Competing in mass retail trade
Trade Marketing and Sales Management were designed to help companies operating in the mass retail trade, to be more effective in managing their distribution channels.
The course allows those who are in charge of sales and marketing in mass retail trade companies to embrace a spirit of partnership with their customers, on the one hand honing their negotiation skills and on the other improving marketing and sales policies.
The advantages of having better relationships with distributors are reflected in the sales performances, with a clear economic return. The development of shopper marketing activities allows both producer and distributor to create value intervening along the consumer purchase process.
Those who attend the course wish to improve their skills also thanks to the exchange of views and opinions with university professors, managers and corporate consultants working in this industry. Together with them, participants will discuss significant experiences for different types of business.
The program consists of 10 days of classroom activities divided into 4 full-time residentials lasting 2/3 days, that allow participants to acquire the skills and tools to hone their approach to distribution market, sales techniques, managing category management and shopper marketing activities.
The teaching approach features a balance between theory and corporate experiences, with individual and group interactive activities, that stimulate the critical analysis of problems and the search for solutions applicable to the reference context.
To become more aware of the tools that create value in the management of the distribution channels and the point of sale, contact the course director.
ACCREDITATIONS AND RANKINGS
Bologna Business School is EQUIS – EFMD Quality Improvement System accredited, one of the most important international quality assessment and continuous improvement systems for Schools of Management and Business Administration.
Bologna Business School’s Open Programs are included in the Financial Times Ranking in the Executive Education 2026 category.
Francesco De Rose
Executive Director
francesco.derose@bbs.unibo.it
"Combining theory and corporate experience, the course provides methods, tools and contents to support the companies wishing to strengthen their market policies towards the retailer and the consumer-shopper."
Structure
The course has a duration of 3 months and includes moments of residential learning full time. There will be 10 classroom days divided into 4 residential days.
The program is structured in 5 teaching modules:
- Trade Marketing
- Category Management
- Sales Management
- Negotiation
- Product and Customer Profitability Control
The dates of the learning sessions are as follows:
- Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Friday, September 18, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Friday, October 9, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Friday, October 23, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Friday, November 13, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
- Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM
The teaching staff is enriched by speeches and testimonials from business managers and business consultants.
COURSES
- Role and targets
- Analysis, strategies and levers of the action plan
- The customer’s income statement
- The execution and control stage
- Definition of category
- Category analysis
- Strategic choices
- The category marketing mix
- The sales process
- Targets, strategy and management
- Customer and field sales management
- The negotiation context
- The behavioral dynamic in the different types of negotiation
- Negotiation phases
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How to structure management accounting to analyze and manage product and customer margins
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Calculating the first product margin: valuing the bill of materials
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Calculating the net industrial margin: defining and controlling cost centers
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Analyzing product and customer margins to support business decisions
Learning approach
Participants will be involved in individual and group interactive activities: role play, exercises. The role of the teachers will be mainly to facilitate the critical analysis of the problems and to encourage the acquisition of methodologies and tools applicable to the context of reference. Participants in the Trade Marketing & Sales Management Program will have the opportunity to discuss in the classroom with teachers from different backgrounds: business managers, university professors, management consultants, with whom you can discuss best practices of different businesses.
Faculty
Faculty members at Bologna Business School work together offering outstanding teaching standards. An international and interdisciplinary approach is guaranteed by a joint team of distinguished national core professors, adjunct, visiting professors, guest speakers and top managers.
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Francesco De Rose
Management Consultant.
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Angelo Manaresi
Full Professor of Management
University of Bologna
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Franco Visani
Associate Professor of Business Administration
University of Bologna
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Alberto Miraglia
Director
Retail Institute Italy
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Riccardo Viani
CEO
Sperlari
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Sonia Anelli
Executive Business & Organizational Consultant - EX P&G
Alumni
Elena Roncarati
Sales & Trade Marketing Specialist @ Gruppo Felsineo
Trade Marketing & Sales Management, anno 2019, IX edizione
"Nel contesto sempre più competitivo in cui ci troviamo ad operare è necessario creare valori distintivi che permettano di rendere efficaci nella pratica le tecniche teoriche di trade marketing. Questo Corso ha saputo fornirmi spunti di valore per affrontare le attività quotidiane, sapendo coniugare teoria e pratica insieme ad una classe affiatata. È stato un percorso di crescita personale e professionale che ha portato beneficio non solo a me stessa, ma a tutto il mio contesto lavorativo."
Giacomo Damian
Modern Trade Sales Manager – Kimberly-Clark Italia
Trade Marketing & Sales Management Program, anno 2017, VII edizione
"Per vincere in un contesto complesso come quello in cui operiamo oggi è necessario aggiornare ed ampliare le proprie competenze in maniera strutturata. Il corso di Trade Marketing ha risposto in modo eccellente a questa esigenza attraverso l’utilizzo della teoria “classica” del Trade Marketing coniugata all’approfondimento di nuove discipline ad essa collegata. Il corso è ben bilanciato tra teoria, studio di casi aziendali e pratica; il confronto con gli altri alunni facenti parte di aziende diverse aiuta e rende piacevole il percorso di apprendimento. Un consiglio per tutti quelli che come me lavorano nelle vendite, questo corso è una grande opportunità per completarsi e costruirsi un importante vantaggio competitivo!"
