As cruise retail enters a new era, onboard stores are evolving beyond places to transact, becoming spaces designed to shape the guest experience emotionally, commercially and memorably. Here at Harding+, this shift underpins our blueprint for cruise retail in 2026 defined by three forces: Emotion, Evidence and Experimentation.

This evolution mirrors wider retail trends, where experience increasingly outweighs transaction. At sea, however, the impact is amplified. Guests are removed from routine, open to discovery and more receptive to storytelling that reflects the ship, the destination and the moment. For cruise lines and brand partners, this creates an opportunity for retail to play a more meaningful role in the overall voyage supporting guest satisfaction, loyalty and commercial performance.

People at the heart of the experience

At the centre of this blueprint is a fundamental truth: guest experience is delivered by people. Guests remember the interaction that felt personal, the story behind a product, or the moment that felt effortless rather than transactional.

“Our onboard teams are the guest experience,” says our CEO Chris Matthews. “Consistently investing in their capabilities ensures that when service is delivered well, it feels natural, emotionally positive and genuinely memorable.”

This commitment is supported by investment in training, automation and simplification enabling onboard teams to focus on high-touch service while technology works quietly in the background.

Emotion: Retail that feels right

Our research shows that 92% of guests intend to shop onboard, with storytelling influencing purchasing decisions for 87% of guests. On average, guests visit onboard stores 3.5 times per voyage, highlighting a very different dynamic from high-street retail.

As a result, around 25% of our retail space is now dedicated to experience-led moments, including tastings, masterclasses, capsule collections and curated brand storytelling designed around mood, mindset and moment.

“Experience doesn’t happen by accident,” explains Linzi Walker our Chief Commercial Officer. “It’s built into store design, event cadence and how teams are supported to deliver service that feels effortless. For our partners, experience-led retail consistently delivers strong returns while creating moments guests remember long after the voyage ends.”

Evidence: Insight that drives precision

Experience-led retail is often seen as difficult to measure but here at Harding+, it is underpinned by AI-assisted analytics and precision modelling, applied voyage by voyage. Guest mix, itinerary, seasonality and behaviour inform everything from assortment and replenishment to staffing and storytelling.

The result is consistently 90%+ stock availability, supported by a market-unique supply chain and forecasting platform shaped by real guest behaviour.

“It’s about converting insight into experience in real time,” says Mikos Taylor our Chief Technology Officer. “That precision benefits guests, cruise lines and brand partners alike.”

Experimentation: Ships as live innovation platforms

Cruise ships offer a uniquely engaged retail environment. Guests share feedback in real time, compare experiences and actively participate – making cruise retail a powerful testing ground for innovation.

In the past year alone, we have launched more than 2,000 new-to-sea products, with cruise retail delivering an estimated 47% impulse purchase rate.

“It’s not a focus group – it’s a focused community,” says our Marketing Director Katie Floyd. “Guests love to engage, and that immediate feedback allows brands to refine and evolve ideas quickly before wider rollout.”

A platform for what’s next

“Cruise retail is no longer a niche channel,” adds Linzi Walker. “It’s becoming a serious platform for guest experience, brand learning and loyalty-building. When retail is designed around emotion, powered by evidence and supported by experimentation, it becomes part of the guest journey — not separate from it.”

As Harding+ looks ahead to 2026, this approach continues to guide how retail at sea can deliver value not just through sales, but through connection, experience and long-term guest recall.