UK/INTERNATIONAL. Leading cruise retailer Harding+ has captured new contracts to manage retail onboard nine ships, which join its existing network of 102 vessels.
The new ships are being launched or refitted by cruiseline partners P&O Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Marella Cruises and Ambassador, with further contract announcements to come in 2023, said Harding+.
The new retail zones onboard the ships will feature original spaces, cruise retail firsts, new brands at sea and an increased focus on wellness and sustainability, said the company.
Summer 2022 saw the full launch of Norwegian Cruise Line Prima, with a new promenade-style ‘borderless’ shopping experience, the largest ‘tech’ shop at sea, and a specialist Pandora jewellery lounge. Further ships in the Harding+ and NCL partnership will include NCL Viva, NCL Spirit, and NCL Gem, all of which will enter service between July and November 2023.
Onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia from this month Harding+ has opened 900sq m of open-plan and experiential retail space, alongside a wellness specialist retail focus, a showcasing of the latest in tech at sea and a ‘design your own’ fine jewellery bar. These elements sit alongside 30 new brands making their cruise debut, including Marc Jacobs and Floral Street.
Harding+ retail experiences have also been newly launched onboard Carnival Luminosa in November with Mardi Gras to follow in January. Next will be Ambassador Ambition in spring 2023 and Marella Voyager in June. At least four other new ship partnerships are also due for launch in 2023, added Harding+.
The cruise retail concessionaire said it aimed to bring “data-driven insights, innovation and brand experiences to life to help make every cruise better for guests” with the new partnerships.
Harding+ Chief Executive Officer James Prescott said: “As ships become more individual, more creative and more boundary pushing in their differentiating offer, so does the retail space we create and manage. The power of data and intelligence we gather from more 20,000 guest insight surveys, and our quaternity approach that matches that insight with individual cruise and ship strategies, brand’s perspectives and our know-how is what delivers both creative and bottom-line returns.”
He added: “Equally important is the role of shared values and ambitions, and behind the scenes excellence in everything from logistics and IT to the onboard approach and reputation of our teams in delivering exemplary guest service. The critical nature of brand and culture and the role that this mentality at the heart of our business plays is key to our growth strategy, to guest satisfaction and spend, and our track record of winning and keeping long-term contracts.”
With over 100 ship contracts and others to be announced, Harding+ said the number of onboard transactions it handles would rise sharply from the current 4.4 million per year.
*As reported, Harding rebranded as Harding+ from October. Click here for the full story and a link to an exclusive interview with CEO James Prescott.
