Retail Management

The Ted Rogers School of Retail Management at Ryerson University has collaborated with the UK fast fashion brand TOPSHOP TOPMAN to create a project that encompasses all aspects of creating and marketing a new fast fashion line.

As part of their Bachelor of Commerce degree, the Retail students worked with Ryerson Fashion students to design a clothing line for TOPSHOP TOPMAN and create a marketing plan to launch the line.  The executives from TOPSHOP TOPMAN and The Hudson’s Bay Company worked with the Ted Rogers School to incorporate a competition within the project.  Based on a criterion of excellence as selected by the executives, one lucky group won the top prize, an all expense paid trip to London, England to see the TOPSHOP TOPMAN head office and tour the city.

The competition is the focus of a Retail Management course in Fashion Sector Studies.  This course complements the extensive curriculum that covers all aspects of retail management, including entrepreneurship, logistics, buying, marketing, and store operations. 

Grand prize winner and third year Retail Management student, Julia Hart, explains, “Having the opportunity to create a unique idea and follow it through to develop a fashion line and marketing concept from start to finish allowed me to learn in a totally different way.  I think that by bringing projects like this to Ryerson, retailers have the opportunity to get a different perspective and generate new ideas. It prepares students more for entering the work force after graduation, and gives businesses a great opportunity to see who is out there.”

“Working with Dr. Donna Smith, HBC, and Topshop on this project was perhaps the most challenging, stressful, but rewarding experience in my four years at the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management. The excitement and challenges present in the retail industry is brought to life when students are given opportunities to work on projects that are very much real and relevant in today's emerging fashion-retail sector,” said fourth year Retail Management student Daniel Tinjala-Umana, one of the runner-up winners in the class.

The Ted Rogers School of Retail Management is delighted to provide the opportunity for students to gain valuable experience working with a high profile company, such as TOPSHOP. 

“TOPSHOP TOPMAN is a hip global fashion brand. By working with TOPSHOP, Retail Management and Fashion students have the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s successful global fashion retailers,” explains Dr. Donna Smith, Retail Management professor who taught the course. “The knowledge gained through this project will certainly provide students with a competitive edge in the job market. We thank TOPSHOP for their generosity and hope that this will inspire other global retailers to become involved in the same way.”