National Geographic Store Opens in Mega Mall

Last year, southeast Asia received its first ever Disney Store, in a mega mall in the Philippines. DisKingdom has just learned that the same mall owner had another debut, as well: a National Geographic store.

I was expecting something similar to the 1990s California chain The Nature Company, which was eventually rebranded as Discovery Channel Stores. Not quite.

Instead, the branded retailer sells casual clothing and luggage! Included are graphic t-shirts with species unique to the Philippines.

Would I expect to get outerwear from an age-old exploration and documentary brand? Not really, but it actually strikes me as an appropriate license, given the “breathable fabrics” and “rugged wear” mentioned in an official blog post.

The first store in what may end up being a chain opened at SM Mall of Asia in October, one of the world’s largest malls. This is the same mall as The Disney Store opened at in September.

Signage in the store notes that “every purchase helps support the global nonprofit National Geographic Society in its work to protect and illuminate our world through exploration, research, and education. This work includes the protection of the world’s oceans and the animals and marine line that call them home.”

This isn’t the only retail location for the longstanding brand.

National Geographic Store previously operated on Regent Street in London, at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington DC, inside an IMAX Theatre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, at Australia’s Sydney Airport, and at Panama’s Tocumén International Airport. While those stores had clothing, they also do have or once had a more varied mix of product.

National Geographic Ultimate Explorer is a chain of experiential attractions, halfway between a science centre and the old DisneyQuest. While locations in China and Mexico have closed, and a Canadian location failed to open, there are locations in Kuwait and in Abu Dhabi.