The course describes the strategies that firms use to design and manage their distribution channels and to relate to their business customers (retailers mainly). Specifically, the ways in which marketing functions are distributed within distribution channels and supplier-retailer relationships are conducted in a Trade Marketing perspective (planning and tools) are presented. Category Management, co-packing and co-marketing issues are analysed. As trade marketers are requested to possess a deep knowledge regarding retailing issues and strategies, the course would be aimed to describe and discuss these topics too.
Exclusively for the students of the IM degree (the study program of the students enrolled in the DCI degree does not include these last 3 credits) attention is put on the evolution of the salesman's role, sales process and sales management, in a relationship marketing view. Students will be provided with a skillful knowledge about the relationship selling framework and models of analysis, management and techniques to manage the salesforce.

The first 6 credits of the course, intended for the students of Trade marketing and Sales Management (IM) and Marketing Avanzato (DCI) both, include the followings topics:
1. Channel design and channel marketing
2. the retail sector; retail marketing
3. Supplier-retailer relationships: contents and evolution.
4. The trade marketing orientation: strategic and organizational implications.
5. The Trade marketing Plan: the analytical phase, the strategical phase, the operational phase and the control phase.
6. Supplier-retailer cooperation tools: Category Management, co-packing and co-marketing

Only the IM students are requested to attend classes for the remaining 3 credits on the following topics:
7. The salesman's role and the relationship selling view;
8. Sales planning and budgeting
9. sales force dimension and planning
10. Managing time and territories.
11. Leadership, Motivation and Incentives