Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, which marks its 130th year, is best known for its seaside amusement park setting, wooden roller coasters, the Big One and its shows. Less discussed is the resort's retail operation, which head of retail Damian Jackson describes as a core part of the visit rather than an afterthought at the exit.
Jackson oversees physical stores, e-commerce, ride photography and merchandise development, with a flagship shop at the park's main entrance in the Casino building and outlets across the site. He works with Amanda Thompson from initial concept through design brief, product development, sampling and final approval. He said the approach is not to simply put a logo on a product: every range needs a reason for existing, a clear customer and an authentic connection to the resort.
Designing for a mixed audience
Pleasure Beach serves families on a first visit, school groups with limited spending money, teenage friends and couples, international tourists, lifelong fans and serious coaster enthusiasts, often on the same day. Their reasons for buying differ: a family may want a traditional souvenir, while an enthusiast may seek an accurate, collectable product tied to a specific ride.
The portfolio is built around customer missions, price points and levels of engagement. It spans impulse purchases such as confectionery, magnets, keyrings and badges; practical items including 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 Pleasure Beach branding, licensed lines, playful products and heritage collections.
Jackson said the aim is a carefully edited range in which every product has a purpose, a target customer and an appropriate price, rather than unlimited choice. Sales data is combined with time spent in shops, conversations with teams and guest feedback. The team asks whether a product would be worn away from the resort, displayed with pride by an enthusiast, or excite a child.
Aviktas as a template
The merchandise for Aviktas, a newer attraction, was built around its complete visual world — a golden snake, emerald colouring, mythology and mystery — rather than products carrying a ride logo. Jackson said the project shows the value of involving retail early in attraction development. A run of 50 limited-edition models at £250 each sold out, which he cited as evidence that guests will invest when a product has authenticity, detail and a strong attraction link. A snake plush, Aviktor, ties into the same storyline.
Approaches vary by attraction: ICON lends itself to a clean, contemporary, fashion-led treatment, while heritage rides such as the Big Dipper and Grand National draw on archive artwork, engineering details and nostalgia. Products are assessed on materials, colours, proportions, trims, embroidery and packaging, alongside intended customer, expected demand, price points, production quantities and lead times.
Heritage, licensing and exclusivity
Nostalgia carries weight because the resort has been part of family traditions for 130 years, Jackson said, giving it an archive of imagery, typography, posters and architecture to reinterpret through apparel, homeware and collectables. Playful assets, such as Mr Funshine merchandise, add humour and colour for children and casual visitors.
Licensed brands including Nickelodeon and Aardman's Wallace and Gromit require partnership between the resort, the IP owner and approved suppliers, following brand guidelines and approval processes. Jackson said relevance and exclusivity are the defence against online retailers, through exclusive designs, attraction references, location-specific details and personalisation.
Guests increasingly ask for exclusive, authentic and considered products, including attraction-specific merchandise, premium apparel, subtle branding, limited editions and items usable beyond the visit; generic, heavily branded souvenirs have become less compelling, though keyrings, magnets, mugs and confectionery remain important.
Basics, teams and the exit shop
Stock accuracy and availability are the least glamorous but most critical parts of the operation, covering deliveries, stock movement, replenishment, pricing, signage and daily compliance checks. Suppliers are treated as creative and commercial partners, with reliability in quality, communication, lead times and pricing.
To encourage spending, the resort uses a clear price architecture and shows the added value of trade-up purchases, and places related products together — a plush character with an outfit, a ride photograph with a frame. Retail is planned as part of attractions and guest journeys so that themed environments, demonstrations, personalisation and interactive selling make shopping entertaining; the Big Big Bubble Shop is one example. Staff act as hosts, storytellers and brand ambassadors, and gift wrapping and personalised embroidery extend purchases beyond the day.
E-commerce extends the relationship year-round, letting enthusiasts follow launches and previous visitors reconnect, while revealing demand that can differ from in-park behaviour. Jackson said inspiration comes from museums, heritage destinations, premium fashion brands, department stores and experiential retailers, but that inspiration is not imitation.