In 1992 the Ontario Retail Sector Strategy Advisory Board set up by the Ontario government, identified the need for more professional development programs and training materials geared to the retail sector. In response, the $2.1 million “Retail Learning Initiative" was started at Ryerson.

Following the completion of an industry needs assessment in 1997; a proposal was approved to create Canada’s first bachelor of commerce degree program in retail management. The new “School of Retail Management” welcomed the first class of students in September 1998, maintained academic leadership for course offerings through C.E., and assumed responsibility for the Retail Learning Initiative – bringing retail education under a single umbrella at Ryerson.

In 2007, Ted and Loretta Rogers made a transformational donation of $15-million leading the Faculty of Business and all of its Schools (including Retail Management) to become the Ted Rogers School of Management.

Information acquired from: http://www.ryerson.ca/tedrogersschool/rm/about/history/ (Last accessed July 2017)