10 Reasons Why 2.0 & Partners’ Onboarding Digital Travel Retail Programme Should Be Embraced By The Global Travel Retail Community
7 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
Of course, on reading the title of this feature, your first thought is going to be: is there really a need for this in my business? Well, as Marco Passoni elegantly argues, the answer is a very clear ‘yes’. And I can only agree.
Peter Marshall (PM): Marco, welcome back to TRunblocked.com. What we are covering today – the launch of your Onboarding digital travel retail training programme – is something that I know is very close to your heart and to the expertise that is embedded in 2.0 & Partners. I also know that you have been developing this for some time. What drove you to launch this project – what’s the background?
Marco Passoni (MP): At 2.0 & Partners, we have long-standing expertise in the travel retail sector, with a deep understanding of its unique challenges and opportunities. Through our Customer Experience Management (CXM) unit, Strategic Mystery Shopping (SMS), and Retail Academy 2.0, we have worked extensively to enhance retail performance in this space. Over time, we identified a growing need for bespoke training created especially for travel retail, particularly targeting specific skills and passenger profiles. We have leveraged the expertise in our team, and brought in new experts in specific fields to create something not just for travel retail, but crafted from travel retail.
The truth is that this market suffered a significant skill loss during COVID-19, and despite the industry’s recovery, many of these lost skills have not been replaced. Travel retail is a highly dynamic and complex sector where recruitment is challenging, and staff turnover is frequent. As passenger numbers continue to grow, travellers still expect human interaction and personalised service. That’s why ensuring new employees receive comprehensive, high-quality training from day one is essential.
However, travel retail requires immersive, fast-paced, and industry-specific training to equip new staff with the tools they need to succeed quickly. We created Onboarding to fill this gap and to ensure new talent enters the market well-prepared and confident in delivering exceptional service.
PM: You already have a successful model for staff regarding Chinese passengers. What learnings have you gleaned from this and what, if any, have been transferred to your Onboarding programme modules?
MP: While the Chinese Excellence Academy (CEA) was a significant milestone for 2.0 & Partners, it is just one of the main specialised training programs we offer. Our Retail Academy 2.0 and other tailored courses – focused on specific customer demographics such as Indian, Middle Eastern, and US travellers, as well as airport-specific programs like the Airport Ambassador Excellence course – have provided us with a wealth of experience in designing effective training. Our portfolio of training courses is always growing.
The CEA showed us the power of interactive, immersive, and on-demand learning experiences. Through the use of Vyond and digital tools, we created an omnichannel learning environment that allowed trainees to engage with the material flexibly. Another key lesson from CEA was the importance of placing subject matter experts at the heart of training – such as Simin Liu and Zhiyang Lee, who brought their unparalleled expertise to that project. With Onboarding, we have taken these insights further, enhancing our online Academy platform to deliver an even more engaging and impactful training experience.
PM: So you have one module for retail and one for F & B. They are both 4 hours. Do you actually think these are long enough to do anything other than a cursory job?
MP: Absolutely. While I believe that learning is a continuous process, our four-hour Onboarding programme equips participants with the necessary foundational knowledge to navigate the fast-paced, competitive world of travel retail. It provides the basis for new staff to understand the industry, how to navigate it, and how to learn on the job.
Travel retail is ultimately a human-driven industry, and no amount of training can replace real-world experience on the sales floor. However, to succeed, new staff must have the right foundation. Our training is structured to deliver key insights quickly and effectively, helping participants develop practical skills that can be applied immediately.
The programme is broken down into clear, structured modules that first establish an understanding of the industry itself, then move into the sales process, before focusing on practical applications. Importantly, Onboarding is designed to be on-demand, allowing staff to revisit and absorb information at their own pace.
PM: Why would retailers want to opt for your service for their staff, when they believe that their existing training programmes are good enough? There are key drivers to good retail training. Beyond customer service and product knowledge, it’s all about increasing productivity. Are you arguing that your modules will help deliver better productivity and be more complementary to existing staff training programmes, rather than competitive?
