At 130 years old, Pleasure Beach in Blackpool is well known for its traditional seaside amusement park vibes, classic wooden roller coasters, the iconic Big One, and impressive shows.
Less talked about, but also impressive, is the focus given to its merchandise and retail offer.
The Kiss Me Quick store at Pleasure Beach
Image credit Graham Speak
With its flagship shop located at the main entrance to the park in the wonderful Casino building, and supported by outlets across the site, visitors are treated to some well-curated and thoughtfully designed ranges that allow them to take home memories, celebrate their favourite attractions and continue the fun once they’ve left for the day.
I spoke with Damian Jackson, Pleasure Beach Blackpool’s head of retail, to find out more about why merchandise is so important and how the team maximise it with guests in mind.
Jackson oversees the Resort’s diverse retail operation – including physical stores, e-commerce, ride photography and merchandise development.
Q: Your role covers a lot! Why is retail so important for Pleasure Beach?
My role combines creativity with commercial and operational responsibility. One day I may be working on the concept for a new attraction range; the next, I will be reviewing sales performance, stock availability, pricing, presentation or how our teams can further improve the guest experience.
Damian Jackson, head of retail at Pleasure Beach ResortImage courtesy of Pleasure Beach ResortI work extremely closely with Amanda Thompson throughout the entire creative journey—from the initial idea and concept through to the design brief, product development, sampling and final approval.
Amanda and I share a genuine passion for retail, fashion and creating products that feel exciting, current and unmistakably Pleasure Beach.
What makes my role so rewarding is the opportunity to turn the excitement, heritage and personality of Pleasure Beach into products and experiences that guests can take home.
We do not simply put a logo on a product; every range must have a reason for existing, a clear customer and an authentic connection to the resort.
Q: Putting customers at the heart of range development is critical. Tell us a bit about the diversity of visitors to Pleasure Beach and how you develop merchandise for them.
Pleasure Beach welcomes an exceptionally diverse audience.
During the same day, we might serve families making their first visit, school groups with limited spending money, teenage friends and couples, international tourists, lifelong Pleasure Beach fans and serious roller coaster enthusiasts.
Their reasons for purchasing are equally varied. A family may want a traditional souvenir that captures the memory of their day, while a ride enthusiast may look for an accurate, collectable product connected to a particular attraction.
Tom Purvis Archive merchandise at Pleasure Beach Resort
Image courtesy of Pleasure Beach Resort
Teenagers may respond to confectionery, accessories and trend-led apparel, whereas our heritage audience often values nostalgia, craftsmanship and the stories behind the resort.
That diversity is one of our greatest strengths, but it also means that a single approach to merchandise would never be enough. We combine commercial data with direct observation and guest feedback.
Sales reports show us what is selling, but understanding why it is selling requires us to spend time in our shops, speak with our teams and listen to our guests.
We constantly ask ourselves whether a product is desirable beyond simply carrying a Pleasure Beach logo. Would somebody wear it away from the resort? Would an enthusiast be proud to display it? Would a child be excited to receive it? Would it genuinely remind a family of their visit?
Those questions help us create products with a clear purpose and audience.
Q: How do you make sure you have something for everyone at Pleasure Beach?
We build our portfolio around different customer missions, price points and levels of engagement.
There are accessible impulse purchases such as confectionery, magnets, keyrings and badges; practical products including bottles, bags and ponchos; fashion-led apparel and accessories; children’s products and plush; and more premium or limited-edition pieces for enthusiasts and collectors.
Nickelodeon Land merchandise on sale at Pleasure Beach Resort
Image credit Graham Speak
We also balance attraction-specific merchandise with broader Pleasure Beach branding, licensed ranges, playful products and heritage collections. Not every visitor has the same favourite ride, and not every purchase needs to be directly connected to an attraction.
Having something for everyone does not mean filling shops with unlimited choice. It means offering a carefully edited range in which every product has a purpose, a target customer and an appropriate price.
Q: Is there a good example of where you’ve developed a range that has really hit well with its intended audience?
Aviktas is an excellent example of developing merchandise alongside the identity of a new attraction.
Rather than treating it as a collection of products carrying the ride logo, we built the range around the attraction’s complete visual world—its golden snake, emerald colouring, mythology and sense of mystery.
The Aviktas range of merchandise has been developed alongside the new attraction at Pleasure Beach
Image courtesy of Pleasure Beach Resort
It demonstrates the benefit of involving retail early in the development of an attraction. Merchandise is strongest when it forms part of the original creative conversation rather than being added after everything else has been completed.
Alongside the core Aviktas range, one of the most rewarding aspects has been seeing guests respond to something genuinely different.
For example, we've demonstrated that there is a market for premium, limited-edition collectables, including a run of 50 models priced at £250 each, which completely sold out. It shows that when a product has authenticity, detail and a strong connection to the attraction, guests are prepared to invest in something special.
