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Pokémon lovers we have some huge news for you. You won’t need to travel to Tokyo or wait in line at a pop-up to get your hands on an official Pikachu toy anymore, a permanent Pokémon shop is coming to the capital.
London has hosted a series of temporary stores for the endlessly popular brand over the years – from Stratford’s ExCel centre to the Natural History Museum. The Science Museum even put on a a free ‘Pokémon space’ trail this month (P.S. that pop-up is still going until January). But true fans will know that fleeting shops often attract hours-long queues, so it’s about time the capital got a permanent fixture. There’s a little while to wait, though.
The big announcement came on October 21. In true mic-drop fashion, all that has been revealed so far is that a physical store is ‘on its way to London’ by 2029. Details at this stage are rather thin on the ground, so the shop’s location is still a mystery. What we can say for sure is it will sell exclusive merch and ‘one-of-a-kind experiences for trainers of all ages’.
Gaku Susai, chief product and experience officer at The Pokémon Company International, said: ‘We are always exploring new opportunities that help us create unique and memorable experiences for our fans.
‘This new London store will give visitors the chance to step into the world of Pokémon, whether they’re discovering the brand for the first time or have been Trainers for years. We hope it becomes a place where everyone can come together, feel like part of a community and enjoy the magic of Pokémon in a whole new way.’
The London shop will be the first permanent Pokémon store outside of Asia. Other stores around the world will also be opening. So watch this space.
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