Retail & Distribution
How retail works, and the finance, marketing, data and AI that run it.
Retail lives on thin margins, inventory, and footfall (physical and digital), increasingly blending stores, e-commerce and media. This vertical gives you the big picture, then finance, marketing, data and AI applied inside it.
Key terms
Why specialize in Retail & Distribution?
Cross-cutting skills are not enough in the Retail & Distribution sector. It plays by its own rules: a distinct value chain, specific players and balance of power, dense regulation, and key figures you won't find anywhere else. This vertical gives you that sector fluency — first the big picture, then finance, marketing, data and AI applied concretely to Retail & Distribution, with the calculations, benchmarks and checklists you actually need on the ground.
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how the Retail & Distribution sector works: value chain, key players and balance of power
- Know the major regulations and laws, the sector's acronyms and vocabulary
- Run the key calculations and read the benchmarks specific to Retail & Distribution (US and Europe markets)
- Apply finance, marketing, data and AI to the realities of Retail & Distribution
- Gauge your level with 5 sector assessments and a competency radar
70 lessons across 16 modules and 5 blocks, with a test per lens and a sector competency radar. Free to read — no account required.
Curriculum
Retail & Distribution: how the sector works
Generalhow retail works: the model from sourcing to shelf to checkout, omnichannel, the economics of footfall and format, and the retail-vs-supplier balance of power.
4 Modules · 18 Lessons
Finance in retail
Financeretail finance: gross margin and markdowns, inventory turns and working capital, same-store sales, and the unit economics of stores vs e-commerce.
3 Modules · 13 Lessons
Marketing in retail
Marketingretail marketing: driving traffic and basket size, loyalty programs, the rise of retail media as a profit engine, and promotions.
3 Modules · 13 Lessons
Data in retail
Dataretail data: POS and inventory data, loyalty and clienteling, demand and assortment planning, and pricing.
3 Modules · 13 Lessons
AI in retail
AIAI in retail: demand forecasting and replenishment, personalization and recommendations, pricing and markdown optimization, and store operations.
3 Modules · 13 Lessons