MP: First of all, I wouldn’t be so sure that many retailers have their own training programmes. Believe me. Furthermore, those that do often focus on specific business operations rather than industry-wide expertise. Onboarding is designed to complement existing staff development by providing a broad, foundational understanding of the travel retail sector, as well as the unique skills needed.
Retailers train their staff to fit their own business models, whereas we train staff to succeed in travel retail as a whole – making them more adaptable, more informed, and ultimately more valuable to employers. Far too often, staff enter travel retail without fully appreciating the complexities and nuances of the market. This results in disengaged employees, lacklustre service, and missed sales opportunities. We’ve all seen staff standing listlessly in stores, failing to engage travellers effectively – our goal is to ignite passion and enthusiasm for the travel retail experience.
Additionally, the transferable skills gained through Onboarding make it a long-term investment in staff development.
PM: There is, of course, another training programme in the market that immediately springs to mind and it comes from the industry’s very own DFWC Academy. What makes yours different to or better than theirs?
MP: I don’t know if Onboarding is better—that’s for the market to decide—but I do know it is different, from its price positioning to its differentiation between retail and F&B paths. It is not limited to duty-free core categories, which broadens its appeal, and it takes an interactive approach designed for real-world application.
The Onboarding functions as a skill-building programme, not just an industry. We firmly believe in giving the market choices when it comes to training solutions. Our goal is to raise the overall standard of travel retail training, ensuring that new entrants and existing staff alike have access to practical, high-quality learning resources.
PM: Is your Onboarding programme just geared for people already inside the travel retail business or do you think it can work for people looking for new job opportunities within travel retail, too?
MP: As the name suggests, Onboarding is designed to train new frontline employees, helping them integrate seamlessly into the travel retail environment. However, the depth of its sales techniques, industry insights, and operational best practices makes it valuable even for experienced staff.
The programme works as the ideal first step for new entrants, filling the critical skills gap in the market. At the same time, it provides existing employees with opportunities to refine and expand their expertise. Unlike courses that promote travel retail as a career path, Onboarding is a practical, results-driven training solution designed to enhance service standards and customer engagement across the industry.
PM: Is Onboarding multi-lingual?
MP: Currently, Onboarding is offered in English and Italian, but we are prepared to expand into additional languages based on market demand.
PM: So, bottom line, what is the cost?
MP: The programme is available for €250 per participant.
PM: At the outset, you said that recruiting good staff into travel retail post Covid has been a major problem for all operators. I agree with you and, from all the travelling that we do, there certainly appears to be a genuine drop in standards. This does not apply to all, of course, but we still hear far too many stories of problems with staff turnover, of disengagement on the sales floor, in food service as well as a real lack of product knowledge. Can your two modules inspire where others appear to fail?
MP: Actually, the challenges of staff recruitment and retention in travel retail have existed long before COVID-19, but the pandemic exacerbated the problem. The unique and high-stress airport retail environments can lead to rapid staff turnover which, coupled with an overall shortage of staff, have made it increasingly difficult to maintain service quality.
This was, of course, exacerbated by Covid – many mistakenly believed that shoppers would not want human interaction in the wake of the pandemic. In fact, human service and experience are now more important than ever. But the industry has not been quick enough to fill this gap.
This is where Onboarding comes in – it provides an affordable, effective entry point for new hires; its practical insights and strategies are an affordable passport to unlock the potential of this sector. Our two modules are designed to motivate and engage staff by offering tangible, real-world applications of their training, rather than generic overviews of the market. By instilling a clear understanding of travel retail’s unique dynamics, Onboarding helps staff recognise their value within the industry and become active contributors to exceptional customer experiences.
We simply cannot expect staff to enter this industry and succeed with simple and basic guidance. Our solutions must be tailored and inspiring for users.
PM: One last question, Marco. What are the three things that you think should convert retailers to use Onboarding?
MP: I would say:
Expert-Crafted with Operational Best Practices – the Onboarding has been developed by our industry specialists, leveraging their firsthand travel retail experience.
Unlocking Transferable Skills with Bespoke Training – this course provides practical, adaptable knowledge that benefits both employees and employers.
On-Demand and Immersive Learning – Travel Retail is global and people are busy. The Onboarding has been crafted for flexibility and engagement, allowing staff to learn at their own pace.
