The Responsible Purchasing Practices Learning Series is a Cascale learning series designed to help member brands strengthen the commercial fluency and cross-functional alignment needed to improve Responsible Purchasing Practices and act on Better Buying insights. Through practitioner-led sessions focused on sourcing, costing, planning, forecasting, and merchandising, members will explore how commercial decisions influence supplier relationships, operational stability, purchasing practices, and decent work outcomes.

Each session is offered twice to accommodate our global community’s time zones.

Please note: Attendees will need to register separately for each session to attend that respective session. We ask for separate registration so we can send accurate session details and reminders, and better track interest across the series – thank you!

October 28, 2026

This 1.5-hour session explores how merchandising strategies, assortment decisions, and product priorities shape sourcing dynamics, production timelines, supplier relationships, and working conditions. Participants will examine the downstream effects of assortment complexity, SKU proliferation, late design changes, seasonal churn, and speed-to-market pressures, as well as how merchandising calendars, launch strategies, and performance incentives can contribute to volatility across the supply chain. Through practical examples, the discussion will highlight how merchandising teams can collaborate more effectively with sourcing, planning, and sustainability functions to improve purchasing practices and supplier predictability. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of cross-functional dependencies and actionable approaches for balancing commercial priorities with production feasibility, supplier continuity, and responsible purchasing goals.

This session is meant to be interactive, and while it will be recorded, we encourage participants to participate to maximize their learning experience. The session will run under Chatham House Rules