Harding+ has revealed further details of its commercial offer onboard P&O Cruises’ newest ship Arvia, which set sail in late December.

The cruise retailer is showcasing more than 200 brands, 34 of which are new to P&O Cruises and 18 that are cruise retail ‘firsts’ to sea.

These feature prominently across a 900sq ft retail footprint housing ‘The Avenue’, a space for fine jewellery, fine watches, duty free, beauty, fashion, technology and curated souvenirs.

A strong nod towards increased ranging is reflected in the more than 25 eco-friendly and sustainable premium brands, curated and selected to cater to guests’ demands.

As part of this, Harding+ is spotlighting a selection of pre-loved and pre-owned luxury handbags and accessories from brands such as Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

New concepts and experiences

Meanwhile, a range of pop-ups and guest experiences including a ‘Floral Street Scent School’ at the beauty bar and Foreo experiential bar focused on beauty tech developments in the marketplace make a sea-worthy impression.

The ‘Fine Watch’ offering boasts labels such as Tudor, Breitling and Rado for the first time, while a standalone Swarovski Boutique displaying its ‘Wonderlab’ retail design reflects its Octagon packaging identity and pink colourway aligned to the Swarovski brand colours.

In addition, the ‘Chocolate Factory’ exclusive concept designed for P&O Cruises by the Harding+’s inhouse design team invites guests to enjoy a confectionery area appealing to gifting and self-treat purchasers.

“Wellness, technology, sustainable products and luxury items will all play a key part in our partnership with P&O Cruises on Excel class ships,” commented Harding+ Chief Executive Officer James Prescott, who said the items are borne from deep-diving and understanding Harding+’s proprietary data on cruise shoppers.

He went on to praise the company’s design, merchandising, buying, logistics and shipboard teams. In the case of the last group, he added: “This team will include a luxury trading manager, watch and fine jewellery specialists plus individual brand specialists, and each member of the team has been trained to high category-specific standards delivered by our brand partners such as Tag Heuer and Foreo.

“Our in house design team have worked with the P&O Cruises architects and design teams and demonstrate that cruise retail models, design builds, ranges and experiences now match or exceed the best of high street retail globally. And understanding the unique dwell time and guest attitude that doesn’t exist elsewhere, in mainstream or other travel retail channels, allows us to push boundaries and change expectations for guests every time they join a cruise.

“One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to cracking the right approach for each ship, and with Arvia, The Avenue approach will be a standout onboard retail destination.”

In December, Harding+ welcomed the addition of nine new ships – including P&O Cruises’ Arvia – from five different cruise operators. These add to the cruise retailer’s existing roster of 102 ships.