Harding+
How cruise retail transformation is alive, kicking, and delivering
In this contributed column dedicated to the cruise sector, leading retailer Harding+ explains why onboard retail spaces are the perfect platform to engage shoppers and offer unprecedented opportunities for growth.
In association with
If your brand hasn’t yet tapped into the potential of cruise retail, it’s time to take a closer look at the numbers. The cruise industry is expanding rapidly – by at least +10% between 2024 and 2028, according to the Cruise Lines International Association – with ships sailing at full capacity and welcoming a staggering 35 million guests this year.
What sets cruise retail apart is the unmatched opportunity to engage customers. With extended onboard dwell time (generally seven to 14 days, or more), brands can capitalise on a captive audience in ways that traditional retail simply cannot replicate.
The demographic appeal is also broadening, making cruise retail a space for diverse brand connections. Currently, 73% of cruise trips involve multi-generational families; a third of cruise guests are under 40; and the average passenger age is just 46. This diversification means cruise ships are now catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and lifestyles.
Add to this the evolution of onboard retail spaces – hyper guest-centric, immersive and experience-driven environments – and the result is a formula for standout sales performance. For brands looking to innovate, cruise retail offers the perfect platform.
As the sector experiences unprecedented growth, Harding+, the market leader in cruise retail, has been reflecting on a year of remarkable success and a future brimming with opportunity. With the right strategy, the potential for brands in this booming market is limitless.
Chief Operating Officer Mark Birnie, who has worked for the business for over 20 years, is well placed to comment on evolution.
“After more than two decades in the industry, I am seeing the fastest pace of growth over that time in terms of scale, creativity, ambition and potential, and that fills me with real confidence.
“From a Harding+ point of view, we were partners this year to the launches of two of the largest, most ambitious ships in cruise history – Sun Princess and Queen Anne – which speaks volumes to me about how this year has gone and puts the retail realities and wins of doing different fully into focus for what comes next.
Putting vision into practice: Queen Anne, Cunard’s largest ship to date, features curated brands, experiences and customer insight-led detailing in the shopping environment
“In design terms, the ‘partnership’ between the actual architecture of ship interiors and retail store planning has progressed in a range of meaningful ways. From the materials we can use, to the free thinking that removes traditional boundaries and walls and opens up shops to be more guest-friendly and appealing.
“This includes layouts that can be managed to support brands in more fluid ways, with increasing pop-up spaces for brand theatre, and a mentality that is increasingly blurring retail, experiential and art and entertainment forms in what we build and why we do it. The ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ on Queen Anne, for example, fused classic brands and iconic products with Cunard heritage and storytelling, and immersive exhibition-level light shows and visuals.
“From an operational standpoint, we’ve seen massive growth in the number of staff we’re bringing on ships, including the highest overall volume in a single day we’ve ever seen, and with some new key onboard roles that are prioritising guest service even more.
“We’ve been developing new training methodologies and onboard management support to give retail staff the tools they need to give guests a truly white-glove experience, and matching what guests tell us they love (and increasingly expect) from stand-out retailers.”
Whilst Birnie has seen the long-term journey unfold, Chief Commercial Officer Linzi Walker has been with the business just six months
“Underpinning everything is the level of guest insight data, building profiles to understand who is onboard, how often they cruise and what their interests are”
“It’s been an educational experience for a non-cruise specialist, including seeing the wider industry in full flow in Cannes at TFWA World Exhibition. I bring the perspective of eyes being fully opened and impressed by what the sector offers brands as our partners.
“Underpinning everything is the level of guest insight data, building profiles to understand who is onboard, how often they cruise and what their interests are, so that we pinpoint the what, who and where for retail success; and shift this as the ships regularly change the locations they serve.
“It’s this level of data and insight that enables us to have more meaningful conversations with suppliers and partners, examine the way that vendor/supplier relationships should work best, and find the best wins for all. We are not in a one-size-fits-all retail model. And that is powerful and exciting, as well as (positively) complex.
“And a reason why we had our first-ever Supplier Conference, during which our core team presented our strategy and insights from across a range of departments to more than 150 of our brand partners. A level of sharing that feels especially right as the industry flourishes, booms and opens up many more fascinating ‘what if?’ questions that we can collectively tackle.
Creating appeal for guests of all ages
“Commercially we have seen a big increase in sales across a range of categories, aligned to the pivot towards families across almost all cruise lines. As part of this we have introduced new onboard initiatives, such as the mascot bears, to increase the family appeal, with great success, alongside a focus on brand experiences that talk to the whole family unit.
“Collaboration has been key in 2024 successes, and in 2025 it will be even more so. Depth of data to share, sales analysis to review, a focus on more and more onboard firsts and head-turning activations all play to rich conversations ahead for existing and new partners.”
Fundamental to much of the fast-paced success has been investment in the right support systems, technology advances and the embracing of automation at the core of the business, responsibilities which fall to Chief Technology Officer Mikos Taylor.
“Deploying effective training, managing communication between head office and storefronts, updating marketing collateral and keeping on top of all supply chain logistics are all the more complex when the actual shops are somewhere in the middle of the ocean in the morning and at a Caribbean port in the afternoon.
“To ensure we remain best in class in all of these areas, Harding+ has taken the biggest single jump ahead we’ve had, for our benefit and that of our partners. And it is a transformational jump that has also been a first for the cruise industry, focusing as it has on automation and AI.
Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews addresses partners during the recent virtual Supplier Conference
“In partnership with Dataviva we have implemented an AI-driven stock-replenishment model, with a platform that automates processes for monitoring, locating and delivering stock to extremely high levels of efficiency. Which in hard numbers has seen us reduce ‘out-of-stocks’ on key lines by 60%, while also minimising our environmental impact through smarter route-planning and decreased emergency freight needs, and freeing up our teams to focus more time on bringing partner value.
“We’re now able to monitor pricing in real-time and update more quickly and proactively than ever before, whilst ensuring retail staff are more interconnected, sales strategy is more malleable, and opportunities to showcase brands in interactive ways are more efficient and ever growing.
“Data is fundamental to all we do, not just the learnings from the automation project, but from the guest insights we gather that sit at the core of our Commercial strategy. As the industry continues to flourish and develop, we are also bringing in additional data to ensure the information we can capture, analyse and share with our partners is unparalleled. It’s front foot all the way.”
Success in the rapidly growing cruise retail sector hinges on preparation and the ability to anticipate future trends.
With Harding+ leading the charge – leveraging robust data insights, advanced automation tools, retail innovation backed by proven sales impact and a highly trained workforce – the opportunities for brand partners are immense.
For those looking to tap into a retail-savvy audience of 35 million cruise guests, collaboration is the way forward. Cruise retail stands out as a sector defying broader market challenges, with a loyal and engaged customer base ready to explore new brand experiences. It’s a unique and dynamic space, and those who embrace its potential will undoubtedly reap the rewards.
Extending the beauty offer onboard Sun Princess, all tailored to the guest audience onboard
Partner’s message
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 342 | 19 December 2024
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 14 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com