Some passengers, like Audrey Steele, a stay-at-home mom of three from Austin, prefer the sun to the swag. Still, she understands the acquisitive urge. “As the days go on, the options start looking really good.”
Photographer: Michelle Groskopf for Bloomberg BusinessweekLVMH Perfects the Soft Sell on the High Seas
On the 2,852-passenger Celebrity Equinox, hundreds are lounging on the pool deck, enjoying the sun. Down below, the ship’s shops are buzzing with the unveiling of a Le Vian fine jewelry collection, a Dior makeup demo, and a seminar on Swiss watches, among other events. Free Champagne helps lure the guests indoors.
“People want to buy experiences, not just things,” says Beth Neumann, president and chief executive officer of Starboard Cruise Services, a Doral, Fla.-based company that operates stores aboard passenger ships. “That’s a reality of how retail is changing in the U.S. and globally.”