Cruise retailer Harding+ has revealed three data backed strategies for driving brand success in 2025.
Drawing on key insights from 30,000 onboard guest surveys, proven sales data, and its experience running 300 shops across 85 ships, Harding+ has identified several strategies to help both established cruise retail players and new entrants succeed.
In broad strokes, these three strategies include: meeting customer expectations with fully rounded brand experiences; investing in exclusives and hyper personalization; and working with the cruise ‘family dynamic’ as a powerful shift for planning.
With the cruise category set to grow by 12% yoy in passenger numbers, cruise retail offers key differentials for brands in their marketing and sales mix, says Harding+.
Cruising offers brands unparalleled access to customers with 7-14 day dwell time, the ability to inte-grate into the holiday ‘sense of place,’ and precision targeting of audiences for each cruise line and destination — all of which bring real commercial potential, says the retailer.
Harding+ notes that these strategies are based on the results of a strong year of business performance, and insights gathered from multiple data sources, including those 30,000 onboard guest surveys, plus sales and supply chain learnings from significant and industry- first investment in automation and AI technology.
Brand experience priorities
The brand experience strategy comes from analysis of Harding+ brand partnerships that show increases of over 35% in sales impact where experiential has played a role.
In addition, commercial returns match customer insights, since a summer 2024 onboard study revealed 87% of guests said their shipboard purchases were influenced by brand theatre.
Harding+ Marketing Director Katie Floyd explains: “When guests are actively seeking out retail as part of their trip, surprise and delight strategies, of course, will help turn their heads. But what is key is to bring elements of education and entertainment into play in each activation, and to recognize that if guests return to the store in question on the same trip (which they do on an average of three times), having something to showcase as different each time matters.”
She suggests that masterclasses and brand ambassadors who bring insights, fun or product demonstrations to life can result in great success.
“Lining up clear product links between the store, the bar and the cabin, for example, absolutely lands better share of mind. And fusing multiple worlds and interests all build relevant storytelling and long term recall into play – as we have recently done for Cunard’s Queen Anne ship launch and our ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ showcase for multiple iconic British brands with technology, art and history working together. There’s no better retail canvas for building brand theatre now than the cruise space.”
Floyd went on to say that data from its summer 2024 guest survey indicated that 92% of travelers are likely or very likely to look forward to shopping when away, so “building an advantage to be seen, heard and sought out makes commercial, emotional and priority planning sense.”
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The personalization strategy
The second strategy Harding+ recommends is personalization, exclusives and linking to sense of place. Cruises are about making memories, and purchases can be indelibly linked to moments, celebrations or locations, resulting in significant loyalty and recall.
Harding+ points out that guest research from m1ndset and CLIA reveals that 47% of cruise guests are shopping on impulse and look-ing for exclusives that they can’t find elsewhere. This means that their cruise trip can deliver retail-led as well as travel memories.
In 2024, on board ‘exclusives’ proved to be commercial winners across the 85 ships that Harding+ serves. Initiatives ranged from limited edition small batch whiskies to unique jewelry items tailored to locations, and personalized and engraved premium bottles of spirits. The latter saw one brand’s sales increase by over 200% compared to a previous sailing, with an additional 120% uplift for their wider portfolio.
Harding+ Commercial Director Linzi Walker says: “A unique environment needs unique elements to match, and the brands that have invested in that approach have seen the rewards, as one size fits all retail strategies don’t necessarily work in cruise retail.”
Walker says that the key is effective collaborations based on listening, sharing and truly understanding the goals of each party in the brand/ship/guest dynamic.
“There is no room for retail to be boring or to lack freshness or relevance, but all the room to launch, treat, specialize or think bespoke for those with the time and desire to invest in brands and efforts,” she explains.
The rising family dynamic
The third key strategy is to dive deeper into cruise guest ‘family’ demographics.
Retailers can capitalize on the shifting demographics in cruise profiles, especially since the average age of a cruise guest is now 46 and 73% of trips involve families of at least two generations, with more than a quarter multi-generational.
From a retail perspective, Harding+ says that this changes the rules of engagement.
Listening to guests and investing in research is “fundamental to keeping ahead of the curve,” says Harding+, especially as its data shows that 75% of families plan for ‘shopping’ to form an important part of their trip.
Katie Floyd explains that integrated thinking works: “What can keep the kids happy and the parents busy or browsing at the same time rather than dividing the family’s attention. Brands need to think through the line of the family dynamic to earn full on engagement.”
shopping can still be an adventure for all,” says Floyd.
Linzi Walker concludes: “As with everything in cruise retail, effort brings significant reward. Experiences, personalization and exclusives, and rounded targeting of activities all fit the wider vibe of a cruise and why people sign up to enjoy one. It makes total sense for retail to think differently here to match mindsets, and why the brand stable we work with is continuingly growing.”
Some of the multi-generational activities Harding+ has held on-board include a lab-style fragrance masterclass for kids in the beauty shop space while parents sampled and browsed; Pink Parties for Pandora and Swarovski, focusing on charms, pink diamonds and rubies, fueled by pink prosecco and pink lemonade; a timeless Lego masterclass; coloring competitions; and family-relevant treasure hunts across the retail estate.
“The way we look at it is that With the cruise sector forecasting another booming year, Walker believes that brands that do not adopt these strategies could “strategically regret” the omission, especially when high street retail remains challenging.
“The sector spending habits are bucking wider shopping trends and shopping anticipation remains extremely high on the agenda of the 37 million+ annual cruise guests,” she concludes.
