Pokémon Card Sales Jump 494%... Convenience Stores Turn Into 'Pokémon Tours'

[Financial News] Pokémon, the global intellectual property (IP) marking its 30th anniversary this year, is emerging as a customer-attracting product for convenience stores. As Pokémon cards and related products gain popularity, some consumers are even visiting multiple stores to find the items they want—a phenomenon known as a 'convenience-store tour.'
According to the convenience store industry on the 27th, GS25's Pokémon card sales surged 494% from January through August this year compared with the same period last year. During the same period, Pokémon card sales at emart24 and 7-Eleven rose 259% and 85%, respectively, year over year. CU convenience store, which began selling Pokémon cards this year, sold 250,000 units of four card-pack products introduced for Children's Day within three days of their launch.
Pokémon cards are physical cards featuring Pokémon characters, moves and health points. Because buyers cannot know which card is inside until they open the pack, part of the appeal lies in the excitement of drawing their desired character. Pokémon's status as a global IP with a strong fan base ranging from children to adults has also fueled its popularity.
Industry observers believe card sales have increased as the effect of Pokémon's 30th anniversary has been added to this momentum. The analysis is that people who enjoyed Pokémon as children have grown into their 20s to 40s and gained purchasing power, while the renewed interest surrounding the anniversary has translated into card purchases.
Demand from consumers seeking to resell rare cards for a profit has also contributed to the cards' popularity. Regular Pokémon card products cost about 1,000 to 1,500 won per pack, while some rare cards have reportedly traded for around 100,000 won. For some buyers, the cards have become targets for resale rather than merely collectibles.
Pokémon's popularity is extending beyond cards to other products featuring its characters. Convenience store chains have successively introduced transit cards, snacks and figurines, with some products selling out of their initial stock shortly after launch.
GS25's Pokémon 30th Anniversary Random Transit Card, launched in July, sold 80% of its initial stock on the first day. More than 20,000 Pokémon Monster Ball Ice products, each containing ice cream and one of eight figurines in a Pokémon-shaped container, were also sold on the first day. CU's Pokémon 30th Anniversary Random Transit Card sold all 10,000 units of its initial stock within four days of arriving at stores. In addition, three Pokémon 30th Anniversary EZL Keyring Transit Cards, unveiled exclusively through the Weekly Popup on CU's own Pocket CU app in July, sold out within two days.
7-Eleven's Pokémon Choco Chip Cookie sold more than 160,000 units within two months of its launch. At emart24, sales of Pokémon Bread commemorating Pokémon's 30th anniversary rose 59% from the previous month during the period from the 1st to the 21st of this month. All available stock of the eight Pokémon mini figurines also sold out.
This has also led to the emergence of so-called 'convenience-store tours,' in which consumers visit multiple stores to find Pokémon products. Shoppers check store-by-store inventory in real time through convenience store apps and then head to locations where the products they want are still available.
An industry official said, "Many customers visit stores to buy Pokémon products and then purchase simple food items as well. Because convenience stores operate on the basis of physical locations, it is important to encourage customers to visit their stores. Pokémon products are having a positive effect by drawing customers into stores and generating additional cross-selling opportunities."
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter