboards

Practical: Build a merchandising KPI dashboard.

Module 10 – Promotion & Campaign Planning (Weeks 10 – 11)

Promotion types, calendar building
Markdown planning and profitability tracking
Cross-channel campaign coordination

Project: Design a 4-week promotional campaign plan.

Module 11 – Supply Chain & Logistics (Weeks 12 – 13)

Flow of goods from vendor to DC to store
Lead time optimization and VMI introduction
Packaging, documentation, and delivery tracking

Case study: Map the end-to-end supply chain for a product.

Module 12 – Professional Skills & Ethics (Weeks 14 – 16)

Merchandising communication: reports, email etiquette
Legal & ethical aspects: labelling, sustainability, compliance
Career readiness: resume building, interview workshop

Final Project: End-to-end merchandising plan (range, costing, VM, KPIs).

Semester 2 Assessment

Product listings & dashboard (20%)
Campaign planning project (15%)
Final project & viva presentation (25%)
Internship evaluation (20%)

Industry Internship / Field Attachment

Duration: 4 – 6 weeks
Focus areas: Buying office, retail floor, e-commerce team, or supply chain department.
Deliverable: Internship report + supervisor evaluation.

Tools & Software Introduced

Excel/Google Sheets: retail math, analysis
Canva / Adobe Illustrator (basic): display mock-ups
Planogram tools: layout templates
Optional exposure: JDA, SAP Retail, or similar systems (concepts only)

Assessment Summary

Component	Weight	Description
Continuous assessment	40%	Assignments, practicals, quizzes
Midterm & final exams	25%	Written tests
Major projects	25%	Range + final merchandising plan
Internship/Participation	10%	Report & supervisor feedback

Grading Scale (example)

A = 80 – 100 Excellent
B = 70 – 79 Good
C = 60 – 69 Satisfactory
D = 50 – 59 Pass
F = Below 50 Fail

Career Pathways

Merchandiser / Assistant Merchandiser
Buyer / Assistant Buyer
Visual Merchandising Executive
Inventory Planner / Retail Analyst
E-Commerce Content Coordinator

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