Q: What does the product development process look like?
The creative process begins with myself and Amanda discussing the attraction, its audience and the opportunity we see for the range. We consider its story, visual identity, emotional impact, fashion relevance and long-term importance within the wider Pleasure Beach portfolio.
Aviktor, a snake plush that ties into the Aviktas storyline at Pleasure Beach
Image credit Graham Speak
Every attraction requires a different creative approach. ICON naturally lends itself to a clean, contemporary and fashion-led treatment. Heritage attractions such as the Big Dipper and Grand National allow us to draw on archive artwork, engineering details, nostalgia and generations of guest memories.
Quality and attention to detail are fundamental. We look at everything—the materials, colours, proportions, trims, embroidery, packaging and even how the product will be presented in the shop.
Alongside, we also consider the commercial fundamentals: the intended customer, expected demand, price points, production quantities, lead times and where the range will be sold.
The final product must be creatively exciting, fashion-led and distinctive, but it must also be commercially viable.
Q: It’s not just about the rides and shows; Pleasure Beach also develops nostalgic ranges and uses other playful assets. What role do these play as part of your portfolio?
Nostalgia is enormously important to Pleasure Beach because we are not only selling products—we are representing generations of memories. The resort has been part of family traditions for 130 years, and many guests have a deeply personal connection to it.
Mr Funshine merchandise taps into nostalgia but gives it a contemporary twist
Image credit Graham Speak
Our heritage gives us an extraordinary archive of attraction imagery, typography, posters, architecture and stories.
We can reinterpret these assets for modern audiences through contemporary apparel, homeware and collectable products. The aim is not to make everything feel old-fashioned; it is to use authentic history in a fresh and desirable way.
Playful assets are equally important. Not every product needs to be serious, premium or attraction-specific.
Humour, colour, character and unexpected ideas make the portfolio more accessible and allow us to engage children, families and casual visitors.
Together, heritage and playfulness give Pleasure Beach a retail identity that is much broader than a collection of ride logos.
Q: Licensed attractions are a big part of the Pleasure Beach experience (for example, Nickelodeon and Aardman). How do you work with IP holders to maximise opportunities and differentiate from other retailers?
Licensed brands require a strong partnership between Pleasure Beach, the IP owner and our approved suppliers. We follow the relevant brand guidelines and approval processes, while also considering how the characters and stories are experienced specifically at Pleasure Beach.
Pleasure Beach also offers merchandise tied to popualr IP in use at the park, such as Aardman's Wallace and Gromit
Image credit Graham Speak
The strongest partnerships are collaborative: the licensor protects the integrity of the brand, while we explain what our visitors respond to and how products need to work within an attraction environment.
The key to competing with general online retailers is relevance and exclusivity. We do not want our shops to feel like somewhere guests can purchase exactly the same product they could find anywhere else.
Wherever possible, we create products that connect the licensed brand to the Pleasure Beach experience—through exclusive designs, attraction references, location-specific details, personalisation or products that celebrate the visit itself.
Q: Over the past few years, what have customers asked to see more of? Has anything declined in popularity?
Guests increasingly ask for products that feel exclusive, authentic and more considered. We have seen growing interest in attraction-specific merchandise, premium apparel, subtle branding, collectable products, limited editions and items with a clear story behind them.
There is also greater demand for merchandise that guests can use or wear beyond their visit. A well-designed hoodie, cap, bottle or bag must work as an attractive product in its own right.
More exclusive retail is offer for the coaster enthusiast at Pleasure Beach
Image credit Graham Speak
Enthusiasts are particularly interested in accurate details, models, technical artwork and products that recognise the history or engineering of an attraction.
Generic souvenirs and heavily branded products with no additional story have become less compelling. Guests have more choice than ever and can quickly recognise when something has simply had a logo applied to it.
This does not mean traditional souvenirs have disappeared. Keyrings, magnets, mugs and confectionery remain important, but their design, quality, presentation and relevance must continue to evolve.
Q: A successful retail business isn’t all about shiny product and expensive retail spaces. Sometimes it’s getting the basics right. What is the ‘boring’ part of retailing that is most critical for you and the team?
Stock accuracy and product availability are probably the least glamorous—and most critical—parts of the operation.
An outstanding product cannot generate revenue if it is sitting in a stockroom, has not been reordered, is incorrectly priced or is unavailable in the location where guests expect to find it.
Stock accuracy is a key part of the successful retail operations at Pleasure Beach
Image courtesy of Pleasure Beach Resort
The basics include accurate deliveries, stock movement, replenishment, pricing, signage, daily compliance checks and ensuring every unit is genuinely ready to trade.
These disciplines also protect the guest experience. Clear pricing builds trust, strong housekeeping makes products more desirable, and effective replenishment ensures a guest does not miss the opportunity to purchase something they wanted.
