Korean retailers tap Pokémon nostalgia as 160,000 fans flock to Seoul events

People wait to register for an entry queue near the Pokémon Secret Forest event at Seoul Forest in Seongdong District, Saturday. Yonhap

Korean retailers are turning Pokémon’s 30th anniversary into a broad sales push, betting that the franchise’s appeal now stretches from children to adults nostalgic for the games, cards and characters they grew up with.

The scale of demand was clear Friday in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood, where an estimated 40,000 people packed a cafe-lined street for Pokémon Mega Festa 2026. Another 120,000 flocked to a Pokémon garden at Seoul Forest for a chance to obtain a coveted Magikarp card.

People wait to register for an entry queue to receive rare Pokémon cards near the Pokémon Secret Forest event at Seoul Forest in Seongdong District, Saturday.

The turnout underscored how brand partnerships once aimed mainly at children now target adults with spending power, especially consumers in their 30s and 40s who grew up with the franchise.

To tap demand across generations during Korea's Family Month in May, CJ Olive Young launched its largest Pokémon-themed tie-in to date. The health and beauty retailer rolled out 230 Pokémon-themed products with 61 K-beauty brands, including Tonymoly and Primera.

The campaign, centered on the Olive Young N Seongsu flagship and 13 other stores nationwide, features Pokémon Go stamp events, photo ops and Pikachu-shaped desserts.

People wait to enter a Pokémon pop-up store at Olive Young N Seongsu in Seongdong District, Saturday. Yonhap

"The number of participating brands increased by 29 compared to the Sanrio characters collaboration in July last year," a CJ Olive Young official said. Following a 60 percent jump in foreign sales during that Sanrio campaign, the company prepared its "largest-ever collaboration" with Pokémon, the official added.

Food and beverage companies are joining the trend. Baskin-Robbins recently introduced a "Chewy Grape Ditto" sherbet and a "Moonlight Lemon Umbreon" sorbet, along with four themed ice cream cakes and a Pikachu-shaped container. Ediya Coffee, which debuted four themed drinks in March, has continued to release merchandise such as key rings, snack plates, magnets and picnic mats.

The tie-ins also extend to household goods and apparel. Manufacturer Pigeon released fabric softeners and deodorizers featuring Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Wobbuffet. Apparel brand SPAO launched a new line of Pokémon and Crayon Shin-chan loungewear aimed at shoppers of all ages.

Two plush key rings featuring first-generation Pokémon Pikachu, left, and sixth-generation character Dedenne are part of Ediya Coffee's first merchandise collection, released March 26. Courtesy of Ediya Coffee

For retailers, the anniversary has become more than a fan celebration. It is a test of how far a childhood franchise can stretch across beauty, food, household goods and apparel as adults turn nostalgia into spending.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.