It’s a first outside Asia. The Pokémon Company International announced this Wednesday, October 21, the opening of a permanent Pokémon store in London, planned by 2029. For French fans, the best Pokémon shop in Europe will therefore be a little over two hours from Paris by Eurostar.
A permanent store, not just a pop-up
The announcement was made in London by The Pokémon Company’s international subsidiary. The future store will be the Pokémon brand’s first permanent physical retail space outside Asia. According to the press release, it is meant to become “the ultimate destination for Pokémon fans”, with exclusive products and unique experiences for Trainers of all ages.
It will also be the first of a series: other permanent Pokémon stores are planned outside Asia. Until now, to walk through a real shop of this kind, you had to take a plane. Pokémon Centers could only be found in Japan, in Singapore (in the Jewel complex at Changi Airport since 2019) and in Taipei (since 2023).
Gaku Susai, Chief Product and Experience Officer at The Pokémon Company International, explains that the company is always looking for new ways to offer fans memorable experiences. He wants the venue to let everyone “step into the world of Pokémon”, whether a newcomer or a longtime Trainer, and to become a gathering point for the whole community.
What we don’t know yet
The press release is short on details, and The Pokémon Company promises to say more later. Still missing:
- the store’s name: the announcement speaks of a “permanent Pokémon store” and does not yet mention the Pokémon Center name;
- its exact address in London and its size;
- a precise opening date, beyond the “by 2029” deadline;
- the list of other cities concerned by the future permanent stores.
Will Paris be on the list? Nothing allows us to say so for now, but the question is sure to stir up the community.
Paris, 2014: remembering the temporary Pokémon Center
PF’s longtime readers remember it. From June 4 to 21, 2014, a temporary Pokémon Center set up shop on rue des Halles in Paris, opened in the presence of Junichi Masuda of Game Freak. On opening day, the queue reached around five hours, and stocks dwindled so fast that per-person purchase limits had to be imposed, 
Pikachu plushies included. We also visited the shop in a preview.
Twelve years later, the promise is different: a shop open all year round, at a distance a Parisian covers faster than a Paris-Marseille trip by high-speed train. Plenty of reason to start planning a future weekend between Gare du Nord and St Pancras, and to leave room in the suitcase.
Key takeaways
By 2029, Pokémon will open its first permanent store outside Asia in London, with exclusive products and new experiences, and other shops will follow. PF will follow every new announcement, starting with the address and the venue’s final name.
Source: The Pokémon Company International (press release of October 21, 2026), pokemon.com
