London to Get First Permanent Pokémon Store Outside Asia
WHO:
TechRadar - The Pokémon Company announced a new permanent Pokémon store in the UK.
Video Games Chronicle - The Pokémon Company said the London store is the first of several permanent Pokémon stores planned outside Asia.
Video Games Chronicle - Gaku Susai, chief product and experience officer at The Pokémon Company International, said the store is intended for visitors discovering Pokémon for the first time as well as longtime Trainers.
WHAT:
TechRadar - The company described the planned store as the first permanent Pokémon store outside Asia.
Video Games Chronicle - The company is not calling the London store a “Pokémon Center,” the name used for permanent Pokémon retail stores in Japan and pop-up stores at Pokémon events.
Video Games Chronicle - Pokémon retail locations typically sell exclusive merchandise as well as merchandise available through the Pokémon Center website.
WHERE:
TechRadar - The permanent store is planned for the UK.
Video Games Chronicle - The store is planned for London; its exact location has not been announced.
Video Games Chronicle - A Pokémon Center retail website and fulfillment center serve the UK.
Video Games Chronicle - London’s Excel Center has hosted the Pokémon European International Championships, which feature a pop-up Pokémon Center.
WHEN:
Video Games Chronicle - The London store is due to open “by 2029.”
Video Games Chronicle - Pokémon Center New York operated from 2001 to 2005 before becoming the Nintendo Store, which remains there.
WHY:
Video Games Chronicle - The Pokémon Company said it is exploring opportunities to create “unique and memorable experiences” for fans.
Video Games Chronicle - Susai said the company hopes the store will bring people together, help them feel part of a community, and let them experience Pokémon in a new way.
Video Games Chronicle - The UK’s dedicated Pokémon Center retail website and fulfillment center were cited as reasons it made sense for the country to receive the first permanent store outside Asia.
HOW:
Video Games Chronicle - Susai said visitors will be able to “step into the world of Pokémon.”
Video Games Chronicle - Free slots for the pop-up Pokémon Center at London’s Pokémon European International Championships regularly sell out weeks in advance.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 17:27 UTC)
The Pokémon Company plans to open a permanent Pokémon store in London, the first of its kind outside Asia. The store is due to open by 2029, though the company has not announced its exact location. It will not be called a Pokémon Center, the name used for permanent stores in Japan and for pop-up shops at Pokémon events. Company executive Gaku Susai said the store is intended for newcomers and longtime Trainers alike. Visitors will be able to step into the world of Pokémon, with the company hoping to bring fans together and create a sense of community. Pokémon stores typically offer exclusive merchandise alongside products sold online. The company said the UK’s existing Pokémon Center website and fulfillment center helped make it a fitting choice for the first permanent store beyond Asia.