INTERNATIONAL. A trio of factors – emotion, evidence and experimentation – will help define the next phase for the onboard retail channel. That’s according to leading cruise retailer Harding+, which has shared its perspectives on how cruise retail is evolving, and the role insight, innovation and guest-first thinking will play in shaping the experience onboard.
The company says that its “blueprint for success” is based on a new era for the sector, in which “stores are no longer simply places to transact but spaces designed to shape the guest experience emotionally”.
What is happening in cruise reflects the same evolution already underway across the wider retail world, Harding+ notes, where guests increasingly value experience over transaction. But at sea, the dynamic is amplified, it adds. “Guests are removed from routine, more open to discovery, and more receptive to storytelling authentic to individual ships and their destinations.”
For cruiselines, this creates both a responsibility and an increased revenue opportunity.
“Retail can become an increasingly meaningful part of every voyage, supporting guest satisfaction and building loyalty while unlocking stronger onboard commercial performance. The brands who will thrive in this next phase will be those who understand not only what guests buy, but why they buy, translating that insight into experiences that feel effortless, seamless, elevated and human.”
Onboard teams: the difference guests feel
Harding+ makes the case – calling it a “foundational truth about cruise retail” – that every guest experience is reliant on people.
Guests remember the person who noticed what they were celebrating, who explained the story behind a piece, or who made every interaction feel effortless and unpressured, the company highlights.
More than an ‘initiative’, this emphasis on people requires “a consistent commitment to training, coaching and support that shows up on every sailing”, with onboard teams bringing the ‘high-touch’ personal approach to guest needs.
“The future of cruise retail isn’t just about product or technology, it’s about people,” says Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews.
“Our onboard teams are the guest experience. Consistently investing in their capabilities means when service is done well, it feels natural rather than transactional, and emotionally positive.”
Harding+ research shows that 92% of guests intend to shop at sea, and 87% say onboard storytelling influences purchasing, with guests visiting onboard stores an average of 3.5 times per voyage.
The Emotion blueprint
The company notes that this is “a very different context from high-street retail. Guests have time. They’re relaxed. They’re open to discovery. And so shopping becomes an active part of their holiday leisure time.
“The stores that perform best are designed around that storytelling reality. It’s why we increasingly build retail around mood, mindset and moment: how the guest feels, what time of day it is, whether they’re heading to dinner, coming back from shore, or spending time onboard at sea.”
Harding+ argues that guests respond when retail spaces reflect the character of the ship and create clear reasons to linger. The retailer now dedicates around 25% of all retail space to experience-led moments: tastings, masterclasses, capsule collections and curated storytelling. Examples include guided tastings of destination-relevant spirits, poolside suncream sampling and Swiss watchmaking workshops.
Harding+ Chief Commercial Officer Linzi Walker says: “Experience doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built into store architecture, event cadence and how teams are supported to deliver service that feels effortless. An ROI of over 100% is not uncommon for the brands we partner with on experiences, bringing ‘add-to-memory’ moments than can enhance a guest’s whole trip.
“Experience-led zones will account for an increasingly significant share of onboard revenue, and we’ve built the model to make cruise lines the biggest winners of that shift in revenue and guest loyalty wins.”
The Evidence blueprint
One misconception about experience-led retail is that it’s ‘soft’ – atmospheric but hard to measure – but Harding+ says the opposite is true in terms of ease, learnings and improvements.
“Harding+ models demand voyage-by-voyage using AI-assisted analytics, anticipating needs before they arise and adjusting what we offer, and how we offer it, based on guest mix, itinerary, seasonality and behavioural cues. That insight impacts assortment, replenishment, staffing patterns and storytelling.
“The impact is tangible. Harding+ consistently delivers 90%+ stock availability, supported by an upgraded and market unique supply chain and forecasting platform shaped by real guest behaviour.”
Harding+ Chief Technology Officer Mikos Taylor says, “It’s not just about forecasting demand, it’s about converting insight into experience in real time. Which means we can land absolute precision in every aspect of retail, which for cruise line and brand partners is the ultimate commercial win differential.”
A major advancement for 2026 will be the rollout of dynamic shelf pricing, enabling a new level of live responsiveness and range optimisation. Harding+ notes that when data is connected and timely, “it doesn’t just drive performance, it helps teams make better faster decisions, ensuring the guest experience feels more relevant, with activities and actions aligned to the rhythm of each sailing”.
The Experimentation blueprint
Cruise retail is increasingly becoming “a smart brand testing ground”, the company adds, where guests talk to each other, compare and ask questions. They also offer feedback in the moment, especially after sharing live brand experiences.
In the last year Harding+ supported more than 2,000 new-to-sea products, and identified an estimated 47% impulse purchase rate in cruise retail as “a sign of how discovery-led this environment can be”.
Harding+ Marketing Director Katie Floyd notes: “It’s not a focus group, but it is a focused community. Guests love to share feedback and stories in real time, which gives brands immediate insight to refine ideas before wider rollout. As such the level of first at sea brands will grow significantly year on year.”
The brands that win are often the ones that treat the ship as a live environment: learn, refine, relaunch, notes Harding+. As guest feedback is immediate, it says, “the iteration cycle is much faster (and considered) than on land”.
A model for what’s next
“Cruise retail is no longer a niche channel,” says Linzi Walker. “It’s becoming a serious platform for guest experience, brand learning and loyalty-building, and it’s moving quickly.
“For cruise lines, the opportunity is to treat retail increasingly as part of the guest journey rather than separate from it. For brands, it’s a chance to work in an environment that rewards storytelling and responsiveness. And for the industry as a whole, it’s a reminder that the breakthrough format many retailers are searching for may already exist, here at sea.
“Because when retail is designed around emotion, powered by evidence and supported by a culture of experimentation, all delivered by confident onboard teams, it doesn’t just drive sales. It becomes part of long-term guest recall, and helps the industry that is chasing connection alongside conversion win big.” 🛳️
