For decades, outdoor gear in the Philippines was defined by utility—products meant strictly for the summit. Today, the line between technical performance and urban style has vanished. Leading this charge is Tiffany Batungbacal, Assistant Vice President at Primer Group of Companies. Having successfully pivoted Columbia from a seasonal niche to a travel essential, she now oversees a diverse portfolio that includes brands like Quiksilver, Keen, Montbell and R.O.X.
In this exclusive feature, Batungbacal dissects the “gorpcore” phenomenon, the “painful” reality of digital transformation, and why the future of retail belongs to brands that value participation over transactions.
You successfully transitioned Columbia from a niche hiking brand to a travel lifestyle staple. As Filipino consumer interests shift toward ‘urban–outdoor’ aesthetics in 2025, how is Primer Group adapting its core adventure brands to appeal to the daily city commuter while maintaining technical credibility?
Outdoor brands globally started seeing this trend emerge as early as the pandemic.
“Markets like Japan, Korea, and China continue to drive the ‘gorpcore’ aesthetic, constantly updating technology and amplifying the look through collaborations with artists and celebrities.”
This alignment is crucial. When the product and the global campaign move in the same direction, the transition feels authentic rather than forced. At the end of the day, we need to evolve to stay fresh continuously, but never at the expense of losing our core customers. As long as we stay true to our values as an outdoor brand, and back it with the right merchandising and marketing mix, we can successfully appeal to this new audience while maintaining our technical credibility.
Primer Group is known for its strong ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ and diverse portfolio (from The North Face to R.O.X.). How do you foster a cohesive team culture that remains agile enough to manage the unique identities of over a dozen distinct brands simultaneously?
The culture of a company starts with the leaders. We are a 40-year-old company, and our founding members are still very active to this day. They continue to challenge
themselves and the team to listen to the customer and improve, both in terms of organisation and competence.
“No matter how difficult, painful, or expensive it is to change the way we work, we are steadfast in doing it because we know the alternative is getting left behind.”
I believe it is this kind of thinking that keeps us customer-centric and competitive. Regarding our diverse portfolio, that strategy is really driven by our lifestyle. Our founders and our employees are generally our customers as well. That is why we stay in touch with the trends in the categories we carry. We know these brands fill specific gaps in the market, and we make sure to capitalise on those distinct needs so that every brand can stand on its own.
As travel demographics shift in 2025, how has the profile of the Filipino traveller evolved, and what product trends are driving their decisions today compared to a decade ago?
It has changed in so many ways. We are seeing more customers travelling with purpose, seeking immersive cultural experiences or visiting places they’ve only seen online. Adventure tourism, whether it’s chasing the Northern Lights or engaging with local communities, will continue to grow because these experiences offer real depth and meaning. Naturally, this requires gear and products that weren’t your usual travel staples a decade ago.
Digital platforms and AI will also play a pivotal role in this journey, from promoting destinations and gear to booking tours and creating DIY itineraries.
“Knowing that the customer’s ‘why” is changing- their destination, length of stay, and purpose, we have to account for that in how we curate our products. We need to ensure our partnerships and marketing programs are working harder to remain relevant to that new mindset.”
In an era dominated by e-commerce, R.O.X. continues to thrive on physical community events and high-touch experiences. What remains the most critical factor in driving foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores, and how do you measure the success of these community-building efforts?
We now live in a retail industry that shouldn’t be separated by channel (offline versus online).
“I believe that for retailers to survive and remain competitive, we need to invest in a seamless O2O (Online-to-Offline) customer experience.”
Primer has been investing heavily in the infrastructure that will allow us to provide this service. It is a long, expensive process; there are so many touchpoints to consider and backend processes that need to be reviewed and perhaps even changed—but that is our goal.
Success is no longer measured by sales alone; we also look closely at engagement. I personally believe it is easier to sell to a customer than to have a customer participate. Their time and effort are more valuable than their money. If we are able to engage customers at that high level, the business opportunities become limitless.
Looking ahead to 2026, what do you believe will be the next major disruptor in Philippine retail? As we move deeper into the experience economy, how do you see the relationship between the Filipino traveler and their gear evolving in the next 12–24 months?
I believe we are already seeing major disruptors in Philippine retail. Consumers are evolving from their “why” to where they buy, to even how they pay. Different industries are pivoting fast so they can keep up.
“Social commerce and e-commerce are making that curation easier, and AI will undoubtedly play a huge role in the speed of that growth and change.”
In terms of products, we can expect standard outdoor gear to continue adapting to this new traveller, but we will also see significant growth in tech-wearables, spanning everything from smart apparel and gadgets to integrated apps. Services will evolve to serve a more-demanding market.
The phygital experience will be revolutionary for both retailers and consumers – and it will happen sooner than we expect.
