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Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making (BTDM) DECA Practice
Teams demonstrate buying and merchandising decision-making skills for retail operations. Practice BTDM roleplays in the official DECA format and get scored the way a judge scores you — on the performance indicators that actually decide the event.
BTDM competition format
Prep time
10 minutes
Presentation
Up to 10 minutes
PIs scored
5 per case
PI pool
576 indicators
You are to assume the role of a marketing consultant for Buying & Merchandising
Business owner/Marketing director seeking recommendations
Sample BTDM roleplay scenarios
Real examples of the case prompts Case Ace generates for Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making. Every session produces a new one, so you never rehearse the same case twice.
Develop a comprehensive buying plan for next season
Create a markdown strategy for slow-moving inventory
Address vendor negotiation and supplier relationships
Implement sustainable sourcing practices
Develop an assortment planning strategy
What BTDM tests you on
The instructional areas Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making draws from most heavily, by number of official performance indicators.
Example BTDM performance indicators
OP:189Explain the nature of operationsOperationsOP:190Discuss the role of ethics in operationsOperationsEI:001Describe the nature of emotional intelligenceEmotional IntelligenceEI:016Explain the concept of self-esteemEmotional IntelligenceEC:002Distinguish between economic goods and servicesEconomicsEC:003Explain the concept of economic resourcesEconomicsFI:058Explain forms of financial exchange (cash, credit, debit, electronic funds transfer, etc.)Financial AnalysisFI:059Identify types of currency (paper money, coins, banknotes, government bonds, treasury notes, etc.)Financial AnalysisNF:077Assess information needsInformation ManagementNF:078Obtain needed information efficientlyInformation ManagementPM:001Explain the nature and scope of the product/service management functionProduct/Service ManagementPM:024Identify the impact of product life cycles on marketing decisionsProduct/Service ManagementHow to place in BTDM
Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of marketing principles
Use industry-specific terminology and concepts
Provide data-driven recommendations with metrics
Consider both short-term tactics and long-term strategy
Address ethical and legal considerations in marketing
Show creativity while maintaining business feasibility
BTDM frequently asked questions
What is the Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making (BTDM) event in DECA?
Teams demonstrate buying and merchandising decision-making skills for retail operations. It sits in the Marketing career cluster and is scored on 5 performance indicators drawn from a pool of 576 official PIs.
How long is the BTDM roleplay?
Competitors get 10 minutes to prepare and up to 10 minutes to present to the judge. You are to assume the role of a marketing consultant for Buying & Merchandising
What performance indicators are on the BTDM exam and roleplay?
BTDM draws most heavily from Operations, Emotional Intelligence, Economics, Financial Analysis. Case Ace includes every one of the 576 performance indicators tied to this event as free flashcards with AI explanations.
How do I practice BTDM roleplays before competition?
Generate an unlimited number of BTDM practice cases in the official DECA format, present them out loud, and get judge-style AI feedback scored against the same performance indicators a real judge uses. It is free to start.
Other Marketing events
Start practicing BTDM today
Free account, unlimited BTDM performance indicator flashcards, and your first roleplay scored by an AI judge in the official DECA format.
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