The Pokémon Company International has revealed that Pokémon celebrated a fantastic year at retail in 2021, seeing a significant increase in sales across Europe for its Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and toy ranges as it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Named Best Gaming Licensed Property at the 2021 Licensing Awards, Pokémon was the number one property for 2021 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and saw the highest year-on-year sales increase across all listed properties in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, according to figures recorded by NPD Group. Pokémon is the number one gaining property in 2021 across the EU8 according to NPD, growing by +106% vs. 2020.
Pokémon was the number one NPD toy property in France with sales almost double that of the second brand, achieving 102% growth YOY. Pokémon also had five items in the top 50 toys of the year, including Pokémon TCG Battle Academy, the first-ever board game adaptation of the TCG, coming in at number seven with over €5m in sales.
In 2021, Pokémon achieved its highest-ever annual position in both Germany and the UK. It was number none in Germany with 100% growth, and number seven in the UK with 78% growth.
Pokémon was number one in both Belgium and the Netherlands, achieving an amazing 183% growth in the Netherlands and 125% in Belgium, where its sales were almost double those of the second brand.
In addition to Pokémon’s success in western Europe, TPCi is currently eyeing future growth and is extending its localised marketing efforts for the hugely popular Trading Card Game to Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Israel.
The new Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars expansion, which introduces the Pokémon VSTAR mechanic, launches on 25 February.
Latest toy highlights, meanwhile, include Mattel’s Mega Construx Celebration Pikachu, the strategy game Pokémon Labyrinth from Ravensburger, plus the award-winning range from Jazwares including the popular Pokémon Carry Case Volcano Play-set backpack.
“2021 was an exceptional year for Pokémon,” said Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA for The Pokémon Company International. “Our packed programme of exciting activity and new and different best-in-class product launches, including a host of fabulous anniversary items, resulted in huge demand and surging sales.
“We are delighted with the superb performance at retail which demonstrates the brand’s continued iconic cultural relevance, and we continue to work hard to bring more innovation to fans over the coming months.”
Simon Benton, vp Pokémon TCG sales Europe, added: “Pokémon TCG sales were simply sensational in 2021, breaking all previous records.
“We would like to thank our retail partners and distributors for their continued support in showcasing the products to consumers. Pokémon is the number one NPD property in three countries and also saw astonishing three-digit year-on-year gains across the majority of our key territories. These figures have cemented the phenomenal success of the brand’s 25th anniversary year. With increased TCG distribution set to launch in Eastern Europe, we look forward to expanding our reach in 2022.”
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