Curriculum

CBS has the most robust retail course offerings across the top business schools in the US. In addition, CBS offers more specific courses around luxury compared to other business schools. 

Please note that course offerings and faculty may change year to year. The courses listed below have been confirmed to contain content pertinent to retail and luxury. For the most accurate information, please visit the Columbia Business School course catalog.

 

RETAIL FUNDAMENTALS

The course intends to present a baseline of retail industry concepts and practices. The subject matter will be relevant for all channels of retail, ranging from budget to luxury. The class will welcome guest speakers representing a myriad of retailing experiences throughout the semester. 

 

FRONTIERS IN RETAILING

This course aims to help students develop an understanding of some basic frameworks to analyze retail, identify broad societal trends, and project their impact into the future. The course will delve into each topic through relevant cases and discussions, and the lecture will be followed by guest speakers such as the CEOs of Macy’s, Saks, and Warby Parker.​

 

OMNI-CHANNEL RETAILING

The course aims to provide a holistic view of omnichannel retailing, merchandising, and retail strategy/analytics. The course will teach students how retailers create omnichannel shopping experiences, the role of the merchant, retail metrics, and how to use data to predict future sales and trends. The course is mostly case-based discussions and some guest speakers.