"You Can't Buy It Even With Money": Hundreds of Thousands Swarm Seongsu-dong as 'Pokemon' Takes Over Retail [Now Buying Habits]

Pokemon Takes Over Retail... "Kidults" Drive Sales

Collaboration Intensifies Across Beauty, Food, Convenience Stores, and Department Stores

Sales and Operating Profit Surge... World's No. 1 IP in Cumulative Revenue

Editor's NoteWhat are people buying these days? From must-have household goods at Daiso, to beauty products at Olive Young that keep selling out, and even bread that people line up to buy. Everyday scenes of consumption clearly reflect the current market trends. is a series that deciphers today’s consumer trends by looking at “best sellers” in daily life. It explores which products are chosen, what strategies open wallets, and unpacks changes at the frontlines of consumption in an easy and engaging way.

A crowd gathered at the 'Pokemon Megafesta 2026' event held on the 1st in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The organizers canceled the events one after another, citing it was "for the safety of the visitors" due to the large crowd. Screenshot from SNS

Recently, the dominant keyword in the distribution industry has undoubtedly been “Pokemon.” Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, this global intellectual property (IP) has become more than just a character brand—it has established itself as an economic phenomenon. Children who once went from supermarket to supermarket collecting stickers from bread have now grown up to become “kidults” (adults with the purchasing power of adults but the interests of children), turning the retail sector into a giant hunting ground for Pokemon.

"Bigger than BTS": 160,000 Overwhelm Seongsu-dong

According to the distribution industry on June 6, a series of offline events and new product launches have been held to mark Pokemon’s 30th anniversary. On June 1, approximately 160,000 people flocked to the “Pokemon Megafesta” in Seongsu-dong, Seoul—a crowd even larger than that at the BTS concert in Gwanghwamun in the past. The scale of the crowd led to safety concerns, forcing the event to be suspended.

A crowd gathered at the 'Pokemon Megafesta 2026' event held in the Seongsu-dong area of Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 1st. As the crowd grew, the organizers canceled multiple events, citing "for the safety of the attendees." Screenshot from social media.

It would be a mistake to dismiss this as merely “a kids’ toy” phenomenon—the impact is far greater. According to the British daily The Times, the cumulative IP market size (total sales) of Japan’s Pokemon is estimated at about 147 billion dollars (roughly 200 trillion won). This surpasses Disney’s “Mickey Mouse” and “Hello Kitty,” making it the highest-grossing character IP in the world.

Millennials & Gen Z Open Their Wallets...Nostalgic "Kidult Marketing"

What’s interesting is that the core consumer group fueling this craze is not teenagers, but those in their 20s and 30s. At convenience store CU, four types of “Pokemon Card Packs” launched recently sold 250,000 units—96% of the limited quantity—within just three days. An analysis of the age distribution of character merchandise buyers shows that people in their 20s accounted for 33.1% and those in their 30s made up 28.3%. The proportion of “kidults” in their 20s and 30s is overwhelmingly higher than teenagers (23.5%).

This is seen as the result of nostalgia-driven consumption expanding based on childhood experiences. Amid high inflation and low growth, demand for psychological comfort is being channeled toward “childhood memories,” leading to character consumption. At the same time, the purchasing power of adult consumers has combined with this trend, making them the main demand group in the market.

Samlip Pokémon Series 30th Anniversary Pokémon Bread Special Edition. Samlip

Collaboration Everywhere...Retailers in "Pokemon Wars"

As a result, the retail sector is releasing collaborative products across the board—spanning food, beauty, and household goods. Recently, SPC Samlip, the originator of the “sticker craze,” added 100 new types of stickers featuring original illustrations. The company also introduced five new products, including “Charizard’s Fire Blast Hot Bulgdal Pang” and “Pikachu’s Parmesan Cheese Long Pound,” which uses spicy fire chicken sauce, as well as two exclusive “Sticker Books.”

Baskin-Robbins released the “Pikachu Happy Container & Pint” (ice cream served in a Pikachu-shaped container holding a Pokeball), the “Pika Pika Pikachu” cake, and a “Pokemon Lunch Box” with a detachable tray structure, all stimulating the desire to collect.

Baskin-Robbins has launched the 'Pikachu Happy Container & Pint' set in collaboration with the popular global IP 'Pokémon' to celebrate Family Month. Baskin-Robbins

The beauty industry has also joined in. CJ Olive Young held a large-scale collaboration called “Olive Young X Pokemon Megafesta,” with 61 brands participating. The company introduced Pokemon-themed music in stores and transformed Olive Young N Seongsu into a pop-up store to enhance the experiential element.

This fever is reflected in performance figures as well. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system on June 6, Pokemon Korea’s sales last year reached about 73.3 billion won, up 57.6% year-on-year. Operating profit was also up 49.4%, reaching 13.3 billion won.

"Emotion + Fandom" Combined...The Key to Consumption in a Downturn

Amid continued high inflation and economic uncertainty, the Pokemon craze is pointing to a new direction for the consumer market. Emotional value and fandom-driven loyalty are emerging as key variables driving purchases.

Pokemon character sculpture in front of Olive Young N Seongsu. CJ Olive Young

The industry expects this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. In particular, it is expected that “fandom economy” will become a key axis of the retail market, as IPs with strong narratives are able to form long-term relationships with consumers.

One industry insider explained, “In Korea, a sharing culture based on social media is well established, and people tend to consume characters not just as products, but as expressions of taste and identity. As kidult culture and experience-based consumption trends combine, the scope of character IP utilization is rapidly expanding.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.