MILTON KEYNES, United Kingdom — The Experience Department (ted) – Part of RWS Entertainment Group is building off of its two decades of merchandise experience by expanding its reach globally. As one of the world’s largest resort merchandise providers, the company is helping to streamline clients’ operations by seamlessly connecting activities, shows, retail and merchandise.

ted’s in-house services include product briefing, design, packaging and point-of-sale solutions, worldwide delivery and retail outlet operations. With its global team of merchandise professionals, ted creates and develops the entire visual merchandising experience, integrating retail with experiential activities to increase visitor dwell and per capita spending.

As part of its merchandise design and production process, ted, a certified B Corporation, is committed to upholding the highest environmental standards. Sustainability efforts include meeting scientifically backed targets for emissions, waste creation and water consumption, sourcing materials locally to the maximum extent possible and reviewing suppliers and products on their environmental impact to ensure ted’s supply chain aligns with its values.

ted has recently deepened its merchandise partnerships with two large-scale park operators as a part of this global expansion, keeping sustainability top-of-mind throughout the process.

Haven
Haven, one of the UK’s leading family holiday and holiday home operators, offers its guests a variety of retail options, from Fun Shops to Mini Markets to Leisure Shops. Haven tasked ted with combining all the visual merchandising needs of these shops under a common umbrella with a single point of contact, ensuring consistent brand messaging and character alignment across the activities, shows and retail of its 40 UK parks. In addition to streamlining Haven’s retail operations, ted’s merchandise services have included supply chain management, marketing, customer service and logistics.

In addition to operational support, ted designed a suite of four brand-new characters for Haven’s Seaside Squad®, which have championed an integrated brand message across entertainment, retail and marketing. These colorful, bright and modern characters, popular with both parents and children alike, drive brand loyalty and encourage repeat visitation. In total, ted created over 145 products across all four Seaside Squad® characters and is currently designing, developing and programming an e-commerce platform to increase Haven retail sales through a brand-new channel.

Roompot
Similarly, ted has undergone a full merchandise campaign with Roompot: Holidays and Bungalow Resorts. By offering a complete end-to-end solution for all customized merchandise requirements, ted has delivered Roompot an innovative guest experience.

Beginning nearly three years ago with the character development of Roompot’s legacy brand ambassador, the beloved rabbit Koos, ted has gone on to realize Koos and his friends on a myriad of platforms: from producing and hosting Koos-themed activity sessions to creating and sourcing various Koos outfits for every adventure. Other Koos offerings include animated storybooks, custom-created social media content, 3D animation features and various retail store concepts and designs.

Additionally, ted has produced in-person character experiences at the parks, including mascot moments and puppet shows – most notably the character-themed concept show, “Koos Live.” ted has also brought themed kids clubs along with other character-themed immersive and interactive spaces to several Roompot destinations. With AR and other gamification currently in the works for Roompot, ted expects this partnership to last for years to come.

With the demonstrated success of these two partnerships, ted is poised to expand its merchandise operations to other parks, resorts and retail outlets around the world. “Getting the retail experience right has never been more important than it is right now, said Natasha Caller, ted’s Head of Retail. “Consumer expectations are high, and competition is fierce. Our expert team doesn’t just create high-quality, sustainable merchandise – they deliver memorable, effective retail experiences in-store that drive impulse spend, increase dwell time and inspire guests to return. We’re excited to continue innovating as we grow our client base worldwide.”

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