MERCHANDISE MARKETING CONCENTRATION
Associate of Arts degree in Merchandising and Design
View Merchandise Marketing Student Portfolios
Merchandise marketing students are introduced to how information and innovation are seen in the context of business—how one commodity can impact another. Students will gain information, develop their skills continuously, and become aware of the effects of business practices within the global marketplace. Merchandising students develop analytical skills in order to build a competitive advantage via knowledge of products and services within both domestic and international environments.
Merchandise marketing involves the marketing and distribution of goods and services including hard goods such as home furnishings, toys or consumer products, or soft goods such as apparel, accessories, cosmetics and fragrance. Students will be trained regarding the production, buying, and retail aspects of wholesale selling and management of goods and services inclusive of the selection, purchase, and distribution of products to various market channels, along with the coordination and planning of sales and promotions. Merchandise marketing students will also be taught to analyze and interpret business, economic and consumer trends with real-world applicability.
The merchandise marketing curriculum is responsive to the latest advances in technology and their impact on the world of wholesale and retail businesses. The curriculum also explores multi-channel retailing and various types of distribution, including brick-and-mortar retail stores and e-retailing. Students will gain both practical and theoretical skills for careers in buying, marketing, sales, store operations or management, planning, sales support, and distribution.
Successful merchandisers require a strong background in business principles, marketing, textiles, management, computer literacy, professional business practices, and business ethics. Students graduating from this program will have developed a skill set utilizing business practices as well as skills in critical thinking, assessment of consumer buying trends, visual branding through store planning and execution, and verbal and written communication tools that will enable them to succeed in a variety of working environments.
Graduating merchandise marketing students will display their ability to effectively use critical analysis and aesthetic principles in a finished portfolio presented during the Wade College Professional Portfolio Critique. Merchandise marketing students are also given an opportunity to showcase their talents by networking with industry insiders as well as having the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through market involvement at the Dallas World Trade Center.
View an example of a degree plan for the Merchandise Marketing Concentration.