A new Pokemon store is officially set to open in the West. Given that it has been many years since an official, permanent Pokemon store has been available in the West, it’s likely to excite a lot of fans outside of Asia.
With 30 years of history behind the franchise, there’s plenty of Pokemon merchandise up for grabs. Pokemon is so popular and entrenched in pop culture at this point that retailers everywhere carry everything from collectibles to Pokemon TCG decks. However, official Pokemon stores often carry exclusive merchandise, and are usually filled with unique decor that make for good photo opportunities, too, making them an exciting place for fans to visit and shop at.
Pokemon Store Officially Announced for the West
On October 21, The Pokemon Company officially confirmed that a brand-new Pokemon store will be opening in London, England. The new store will carry exclusive merchandise and will host “one-of-a-kind” experiences for Pokemon fans to enjoy. Best of all, rather than a pop-up or limited engagement, this store is expected to be permanent. An exact location hasn’t been announced yet, but the opening is currently slated for 2029. While local fans are likely wishing that it would open sooner, those who live far from the UK might be disappointed that it’s not closer. However, the company also teased some good information for those fans.
New Questions Added!
GameRant Quiz
According to The Pokemon Company, opening stores outside of Asia will be an ongoing trend. London is expected to be the first of “several” Pokemon stores that will be permanently opened outside the bounds of Asia. No further locations were shared, but it seems likely that at least one location will probably open in the United States at some point. Given that permanent Nintendo stores are already located in California and New York, Pokemon could definitely see similar levels of success in the continental US. However, fans will have to wait for further confirmation on potential locations, and given that the London store won’t arrive until 2029, it could be a very long while before more information is available.
Long-time fans of Pokemon may recall that there was once a Pokemon Center store open in New York City. It opened back in 2001, but only lasted for four years, as the location closed in 2005 before opening again later the same year as Nintendo World, and subsequently Nintendo New York. While Nintendo and Pokemon have been huge all over the world for decades, it would ultimately take 20 years before a second Nintendo store location opened in the US. With any luck, fans won’t be waiting that long for new Pokemon stores to be opened once London’s is completed.
The Pokemon Center in Japan and elsewhere remain popular places to visit for Pokemon fans. They host unique experiences, have special decorations, and sell exclusive merchandise that can’t be found anywhere else. Notably, the new Pokemon store isn’t being referred to as a Pokemon Center, so it remains to be seen how much of a difference there will be between the two types of Pokemon stores.