AO404 Athletic and Outdoor Merchandising Management

About This Course

This course provides valuable insights into the roles, responsibilities, and competencies required of merchants in the athletic and outdoor industry. Students will learn how retailers evaluate merchandise management decisions for fashion, trend, and staple products using marketplace observations and consumer insights. Instructors will provide practical tools for analyzing assortment plans, inventory strategies, and merchandising techniques, as well as provide insights into budgeting and accounting issues relevant to both retailers and manufacturers. This course will also investigate the role of presentation — whether in-store, catalog, online, or mobile — in the consumer decision-making process.

Course Snapshot

Format	Course delivered in a virtual format with live instructor & student interaction
Frequency	Once per year
Length	Five, 3-hour evening classes (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm PT)
Cost	$499

Course Schedule

Climber with gear and pack looking at mountain in the distance

ATHLETIC AND OUTDOOR PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

There is no better place to learn about the athletic and outdoor industry than in Portland, Oregon — home of some of the world’s most successful athletic and outdoor apparel companies, including Nike, Adidas, Columbia, KEEN, and many others. In fact, Oregon employs more than 14,000 professionals in the...

ATHLETIC AND OUTDOOR

What You’ll Learn

Upon completion of this course, students will have gained the knowledge to:

Understand the roles, responsibilities, and terminology essential to merchandising.
Think critically about visual merchandising strategies for both online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
Be familiar with the financial components of inventory management and assortment planning.
Capture consumer insights.
Evaluate crucial retail metrics.

The Learning Environment

This course is delivered in a virtual format and combines lectures, discussions, and group activities.

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Courses in this Certificate Track

Enrolling in the full certificate program allows for more comprehensive learning in regard to athletic and outdoor product management.

Course Schedule

Courses may be taken individually and in any order unless otherwise noted. Five courses are required to complete the certificate. If pursuing the certificate, all courses in the certificate program must be completed within three years. Visit the program page for a recommended sequence.