Fashion Business & Buying

This three year full time course in Fashion Business & Buying forms business professionals with core fashion buying skills covering all sectors of the fashion and luxury markets. Participants progress to learn the selection and purchasing of luxury fashion products for high street brands, boutiques, innovative independent fashion labels and e-commerce retail outlets using existing and contemporary business models, encapsulating innovation, new media, and technology in the global buying process.  The course explores trends, stock mix, the buying calendar, range planning, pricing strategies and profitability, all crucial when planning the purchase of a seasonal fashion collection.  Excellent negotiation techniques with suppliers are fundamental,  together with issues in pricing, merchandising, budgets, JIT ordering, distribution channels and supplier lead times. Buyers need to be both creative and business-minded, with strong merchandising, analytical skills in order to understand and successfully manage the supply chain. Accurately predicting sales and customer demand is crucial to the success of a fashion company. Buyers may work just a few months in advance, or at times years ahead depending on the product and market positioning.