UK/INTERNATIONAL. Harding+ is calling for deeper collaboration with brand partners as it looks to accelerate cruise retail growth through new product launches, enhanced onboard experiences and greater investment in its shipboard teams.
The cruise retailer outlined its commercial priorities at its annual Supplier Conference, held onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia, revealing plans for around 300 brand activations across more than 40 ships in 2026.
Under the theme Raising the bar, Harding+ CEO Jeremy Fennell urged suppliers to move beyond traditional product relationships towards joint business planning, shared commercial objectives and greater investment in generating guest demand.
Fennell highlighted the extended engagement opportunities offered by the cruise channel compared with other retail environments.
He said: “Our guests don’t pass through us for a few minutes. They can be with us for three, seven, sometimes 14 days or more.
“That gives us an opportunity to engage, tell stories, demonstrate products, run events, create theatre and build relationships in a way very few retail environments can.
“And that’s where I’d really like our suppliers to lean in with us.”
He emphasised the importance of a three-way partnership between cruise lines, suppliers and Harding+, with the guest at its centre.
“Bring us your best ideas as well as your best products,” Fennell continued. “Let’s test them, learn quickly and scale the things that work.”
The strategy builds on Harding+’s recent trading performance. The company noted strong sales growth in 2025, with positive momentum continuing into 2026; notably growth has been recorded across all regions.
Chief Commercial Officer Linzi Walker said the focus is now on translating recent investment in product ranges, availability and guest experiences into more consistent performance across the fleet.
She commented: “We’ve spent the past few years building a much stronger platform for growth in terms of ranges, availability and experiences.
“The opportunity now is to make that capability work harder and more consistently across the fleet.”
Walker identified three priorities for brand partners, starting with earlier collaboration on product launches and joint business planning.
“The sooner we understand what is coming, the more effectively we can build it into our ranges, marketing and joint business plans,” she said.
Walker also urged brands to look beyond product placement and consider how they can engage guests through onboard activations, tastings, personalisation and destination-relevant experiences.
The third priority is greater investment in training and equipping shipboard retail teams to communicate brand stories effectively.
“Great product knowledge and great stories give our shipboard teams much more power to make a brand meaningful, relevant and memorable to the guest,” Walker added.
Category performance underlines opportunity
Harding+ presented evidence of the commercial impact of experiential retail, newness and specialist selling across several key categories.
In fine jewellery, its SEVEN boutique concept, combining curated assortments, events and specialist staff development, has delivered year-on-year sales increases ranging from +25% to +100% on ships where it has been introduced. Further expansion is planned for 2027.
In beauty, products introduced since the start of 2026 account for between 20% and 50% of category sales on individual ships, underlining the importance of newness and closer coordination with brand launch calendars.
In liquor, Harding+ reported that 75% of guests attending a tasting subsequently make a purchase in the liquor store. The retailer said it plans to extend tasting programmes to more ships in 2027.
Harding+ Lifestyle Category Director Claire McLennan stressed that successful launches depend on coordinated execution across merchandising, marketing and frontline teams.
She said: “Newness is not simply another delivery or a different colour. It is a visible reason for the guest to look again.”
“Product, stock, display, point of sale, marketing and colleague knowledge need to arrive as one package.”
Investment in shipboard selling
Alongside its supplier collaboration strategy, Harding+ is investing in operational efficiency and colleague development.
Technology and process improvements have freed up more than +25% additional time for shipboard colleagues to engage with guests, according to the company.
A new fleetwide selling model is also being introduced to strengthen product knowledge and improve the relevance of recommendations.
“The investment here is bigger and bolder than anything we have done in the last 20 years,” said Chief Operating Officer Mark Birnie. “We truly are doubling down on our colleagues.”
Looking ahead to 2027, Harding+ is prioritising more effective launch execution, ensuring products reach the appropriate ships on schedule and are supported by trained teams, marketing and onboard experiences.
Fennell concluded: “2027 is simple to describe and hard to do. You launch something new and it is on our shelves on the right ships on the specified day.
“Our teams know the story and tell it well. And the guest, who has days with us rather than minutes, finds something that becomes part of their holiday.”
He added: “The theme for all of it is ‘Raising the bar’. It is not a bar we set for you. It is one standard we agree together: availability, newness and how our people bring your brand to life.” ✈
