The Pokemon Company International has confirmed its Pokemon Center online store will launch in Australia and New Zealand in the near-future, offering exclusive merchandise for fans in these regions. The Pokemon Center is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, and has enjoyed years of success buoyed by various tie-in promotions and cool merchandise launches.
For those unfamiliar, The Pokemon Center is a hub for all things Pokemon – it offers a range of merchandise for sale, including Pokemon TCG packs, plushes, collectable figures, apparel and accessories, home decor, kitchenware, outdoor gear, books, and other items. Much of the merchandise is exclusive to the store, which is part of why its expansion is so appealing.
In 2023, international Pokemon Center stores carried a range of exclusives, like the Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum crossover merchandise, which included a rare Pikachu card. In the past, these stores have also carried PUMA and Fossil collab items, which proved to be very popular.
Unfortunately, plenty of these items have sold out due to scalping behaviour, as exclusive items tend to have immediately high resale value – but with the expansion of the Pokemon Center into Australia and New Zealand, there’s hope the appeal of scalping lessens.
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Anyone in these regions who previously turned to eBay or third-party sellers to purchase Pokemon Center merchandise will now have an official option for buying, which should come as a great relief.
“Since its initial launch in the US nearly 10 years ago, Pokemon Center has become a fan-favourite destination for Trainers looking to engage with the Pokemon brand and express their fandom in ways that suit their unique interests,” Cindy Ruppenthal, senior director of Pokemon Center and e-commerce at The Pokemon Company International said in a press release.
“We remain committed to delivering a diverse selection of high-quality Pokemon merchandise to as many Trainers as possible, and following successful expansions into Canada and the U.K., are continuing this mission by bringing our e-commerce offerings to Australia and New Zealand.”
At this stage, the merchandise range for the Pokemon Center in Australia and New Zealand has not been revealed, but we can expect parity with its international counterparts. As announced, the Pokemon Center will have a “soft launch” at first, with an official debut arriving later. A date has not been set, but those keen for updates can now sign up for notifications via newsletter.
