Key Aspects:
- Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews went undercover as a passenger on Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line to observe the retail experience firsthand.
- His findings highlighted the importance of customer service and the benefits of new technology.
- Harding+ now operates more than 300 shops on more than 80 ships across 12 cruise lines.
Passengers aboard recent Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line sailings may have unknowingly shared their shopping experience with a retail CEO in disguise.
Chris Matthews, who leads cruise retailer Harding+, took an “undercover boss” approach, booking himself as a guest to see how onboard shopping really works when no one knows the boss is watching.
While he didn’t actually wear a disguise, Matthews sailed twice, deliberately avoiding name tags, meetings, or special treatment.
His goal was to observe everything from the first “hello” at the door to how crew run retail events. He also struck up conversations with guests to hear unfiltered feedback.
The trips revealed a lot, according to Matthews, who saw how new stock-tracking technology was freeing crew from the backroom to spend more time with customers.
Passengers consistently pointed to the friendliness of staff as a highlight of their cruise experience, he noted.
“You can’t steer a guest-led strategy from a spreadsheet,” Matthews said. “Any retail CEO will tell you that listening to guests and colleagues is critical.”
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But he admitted it’s hard to do in cruise retail because one can’t just walk into a store unannounced.
“Going undercover gave me a raw, honest insight into what’s working and what we can make even better,” he said.
The undercover experiment followed the company’s 18-month program where Harding+ required office staff to spend a week at sea working onboard in shipboard stores.
The verdict? Harding said, “The signs we have got it right are strong across the business for our next stage of growth.”
He added that he was excited to see retail teams sailing with Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise line “delivering all that we stand for in the best ways for guests.”
The company now plans to send more executives on similar undercover missions across the fleets.
Harding+ Retail Presence
Harding+ has become one of the largest players in cruise retail, operating more than 300 shops across more than 80 ships across 12 cruise lines worldwide, including many of those under the Carnival Corporation umbrella.
The company took over all onboard retail on Princess Cruises in 2021, moving shop management away from the cruise line’s team to Harding+ in one of the largest transitions of retail operations at the time.
Today, the cruise line features a mix of fine jewelry counters, high-end watch boutiques, beauty and fragrance brands, and logo shops selling Princess Cruises merchandise.
Stores also include duty-free liquor and tobacco, fashion accessories, and rotating popup events tied to new products.
Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line has become Harding+’s biggest partner. By 2023, the company was operating shops on more than half of the Carnival fleet, overseeing duty-free outlets and branded boutiques.
The cruise line’s ships feature familiar labels like Pandora, TAG Heur, and Swarovski, alongside Carnival Cruise Line-branded apparel and souvenirs and new limited-edition partnerships.
Harding+ also runs liquor and spirits shops, cosmetics and skincare counters, and event-led promotions.
Matthews did not reveal which ships he sailed with or the itineraries he enjoyed.
