There’s something that’s goin’ round, that’s shutting our borders down
It’s a bad time for our sick and our old
CNN’s nightly lullaby, tells of hundreds more that’ve died
I shut off the TV and think all alone, how long can this go on? – Jeff Orson, Pray
Welcome to In Crisis – Travel Retail Voices, our podcast series in which we speak to travel retail executives around the world to see how they and their businesses are coping with the COVID-19 crisis.
Today’s episode features James Prescott, Managing Director of Harding, the Flemingo international-owned, UK-headquartered cruise retail concessionaire as he reflects on the travails of a cruise line sector which has been hit with devastating speed by the COVID-19 crisis. In the process, the sector has suffered much adverse publicity, and unavoidably, a complete cessation of business for the foreseeable future.
He says that although there were warning signs from the early fallout in China, the collapse of the sector’s trading “came like a wrecking ball from the side”, and no amount of risk provision could have prepared him or the company for what has come to pass. Harding has been forced to furlough about 90% of its UK staff.
Despite the heavy setbacks, James remains positive about Harding Retail going forward and the future of the cruise business as a whole, which he says will be able to adapt to post-COVID-19 realities. “I think the potential is there,” he says, “it will probably just take a bit of time to ramp back up again. I remain optimistic that it will come back… it will just take a little longer perhaps than any of us would have liked.”
Martin Moodie discussed these issues and much more when he caught up with James by telephone at his home in Brighton, from where he would usually commute to Harding’s Bristol offices.
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Previously on In Crisis – Travel Retail Voices
April 21: Scott Collier, Toronto Pearson International Airport
April 21: Lal Arakulath, Kreol Group
April 20: Lisa Bauer, Starboard Cruise Services
April 17: Dan Cappell, Ontario International Airport
April 13: Gautom Menon, Wild Tiger Beverages
April 13: Sarah Branquinho, Duty Free World Council
April 10: Sinead el Sibai, Dubai Duty Free
April 7: Jonathan Holland of Jonathan Holland & Associates, Singapore.
April 7: Rob Wigington, Executive Director at the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association, US.
April 7: José Luis Donagaray and Inés Sisto Patron, ASUTIL
April 5: Stewart Dryburgh, Nestlé International Travel Retail,
April 4: Pier Giuseppe Torresani, Masi; and Steve Corrigan, long-time duty free drinks executive
April 2: Founder of Duty Free Global, Barry Geoghegan
April 1: Vice President of Miami-based Essence Corp, Patricia Bona.
29 March: William Grant & Sons President Asia Pacific Doug Bagley
29 March: PMA Canada National Director – Duty Free Jeff Orson
27 March: Paul & Shark Global Travel Retail Director Catherine Bonelli
26 March: King Power Traveler President Rakhita Jayawardena
25 March: Public health expert Dr. David Heymann
24 March: King Power Group (Hong Kong) Group Chief Executive Officer Sunil Tuli
22 March: The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie
21 March: China Duty Free Group President Charles Chen
20 March: Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin
