Advanced Category Management Techniques - 19-20 August 2026 - In person

Build powerful strategies and category plans that win customer support and unlock real commercial growth.

Category managers are under increasing pressure to deliver sharper, more commercially credible recommendations. Retailers expect stronger insight, clearer opportunities and proposals that translate directly into growth.  

Most category professionals understand the fundamentals. You can analyse the data, build a category review and develop recommendations. But sometimes the proposal doesn’t quite land.  

Customers push back. Stakeholders question the assumptions. The opportunity feels right but proving it convincingly is harder than it should be.  

This advanced course helps you move beyond the fundamentals and develop the depth, rigour and sophistication needed to truly influence decisions.  

You’ll learn how to apply stronger analytical thinking to your category work, uncover deeper insight from shopper and performance data and build more sophisticated recommendations across range, space and layout.  

Through practical frameworks, real-world examples and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to turn insight into compelling category strategies that stand up to scrutiny, resonate with customers and deliver measurable commercial impact.  

By the end of the programme, you won’t just create category plans, you’ll deliver credible, insight-led strategies that influence decisions and drive growth.  

Why it matters  

Without advancing your category capability, you risk:  

• Struggling to move beyond the fundamentals and deliver truly compelling category proposals.

• Missing opportunities hidden within shopper, consumer and performance data.

• Difficulty forecasting the impact of category decisions with confidence.

• Tracking too many metrics without clarity on the KPIs that truly matter.

• Seeing well-intended category plans falter due to weak adoption or collaboration.  

• This course equips you with the tools, frameworks and analytical techniques needed to deliver more sophisticated category strategies and stronger commercial outcomes.  

Who should attend  

This course is for category, insight, commercial and customer professionals responsible for shaping category strategies, influencing customer decisions and delivering evidence-based recommendations that unlock category and business growth.

What you’ll explore 

You will explore how to strengthen the rigour recommendations across all the growth levers, uncover deeper shopper insight through segmentation. You’ll also learn how to forecast future performance, focus on the activities and measures that truly drive success and work more effectively with retail partners to turn category strategy into measurable results.  

What you’ll be able to do after this course  

• Build more rigorous and commercially credible category proposals, leverage all the customer levers  

• Have deeper shopper and consumer insight through effective segmentation and leverage through strategies and plans 

• Forecast future performance with greater confidence   

• Identify and track the correct KPIs to ensure sustainable category success   

• Strengthen collaboration with retail partners by aligning category strategy with customer priorities   

• Deliver confident, insight-led recommendations that gain traction internally and with customers  

How you’ll learn  

Delivered in person over two days, the course blends practical frameworks, real-world examples and hands-on case work. You’ll work through real category challenges, discuss best practice with peers and apply new techniques in a supportive learning environment, leaving ready to elevate the quality and impact of your category work immediately.  

Dates 

• 19 – 20 August | 09:00-16:30 | In person 

Dates 

• 19 – 20 August | 09:00-16:30 | In person 

Tickets 

Member Discount: £899 

Non-Member: £1199 

Small business rate: To qualify for a discounted rate you will need to be a small manufacturing business with a global turnover of less than £10 Million. Place your order above and email your annual global turnover to [email protected], or get in touch if you have any questions.  

Prices displayed ex-VAT. IGD reserves the right to alter any element of the programme, such as speakers, times and venue, should the need arise. All bookings are subject to acceptance of IGD Terms & Conditions. IGD reserves the right to reject any order at its discretion.  

Cancellation fees  

Cancellations to be confirmed in writing.

Over 30 days’ notice - Full refund  

15 - 30 days’ notice - 50% refund  

Fewer than 15 days’ notice - No refund/transfers  

Please email [email protected]