Top 8 Merchandising Online Courses on Edx

Running a store is not just limited to creating a jaw-dropping ambiance. Rather, it is a new dimension to look into the customer’s interests and attract new potential customers. You need to create a stage to showcase your products and create a memorable shopping experience for your customers. online courses and certifications To learn such tactics and strategies, you should take online merchandising certification courses.

Top 8 Merchandising Online Courses on Edx

Right from the incorporation of items in a catalog to in-store displays, merchandising aims to trigger sales. This is why online learning platforms offer courses in different sectors like fashion merchandising courses, retail merchandising courses, textile merchandising courses, etc. These merchandising courses online not only polish your skills as a merchandiser but also enhance your resume. Here is a list of top merchandising courses offered by global universities on edX, an online learning platform:

Also Read: Career as Product Designer

8 Merchandising certification Courses to Opt For

Course Name	Provider	Duration	Fees
Retail Fundamentals	Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth	4 weeks (3-5 hours per week)	Free (for certification pay Rs 7,326)
Introduction to Retail Management	Indian Institute of Management Bangalore	6 weeks (3-5 hours per week)	Free (for certification pay Rs 3,700)
Omni-channel Strategy and Management	Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth	4 weeks (3-5 hours per week)	Free (for certification pay Rs 7,326)
Pattern Studying and Making	Tsinghua University	12 weeks	Free (for certification pay Rs 10,262)
Designing and Creating Trousers	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	5 weeks	Free (for certification pay Rs 7,309)
Future Trends of Fashion and Textiles	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	6 weeks	Free (for certification pay Rs 7,326)
Circular Fashion: Design, Science, and Value in a Sustainable Clothing Industry	Wageningen University and Research	5 weeks	Free (for certification pay Rs 4,810)
Designing and Creating Skirts	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	5 weeks	Free (for certification pay Rs 7,326)

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8 Merchandising Courses on edX

1. Retail Fundamentals - This is one of the most relevant merchandising courses on edX. It teaches about the basic components of retail business that include demand forecasting, inventory management, product assortment planning, and pricing plans. You will learn to face the retailer’s challenges and explore different techniques to tackle those challenges. By the end of this course, you will be able to make better decisions at every step of the entire retail and management process.

Read more - Career as Merchandiser

2. Introduction to Retail Management - This is a popular retail merchandising certification course that gives an introduction to retail business. It teaches you about business models, different components of retail strategies, competitive advantage, and tools and techniques of those strategies. Various theories and illustrations are used to teach the evolution of retail formats and prevailing retail business.

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3. Omni-channel Strategy and Management - In this retail and fashion merchandise course, you will learn the techniques to attract Omni-channel customers, fulfill their expectations, and strategies adopted by retailers to serve the best to their customers. You will get to learn from leading retailers and their Omni-channel journeys.

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4. Pattern Studying and Making - This apparel merchandising course is offered to focus on practical skills in pattern design. The curriculum has six parts that include fashion, history, culture, pattern creation methods, originality, and appreciation. You will learn about the core idea of original thinking and appreciation. It is quite an interesting and attractive course with engaging course videos and rhythmic sound effects.

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5. Designing and Creating Trousers- If you are looking for a course to learn the construction of garments for men and women, you should enroll in this one. This fashion merchandising online course will teach you about the history of fashionable trouser designs. You will learn to make patterns, sew garments especially trousers, and use designing skills to fit garments to a specific body shape. By the end, you will evolve as a fashion merchandiser who has core skills to be used within the fashion industry.

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6. Future Trends of Fashion and Textiles - To learn about fashion from a customer’s perspective, you are advised to take this orientation course. This fashion merchandising online course starts with a brief introduction to the fashion retailing industry and fashion supply chain. Diving deeper into the course, not only teaches about the impact of sustainability but also teaches ways to integrate sustainability objectives in a business. You will also learn about the robotic production system in the textile industry.

7. Circular Fashion: Design, Science, and Value in a Sustainable Clothing Industry - This fashion merchandising course teaches you the core concepts of circular fashion. It aims to understand the concept of recycling, design for circularity, bio-based innovation, new materialism, and approaches to discard egocentric methods of fashion to adapt ecosystem perspective. By the end, you will be able to forecast biomaterials in a fashion. You will be able to examine investment, accelerations, and get insights into the blockchain. The course will teach you to face the hardships and complexity of textile recycling.

Also read: Career as Garment Technologist

8. Designing and Creating Skirts - Justifying its name, this course teaches you about the history of fashionable skirts. It teaches you to make garments using body measurements and use skills to adapt the fundamentals to create unique designs of skirts. This course develops the skills to use a sewing machine and widens your knowledge of fit analysis. With pattern-making tutorials, you will learn to make a perfect fit of a garment for different body shapes.

By the end of this course, you will have a strong and firm hold on the core skills required in the fashion industry.

Must-have Skills for a Merchandiser

Merchandisers should have a set of skills to meet the expectations of the company and fulfill their roles. It is not necessary to have the experience to become an ideal merchandiser. You can be an ideal merchandiser if you have the following characteristics:

You should have excellent command over written and spoken communication skills.
You should have a keen eye to look at details. Such details will help you to make decisions on your promotional strategy.
You should have the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
You should be adapted to learn new things.

With all these skills, you will become a reliable merchandiser. You can develop these skills by taking online merchandising courses on Edx.

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Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

1. What are the roles of a visual merchandiser?

A visual merchandiser creates an eye-catching display of products to attract customers. He uses his skills and designs to arrange the products or services that encourage customers to buy them.

2. What is the average salary of a visual merchandiser?

A fresher can draw up to 4 lakhs per annum and this can increase up to 12 lakhs per annum with experience in this field.

3. Is there any eligibility to take online merchandising courses?

No, there is no basic requirement but you should at least hold a high school diploma to enter the merchandising industry. Even some employers prefer candidates with an undergraduate or Master’s degree in a related field.

4. What type of job roles are made for visual merchandisers?

After completing your visual merchandising course, you can apply for the posts of visual merchandising coordinator, store manager, brand manager, layout designer, and merchandising consultant.

5. Is there any time restriction to complete merchandising courses on edX?

edX offers a flexible deadline for most of its courses. Merchandising courses are usually self-paced and can be learned at your own pace.

6. What are the career prospects of a merchandiser?

The top companies that hire merchandising professionals are Amazon, Meena Bazar, Adidas, Puma, Gucci, Shoppers Stop, Zara, and many more.

7. What is the difference between fashion merchandising and retail merchandising?

Fashion merchandising is a part of the wholesale industry when a merchandiser sells fashion apparel to companies whereas retail merchandising includes selling items or services to customers.

8. What does a fashion merchandiser do?

It is the responsibility of a fashion merchandiser to research and predict fashion trends. A fashion merchandiser needs to design, plan, direct fashion photo shoots, manage retail outlets, create store displays, and negotiate with retailers if required.

9. What type of software and tools are used by merchandising professionals?

Merchandising uses software and tools like Visual Retail Plus, Skulocity Retail Management, OrderSnapp, iVend Retail, and Nosto.

10. Is visual merchandising a good career plan?

Merchandising, especially visual merchandising is an extremely growing industry. Owing to increasing competition and progress in the field, it is highly in demand. So, it is advised to take it as a good career option with vast knowledge in this field.