Retail success is often created through hundreds of small tasks being completed correctly and consistently every day.
Q: How do you get the most out of your supplier relationships at Pleasure Beach? What does a great supplier look like?
We view our best suppliers as creative and commercial partners rather than simply manufacturers. We share the story, ambition and intended customer behind a range so that they understand what we are trying to achieve.
A great supplier brings ideas to the conversation. They understand our brand, respond constructively to feedback and can translate an initial concept into a commercially viable product.
Reliability is essential: quality, communication, lead times, compliance, pricing and consistency all matter.
The strongest relationships develop over time. When a supplier understands our standards, and we understand their capabilities, we can be more ambitious, work more efficiently and create products that neither party may have reached independently.
Q: How do you encourage visitors to spend on retail?
It begins with having products that guests genuinely want. From there, presentation, location, storytelling, pricing and the confidence of the team all influence the decision to buy.
We use clear price architecture so guests can enter a range at different levels—from a small memento to a premium collectable. We encourage trade-up by showing the additional value clearly: better materials, greater detail, exclusivity, personalisation or a complete bundle rather than simply a higher price.
Product adjacencies are important.
A guest purchasing a plush character may also want an outfit; somebody buying a ride photograph may respond to a frame or multi-photo offer; and attraction apparel can be supported by matching accessories and collectables.
Q: Retail doesn’t just need to be a ‘gift shop at the exit’. How do you ensure retail is part of the Pleasure Beach experience?
We want retail to feel like another chapter of the day rather than an obligatory gift shop at the exit.
That means considering retail during the planning of attractions, events and guest journeys. Themed environments, product demonstrations, characterful displays, confectionery experiences, personalisation, ride photography and interactive selling can all make shopping entertaining.
Activities like this at the Big Big Bubble Shop show that retail is not just a passive experience at Pleasure Beach
Image courtesy of Pleasure Beach Resort
Our retail spaces must reflect the personality of their location. A shop connected to a major thrill ride should feel different from a children’s character store, a heritage collection or a confectionery outlet.
When the environment, products and team all tell the same story, retail becomes part of the attraction experience.
Q: Pleasure Beach has an e-commerce site for retail. Why is that important for your business?
E-commerce extends the relationship with our guests far beyond the physical visit, year-round. It allows enthusiasts to follow new launches, previous visitors to reconnect with their memories and customers who cannot travel to Blackpool to access selected Pleasure Beach products.
Offering an online store extends the Pleasure Beach experience beyond the park
Image credit Graham Speak
We can communicate new products through social media and email, test interest, support seasonal campaigns and reach very specific audiences.
The online store also provides valuable insight into demand.
Online purchasing behaviour can differ from in-park behaviour, helping us identify products with wider appeal and understand which ranges resonate most strongly with enthusiasts and collectors.
Q: In my experience, Pleasure Beach has some great retail staff. What role can teams play in driving retail sales and enhancing the shopper experience?
Our teams are fundamental. Retail colleagues provide energy, product knowledge and personality. They can demonstrate a product, explain the story behind a range, suggest a relevant addition and recognise when a guest needs help.
At Pleasure Beach, retail can also involve entertainment. Whether the team is creating candy floss, helping a child build a teddy, demonstrating bubbles, presenting photographs or personalising a gift, they are contributing to the guest’s day.
We encourage our teams to think beyond processing transactions.
They are hosts, storytellers and brand ambassadors. Their feedback is also invaluable because they hear directly from guests and often identify emerging requests before they become visible within formal sales reports.
Q: Quite uniquely, Pleasure Beach offers gift wrapping and personalisation. Why are these services important as part of your retail offer?
These services are designed for guests who want their purchase to feel more personal and significant – and something that can’t be purchased from a general online marketplace.
They are opportunities to add value to a purchase and make it more memorable. It's about offering something beyond a traditional souvenir, whether that's a personalised gift, a special occasion purchase or something unique for a dedicated Pleasure Beach fan.
Pleasure Beach also offers services like gift wrapping and personalised embroidery
Image courtesy of Pleasure Beach Resort
The service also supports gifting beyond the day of the visit. A guest may see something that is perfect for somebody at home, and attractive wrapping removes an additional task while making the purchase feel complete.
Q: Finally, which other attractions do retail brilliantly? Who do you look to for inspiration?
We look both inside and outside the attractions industry, including museums, heritage destinations, premium fashion brands, department stores and experiential retailers.
Museums can be excellent at interpreting archives in a contemporary way, while fashion and lifestyle brands provide inspiration around product drops, collaborations, presentation and scarcity.
However, inspiration does not mean imitation. Pleasure Beach has an extraordinary history and identity, and we're fortunate to have the creative freedom to develop products and concepts that are genuinely our own.
We take inspiration from the wider retail world, but our ambition is always to create something distinctive that guests can only associate with Pleasure Beach.
