Merch Strategy Masterclass — for senior buyers in Italy
2-day intensive (12 hours) for senior procurement leads, brand managers and CMOs. Build a 3-year merch programme: budget, vendor mix, ESG, SdI compliance for Italy.
Programme
Day 1 morning — Merch as brand strategy (not a cost centre); maturity model. Day 1 afternoon — Vendor portfolio (sole-source vs multi-source; risk-adjusted savings). Day 2 morning — ESG and Scope 3 emissions; CSRD reporting; recycled content claims. Day 2 afternoon — Budgeting with IVA 22% mechanics, multi-year forecasting, SdI integration. Capstone: present a 3-year plan for your company; feedback from peers and faculty.
Faculty
Led by Corp-Merch's Head of Strategy (15 yrs at Adidas Procurement before founding the academy), with guest speakers from CSRD reporting firms (PwC, EY) and a CMO from a Italy unicorn who scaled merch from £50k to £4m / year. Max 18 participants per cohort to keep discussion deep.
Logistics & cost
In-person in Milano (4 cohorts/year) or live online (8 cohorts/year). EUR 1,890 per seat (excl IVA; 22% added — receipt via SdI). Materials, lunch (in-person) and 1-on-1 office hour with faculty included. Group discounts: 3+ from same company -15%.
FAQ
Is the online version equivalent?
Same faculty, same materials, same 1-on-1 office hour. In-person edges out only for networking and the hands-on supplier audit exercise (we replace with a video walkthrough online).
What's the prerequisite?
At least 2 years in procurement / brand / marketing, or our Procurement 101 + 6 months of practice. We screen during sign-up to keep the cohort balanced.
Is there homework?
Yes — light. ~3 hours of pre-reading and a 1-page brief of your current programme before Day 1. The capstone (3-year plan) is your post-class deliverable.
Recordings?
Online cohorts get session recordings for 90 days. In-person cohorts get audio recordings + slide deck (no video — respect for confidentiality of peers).
Can I bring my CMO?
Yes — we encourage cross-functional pairs (procurement + brand). Both seats at full price; the group discount applies if 3+ from the same company.