Gebr Heinemann expands in maritime channel as it captures Carnival Cruise Line concessions in North America and Australasia

INTERNATIONAL. Gebr. Heinemann is set to enter the cruise retail market in the Americas and Australasia, after capturing contracts onboard four Carnival Cruise Line ships.

The contracts were awarded to subsidiaries Heinemann Americas and Heinemann Asia Pacific. Heinemann will operate total retail space of more than 1,220sq m across the four ships. Trading on Carnival Liberty, Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Ecstasy, which are based in the Caribbean, is scheduled to begin between January and March. Carnival Spirit, based in Sydney, will follow in June.

The product range will include fragrances & cosmetics, liquor, tobacco & confectionery, watches, fashion apparel and accessories.

Gebr Heinemann will manage 1,220sq m of space across the four ships (Carnival Liberty pictured), with Sense of Place emphasised in the design of stores

“We are looking forward to working with Carnival Cruise Line and this new challenge of starting the first global partnership between Heinemann Americas and Heinemann Asia Pacific. We are also pooling Gebr Heinemann’s extensive expertise in airport retail, distribution and logistics and bringing it to the cruise ship channel,” said Heinemann Americas Managing Director Nadine Heubel.

She added: “Heinemann Americas was established in 2013 to showcase the expertise of Gebr Heinemann as a key player in the global travel retail industry, and is committed to becoming the first choice for operators, landlords, suppliers and of course passengers, by offering flexible and comprehensive travel retail solutions on a global scale.”

“Carnival Cruise Line is committed to offering our guests the best shopping experiences at sea”, said Carnival Cruise Line Vice President of Retail William Butler. “We are thrilled to launch this fantastic new partnership with Heinemann and we look forward to introducing numerous new brands and retail concepts while creating an enhanced shopping environment for our guests.”

Carnival Ecstasy (pictured) is one of three ships in the new Heinemann network that are based in the Caribbean, as the retailer makes a big breakthrough in the cruise channel

On the Carnival Liberty, which sails between its homeport of Port Canaveral in Florida and The Bahamas, the company will manage two shops from this month, covering 299sq m overall.

Three shops, across a total of 249sq m, are located on both the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Ecstasy respectively, and will be managed by Heinemann from February.

Gebr Heinemann noted that most passengers on Carnival’s Caribbean-based ships are from the USA and are seeking an “affordable, fun-packed holiday”.

From June, Heinemann Asia Pacific will run the largest of the new cruise shops, spanning 424sq m, on the Carnival Spirit. This is one of two Carnival cruise ships based in Sydney. The Carnival Spirit sails routes around the Pacific Islands and New Zealand for cruises of up to ten days.

Heinemann said that the store design across all four ships would emphasise ‘Sense of Place’, much as the retailer aims to do at its airport shops. It noted: “Caribbean themes will be reflected in the shop architecture for the vessels sailing US routes. Colourful worlds inspired by the turquoise sea, white sand and beach verandas will recreate the typical island setting onboard.”

Carnival Cruise Line is the world’s largest cruise company based on the number of passengers carried (around 11.5 million in 2016).

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