Pleasure Beach Blackpool, a 130-year-old seaside amusement park known for wooden coasters, the Big One and its shows, is using retail to extend the visitor experience beyond rides and attractions. In an interview, head of retail Damian Jackson said his remit covers stores, e-commerce, ride photography and product development, and that merchandise is treated as part of the park’s creative planning rather than a last-stop gift shop.
Jackson works with Amanda Thompson from initial concept through design briefs, sampling and final approval. He says each range needs a clear reason to exist, a defined customer and an authentic link to the resort, rather than a logo applied to a generic product. That principle shapes both the product mix and the way retail is presented across the site, including the flagship store in the Casino building at the main entrance and satellite outlets.
Designing for distinct visitor missions
Pleasure Beach serves families on first visits, school groups with limited spending money, teenagers, couples, international tourists, long-standing fans and serious coaster enthusiasts, often on the same day. Their purchase motives differ: a family may want a traditional souvenir, an enthusiast may seek an accurate collectable tied to a specific ride, teenagers may gravitate to confectionery, accessories and trend-led apparel, and heritage-minded visitors may value nostalgia and craftsmanship.
To manage that spread, Jackson says the team combines sales data with shop-floor observation, staff feedback and guest comments. Sales reports show what is selling; understanding why requires presence in the shops and conversations with guests and teams. The team tests whether a product would be worn away from the park, displayed with pride by an enthusiast, welcomed by a child or genuinely remind a family of its visit.
The portfolio is organised around customer missions and price points. It includes impulse purchases such as confectionery, magnets, keyrings and badges; practical items such as bottles, bags and ponchos; fashion-led apparel and accessories; children’s products and plush; and premium or limited-edition pieces for collectors. Attraction-specific ranges sit alongside broader park branding, licensed ranges, playful products and heritage collections. Jackson argues that offering something for everyone means a carefully edited range, not unlimited choice, with each product carrying a purpose, target customer and appropriate price.
Attraction-led ranges and the Aviktas example
Aviktas, a new attraction, illustrates the approach. Instead of producing a set of items carrying the ride logo, the team built the range around the attraction’s visual world: a golden snake, emerald colouring, mythology and a sense of mystery. Jackson presents this as evidence of involving retail early in attraction development, when merchandise can join the original creative conversation rather than being added after the attraction is complete.
The range also tested demand for higher-priced collectables. A limited run of 50 models priced at £250 each sold out, according to Jackson. He cites this as evidence that authenticity, detail and a strong attraction connection can persuade some guests to buy something special. The wider assortment includes a snake plush called Aviktor, tied to the Aviktas storyline.
Different attractions call for different treatments. Jackson says ICON lends itself to a clean, contemporary, fashion-led approach, while heritage rides such as the Big Dipper and Grand National draw on archive artwork, engineering details, nostalgia and generations of guest memories. Product development covers materials, colours, proportions, trims, embroidery, packaging and in-store presentation, as well as commercial questions such as target customer, expected demand, price, production quantities, lead times and sales locations.
Heritage, licensing and exclusivity
Nostalgia is central because the park is representing family traditions built over 130 years. Its archive of attraction imagery, typography, posters, architecture and stories can be reinterpreted through contemporary apparel, homeware and collectables. Jackson says the aim is not to make products feel old-fashioned but to use authentic history in a fresh way. Playful assets are also part of the mix: humour, colour and characters broaden the range and engage children, families and casual visitors.
Licensed attractions bring another layer. Pleasure Beach works with IP owners and approved suppliers within brand guidelines and approval processes, while adapting characters and stories to the park context. Jackson says the strongest partnerships are collaborative: the licensor protects brand integrity, while the park explains what visitors respond to and how products must work in an attraction environment. To compete with general online retailers, the park tries to create relevance and exclusivity through exclusive designs, attraction references, location-specific details and personalisation.
Jackson reports growing guest interest in exclusive, authentic and considered products: attraction-specific merchandise, premium apparel, subtle branding, collectables, limited editions and items with a clear story. Demand is also rising for products that can be used or worn beyond the visit, such as a well-designed hoodie, cap, bottle or bag. Generic souvenirs and heavily branded items without a story have become less compelling, he says, though keyrings, magnets, mugs and confectionery remain important and must keep evolving in design, quality and presentation.
Operations, service and the extended visit
The strategy depends on retail fundamentals. Jackson describes stock accuracy and product availability as the least glamorous and most critical parts of the operation: a strong product cannot generate revenue if it is in a stockroom, unordered, mispriced or missing from the location where guests expect it. Deliveries, stock movement, replenishment, pricing, signage and daily compliance checks protect the guest experience, while clear pricing builds trust and effective replenishment prevents missed purchases.
Suppliers are treated as creative and commercial partners rather than simply manufacturers. Jackson says the best suppliers understand the brand, contribute ideas, respond to feedback and translate concepts into viable products, while reliability in quality, communication, lead times, compliance, pricing and consistency matters. He also emphasises presentation, storytelling, price architecture and staff confidence. Product adjacencies—such as outfits for plush characters, frames for ride photographs or accessories for apparel—encourage additional purchases.
Retail is also intended to feel like another chapter of the day. Themed environments, demonstrations, characterful displays, confectionery experiences, personalisation, ride photography and interactive selling can make shopping entertaining. Gift wrapping and personalised embroidery add value and support gifting, including purchases made for someone at home. E-commerce extends the relationship year-round, letting enthusiasts follow launches, previous visitors reconnect with memories and distant customers buy selected products; online behaviour also gives the park another read on demand.
Staff are central to execution. Jackson describes retail colleagues as hosts, storytellers and brand ambassadors who demonstrate products, explain ranges and suggest additions, and whose feedback can reveal emerging requests before they appear in formal reports. The model is not a simple merchandising exercise: it joins product design, attraction planning, licensing, store operations and service. Its limits are equally practical. The approach relies on disciplined stock control, reliable suppliers and consistent execution, and Jackson’s account is a management perspective rather than an independent assessment of sales results.