The Pokémon Company has confirmed that London will become home to the first permanent Pokémon retail store outside Asia, with an opening target of 2029.
For fans across the UK and Europe, this marks the first time a year-round official Pokémon destination will exist without requiring a flight to Japan or elsewhere in Asia.
What the Company Has Actually Confirmed
The announcement names London as the first of several planned permanent stores outside Asia, though no additional locations or timelines have been revealed.
According to The Pokémon Company, London is the first of several permanent international stores planned. No other cities or opening timelines have been named.
The store will carry exclusive merchandise and offer what the company describes as “one-of-a-kind experiences” for fans of all ages, per the official pokemon.com announcement. The surrounding description of varying familiarity levels is a close paraphrase of the company’s wording, not a verbatim quote.
According to IGN reporting, no street address, store name, floor area, precise opening date, or product range has been confirmed. Most operational details remain unannounced.
Temporary Stores vs. a Permanent Destination
London has hosted short-term Pokémon retail before, but none of those installations were built to last.
London has seen Pokémon retail before. A 2019 pop-up at Westfield London offered exclusive merchandise, trading cards, gaming accessories, and consoles, according to Bulbapedia and Nintendo’s official records. It ran from October 18 through November 15, 2019, then closed.
There is a useful precedent outside Asia, though it carries a cautionary footnote. Pokémon Center New York opened at Rockefeller Center in November 2001, according to historical records. It closed in January 2005 and was converted into Nintendo World, which later became Nintendo New York.
That four-year run is worth noting. A future US store would be a return to permanent Pokémon retail, not a first.
The Pokémon Company’s announcement signals an intention to build community around physical retail, describing the London store as a destination for fans rather than a simple merchandise outlet. Whether that model proves durable will depend on factors the company has not yet disclosed.
What It Could Mean for Fans
A permanent location raises expectations for year-round access, though the company has confirmed very few specifics.
A permanent London location could give fans across Europe more consistent access to official merchandise, collectibles, and trading-card products. Pricing and inventory details remain unconfirmed, so those expectations should be treated as possibilities rather than guarantees.
Collectors should note that demand and resale activity at any flagship store will depend on product decisions the company has not yet made public. Outcomes remain speculative until pricing and inventory are announced.
The broader scope of the expansion is still unclear. The Pokémon Company has not confirmed how many video games or merchandise categories its international stores will carry, or which countries are under consideration. Whether all locations will carry the Pokémon Center name is also unannounced.
Watch for three signals as 2029 approaches. First, a confirmed London address. Second, a specific opening date. Third, any announcement naming which city follows London on the international list, since no additional locations have been confirmed yet.
