Following an incredibly successful spell as a pop-up store in 2019, The Pokémon Center has returned to the UK. The popular outlet returns in the form of an official online store, similar to its counterparts in Japan, Korea, America and Canada.

The new site is still considered to be in beta, so customers should expect “a few hiccups”. This beta state is also reflected in the current variety of products, which mostly consists of pins, lanyards, plushies and of course, trading cards.

There’s also a selection of apparel available, including holiday themed items such as Christmas jumpers. Speaking of the holiday season, the site suggests that customers place their orders by 11am on December 18th to receive them by Christmas Eve.

The Pokémon Center has been operating for a fairly long time now, having opened its first store in Tokyo back in 1998. Currently, there are 15 stores across Japan, with an additional location in Singapore; a New York store was also in operation from November 2001, before becoming a Nintendo Store in May 2005.

The presence of a brick-and-mortar Pokémon Center has only ever been temporary in Europe, with stores in Paris (2014) and London (2019) both struggling to meet supply demands during their brief stints. While it’s unlikely that we’ll see a permanent store any time soon, the new UK site will be a welcome addition, with the hope of further regions possibly being added in the near future.