Advanced Business Operations

Retail Buying & Inventory Management

Buy the right product, in the right quantity, at the right time.

12 lessons4 modules9h 30m durationbeginner level

Instructor: StretchLearn Faculty

About this course

Most independent retailers buy on instinct, over-order the safe items, and end the season drowning in markdowns on the rest. This course replaces gut feel with the disciplined buying system that chains and department stores have used for decades: open-to-buy budgeting, planned turnover, weeks of supply, vendor negotiation on cost and terms, and a markdown cadence that clears slow stock before it dies. Every concept is worked with real retail numbers and a reusable spreadsheet.

Curriculum

Module 1: The Retail Math That Drives Every Buy3 lessons

Initial Markup, Maintained Markup, and KeystonePreview45m
Sell-Through Rate: The Signal Behind Every Reorder🔒45m
Inventory Turnover, Weeks of Supply, and GMROI🔒50m

Module 2: Open-to-Buy: Planning the Budget Before You Spend3 lessons

Building the Six-Month Merchandise Plan🔒50m
Calculating and Using Open-to-Buy🔒50m
Keeping Open-to-Buy Alive Through the Season🔒45m

Module 3: Vendor Negotiation and Smart Purchasing3 lessons

Negotiating Cost, Terms, and Discounts🔒50m
Markdown Money, Returns, and Vendor Partnerships🔒45m
Order Quantities, Lead Times, and Reorders🔒50m

Module 4: Managing Inventory and Clearing It Profitably3 lessons

Markdown Strategy and Timing🔒50m
Shrinkage, Counts, and Inventory Accuracy🔒45m
Inventory Systems and a Buying Rhythm🔒45m