Andrea Maggioni
Sales Director - Bonduelle Italia
Trade Marketing & Sales Management Program, anno 2016, VI edizione
"Numeri, Obiettivi, Execution è ciò sul quale siamo tutti i giorni impegnati e misurati quando operiamo nella complessità del sistema distributivo italiano e dei suoi punti di vendita. Concretezza e pragmaticità è quello che cerchiamo sempre nelle nostre azioni, tuttavia non devono essere elementi bloccanti alla costante voglia d’imparare e di confrontarsi. Il programma di Trade Marketing e Sales Managent risponde, a chi come me, ha queste esigenze. Un percorso intenso, completo e dinamico ricco di spunti di riflessione sia accademici che pratici per un confronto immediato ed operativo con la propria organizzazione e business model. Infine, ciò che rende questo corso unico ed utile è il corpo docenti, tutti con un elevato background aziendale."
Networking
The open program is an experience built around people and relationships, fostering valuable connections through continuous interaction among participants, faculty members, and managers. During the classroom sessions, a dynamic network develops, enriched by the diversity of experiences, roles, and industries. A vibrant ecosystem that enhances learning and continues to generate value over time.
Alumni
Elena Roncarati
Sales & Trade Marketing Specialist @ Gruppo Felsineo
Trade Marketing & Sales Management, anno 2019, IX edizione
"Nel contesto sempre più competitivo in cui ci troviamo ad operare è necessario creare valori distintivi che permettano di rendere efficaci nella pratica le tecniche teoriche di trade marketing. Questo Corso ha saputo fornirmi spunti di valore per affrontare le attività quotidiane, sapendo coniugare teoria e pratica insieme ad una classe affiatata. È stato un percorso di crescita personale e professionale che ha portato beneficio non solo a me stessa, ma a tutto il mio contesto lavorativo."
Giacomo Damian
Modern Trade Sales Manager – Kimberly-Clark Italia
Trade Marketing & Sales Management Program, anno 2017, VII edizione
"Per vincere in un contesto complesso come quello in cui operiamo oggi è necessario aggiornare ed ampliare le proprie competenze in maniera strutturata. Il corso di Trade Marketing ha risposto in modo eccellente a questa esigenza attraverso l’utilizzo della teoria “classica” del Trade Marketing coniugata all’approfondimento di nuove discipline ad essa collegata. Il corso è ben bilanciato tra teoria, studio di casi aziendali e pratica; il confronto con gli altri alunni facenti parte di aziende diverse aiuta e rende piacevole il percorso di apprendimento. Un consiglio per tutti quelli che come me lavorano nelle vendite, questo corso è una grande opportunità per completarsi e costruirsi un importante vantaggio competitivo!"
Andrea Maggioni
Sales Director - Bonduelle Italia
Trade Marketing & Sales Management Program, anno 2016, VI edizione
"Numeri, Obiettivi, Execution è ciò sul quale siamo tutti i giorni impegnati e misurati quando operiamo nella complessità del sistema distributivo italiano e dei suoi punti di vendita. Concretezza e pragmaticità è quello che cerchiamo sempre nelle nostre azioni, tuttavia non devono essere elementi bloccanti alla costante voglia d’imparare e di confrontarsi. Il programma di Trade Marketing e Sales Managent risponde, a chi come me, ha queste esigenze. Un percorso intenso, completo e dinamico ricco di spunti di riflessione sia accademici che pratici per un confronto immediato ed operativo con la propria organizzazione e business model. Infine, ciò che rende questo corso unico ed utile è il corpo docenti, tutti con un elevato background aziendale."
COMPANIES
Companies within the Bologna Business School network actively contribute to the development of the Open Programs by helping shape the content and bringing real-world experience into the classroom. Managers and professionals take part through testimonials, real business cases, and direct contributions, enriching the learning journey with a practical perspective. Interaction with companies from different industries encourages a continuous exchange of experiences and best practices. This ongoing dialogue between the classroom and the business world creates a dynamic ecosystem where skills, perspectives, and approaches come together, generating value for all participants.
FEES
The enrollment fee for the program is:
- €4,500 (+ VAT) for registrations from companies and institutions
- €3,600 (+ VAT) for individual registrations
The fee includes attendance of the program, all study materials available through the online platform, and access to Bologna Business School services, including: personal Wi-Fi account and use of the study areas.
Discounts are available for:
- early registrations;
- companies belonging to the Business Network;
- Alma/BBS and Profingest Alumni;
- groups of at least 3 people.
INTERPROFESSIONAL FUNDS
Alumni and Companies can check the availability of vouchers at the Interprofessional Fund reference:
Fondimpresa – for middle management
Fondo Dirigenti PMI – for managers of industrial SMEs
Fonditalia
Fondirigenti – for managers
Fon.Coop – for Cooperatives
REQUIREMENTS
The program is limited to a maximum of 25 participants in order to ensure an effective and interactive learning experience, and is open to professionals with diverse backgrounds and levels of experience.
APPLICATION PROCESS
To participate, it is necessary to request the application form by emailing openprograms@bbs.unibo.it. The team is available to provide all relevant information and support candidates throughout the process.
FAQs
At the end of the course, a participation certificate is issued (upon reaching 80% of classroom hours).
The documents used in the classroom and any further reading or exercises will be uploaded to our platform, whose credentials will be delivered in the classroom.
Should a group of colleagues wish to participate in the program, it is possible to contact the Program Manager to evaluate an ad hoc participation price.
Our short courses do not require a specific course of study. It is important to have a few years of work experience behind you that can help you, inside the classroom, by bringing real cases dealt with and solutions adopted during your work.
