The Pokémon Company has announced plans to open permanent retail stores outside Asia, with London serving as the first location. According to Engadget, the London store is expected to open by 2029, giving Western fans a lasting physical destination instead of relying on pop-up events or travel to Asia.
The store will carry exclusive merchandise, continuing a pattern seen in earlier London pop-ups, including one at the Natural History Museum this year. Gaku Susai, The Pokémon Company International's chief product and experience officer, said the store is meant to let visitors "step into the world of Pokémon" whether they are new to the brand or longtime fans.
The company has not yet detailed other planned locations, but said more information will be announced in the future. Engadget notes this would not be the brand's first physical outpost in New York if one eventually opens there: Pokémon Center New York debuted in 2001, before being converted into Nintendo's flagship store four years later.