UK. Cruise retail specialist Harding is launching 45 new brands to the channel across 980sq m of retail space onboard P&O Cruises’ Iona when the ship makes its maiden voyage on 7 August.
The company is introducing a total of 175 brands in 12 stores, across categories ranging from fine jewellery & watches to own-label fashion, with lifestyle and experiential retail activations prominent.
Highlights include:
• A first stand-alone store at sea for UK fashion house Mulberry
• The first store of its kind at sea for Chanel including digital wall screen, one-to-one fragrance tester bar and consultation area
• The world’s first Gem Bar, a fine jewellery concept that allows guests to select gems from a spinning carousel to design and make bespoke pieces of jewellery
• The White Company – a first-at-sea shop that stocks candles, diffusers and soaps
• A new design boutique for Pandora with an exclusive collection of sea ocean charms
• Roberto Coin fine jewellery in the company’s first ever ‘floating boutique’
• Fine watch brands TAG Heuer, Tudor and Citizen with the latter stocking limited edition personalised Iona watches.
Other first-at-sea launches include Fable single cask malt whisky, a collection of malts from select distilleries hand-picked from casks for their distinct taste and appearance. The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay is part of an evolving series of single malts available exclusively on the ship. This is number one of 11 distillery releases, with guests able to discover more about the story onboard.
Harding Managing Director James Prescott said: “This is a real landmark in Harding history and I am delighted to execute our partnership with P&O Cruises with premier brands and so many first at sea concepts. We look forward to continuing to work together on Iona and across the rest of the fleet.
“Our brand partners have been phenomenal and have not only gone the extra mile but surpassed it. We have worked closely with the leadership teams to deliver the best products with the right experiences for the customer and destination.”
P&O Cruises Vice President On Board Revenue Robert Palmer said: “Iona setting sail is an exciting milestone and we’ve worked with Harding to create a varied and interesting retail proposition.
“Harding has shown its ability to predict and reflect latest retail trends to create a highly engaging holiday retail experience for our guests.”
The retail proposition onboard Iona is the result of a four-year planning and design partnership to develop the innovative and eye-catching retail areas, said the companies.
Mulberry’s standalone debut at sea
The 17.5sq m Iona Mulberry boutique is a first for the channel as the British brand celebrates its 50th year. The celebrations coincide with the launch of limited-edition collections under the Mulberry Editions name. Each collection draws inspiration from the brand’s design and DNA, featuring collaborations with UK contemporary designers. The new Mulberry boutique onboard showcases Mulberry’s latest designs, including the classic Bayswater bag.
A first for Pandora
The Pandora Design Boutique is a first at sea 17sq m standalone store that features the brand’s latest features and including the sea-inspired Blue Ocean designs. Harding’s design team worked in partnership with Pandora designers to create the innovative new gift boutique where guests can select jewellery and charms from their favourite styles, or builds and collect new arrivals from the Pandora Ocean designs. The collectible charm bracelet is the cornerstone product and fosters repeat purchases and customer loyalty, said the brand owner. This is complemented by a growing range of other collections consistent including collectible jewellery.
James Prescott said: “This innovative concept demonstrates the resurgent power of cruise retail. The first at sea Pandora design boutique on board the iconic new Iona really raises the bar for onboard retail.”
Roberto Coin’s ‘floating boutique’
The Iona also includes a 17.5sq m ‘floating boutique’ designed in the brand’s signature Champagne colour palette. Featured are the newly launched Love in Verona Collection, a signature element.
A new look for luxury watches
Swiss watch brand Tudor showcases its range of luxury mechanical watches in a dedicated branded zone onboard. Collections include Tudor Royal and Black Bay, backed with full after-sales service and guarantees.
Unveiling Kallati’s Gem Bar
Harding and Kallati International are launching another first at sea concept, the Gem Bar, onboard Iona. Kallati is a family-owned jewellery brand with four generations of experience. The 17sq m Gem Bar concept allows guests to select gems from the moving carousel and create their own piece of bespoke jewellery.
Fable: A new story in whisky
Harding and single cask malt whisky brand Fable have announced a first of its kind Oceantainment activation for the new brand onboard Iona.
The activation marks the exclusive global travel retail launch of Fable whisky, an innovative new brand in the business, as reported. Guests can discover more about Fable in the Retail Introduction Area, a 68sq m gateway to the retail area situated on Deck 7. They are also invited to meet brand ambassadors Kevin Griffin and Dominic Roskrow who can educate visitors on the new whisky line.
A highlight is the Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay series, an evolving chapter of single cask malts available exclusively in travel retail on Iona.
Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of Sipwell Brands, the distiller of Fable Whisky, said, “We are very excited to be partnering with Harding and P&O Cruises on this global travel retail exclusive launch of the Fable Malt Whisky collection. A true innovation such as Fable deserves a truly innovative launch platform and the fantastic Retail Introduction space onboard the iconic new Iona really delivers this. By working in a true Trinity partnership we have been able to develop a unique, innovative interactive Fable experience onboard which is sure to surprise and delight customers.”
