Training for two store brands across 320+ airport and resort stores, on one SmarterU LMS

Each of its two store brands has its own branded SmarterU dashboard. The average sale rose by $3 to $5 per purchase, and the learner engagement rate reached 90%.

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$3 to $5
increase in the average sale per purchase
90%
learner engagement rate
100,000
course completions in SmarterU

About WH Smith

WH Smith North America is an international retailer operating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion stores. Both brands serve travelers and commuters, with locations in airports, train stations, resorts and casinos. Its stores, in more than 320 airport and resort locations today, receive millions of visits a day.

InMotion stores sell electronics and travel gear, such as noise-canceling headphones, portable power and bags. InMotion first adopted SmarterU as it expanded to more than 120 stores.

Airport stores leave little time to train

Airport stores are often open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., far longer than traditional retail, which leaves few chances to train new staff in the store. Airports tend to be well outside city centers, and staff pass security screening before they reach the store, so every trip adds to the time it takes to start work.

WH Smith North America did not want those conditions to limit its ability to hire, train and keep the best people. It needed to deliver product training for two retail brands, each with its own product catalog and licensing arrangements, without the cost of bringing staff and trainers to the stores.

It also wanted every learner to find a familiar environment that reflected their home store brand's look, feel, operation and product catalog. A full demonstration of SmarterU LMS showed the team it could launch quickly with a limited set of features and add to the system as its training grew.

How the program was built

A course library ready at launch
With little time to deploy, WH Smith North America launched with the essentials: externally created interactive courses, built with Articulate 360 and delivered through SmarterU as SCORM packages.
A dashboard for each brand
Neovation worked with WH Smith North America to create custom learner dashboards and web addresses for each brand, so every learner sees a familiar look and feel. Multilingual dashboards support team members working in other countries.
Learning plans that show progress
Learning plans take each person through the required tasks step by step and show their progress through the program.
Training added in phases
Product training for InMotion and MRG stores came first, human resources topics followed, and operational training came next, with new product courses added all along.
Reports for store leaders
Customized SmarterU reports show store leaders and senior stakeholders at a glance how their team members engage with, complete and retain their learning.
Live training online
Live sessions are created, scheduled and tracked in SmarterU and delivered online to several locations at once, with no trips through airport security.
Skills for InMotion's own team
InMotion came to SmarterU with little experience of managing an LMS. The SmarterU Academy certification program built its team's skills. A customized user synchronization supported the program's growth.
Changes as the company changed
InMotion worked with its technical account manager to adapt the user synchronization to a new organization structure, more users and a new internal payroll system, and the SmarterU team designed learner views for each group of users.

Inside SmarterU

The InMotion brand's Training Headquarters in SmarterU

Project goals
- Deliver product training for two retail brands without bringing staff and trainers to the stores
- Give every learner a training environment that reflects their home store brand
- Launch quickly with the essentials, then expand the system as training grows
- Give supervisors and managers the information they need to support coaching
Challenges
- Airport stores open long hours, often from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with few opportunities to train in store
- Long commutes to airports outside city centers, and security screening before staff reach the store
- Two brands, each with its own product catalog and licensing arrangements
- COVID-19 closed every InMotion store for a time and led to mass staff furloughs

The result

After WH Smith North America implemented SmarterU, its sales data showed the average sale rising by $3 to $5 per purchase across its stores, a significant boost to the company's revenue. Delivering more eLearning and live training online also cut the cost of sending trainers to stores, which freed time and budget for more course development.

WH Smith North America recognizes learners for the time and attention they give each course, and the engagement rate reached 90%. Staff adopted the system as a one-stop shop for product knowledge, customer service and operations, and supervisors use its reporting and notifications to support their coaching.

During the COVID-19 store closures, the SmarterU team worked with InMotion to use the downtime to improve how it used SmarterU. Training reaches 3,000 learners across both brands, and SmarterU has recorded 100,000 course completions.

What WH Smith says

Since using Neovation’s SmarterU LMS, we have increased our average customer purchase by $3 to $5. Regarding cost reduction, we reduced travel costs enough to produce more training. Using our LMS is financially more advantageous than doing expensive, in-person training.

Anthony Sitchler, Global Training Director, WH Smith North America