The incredible sales growth was recognised by NPD which awarded Pokémon three significant awards at this year’s Spielwarenmesse.
The Pokémon Company International has announced that the brand celebrated another record-breaking year at retail in 2022, seeing a significant increase in sales across Europe for its Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and toy ranges.
NPD awarded Pokémon three significant awards at Spielwarenmesse, where the brand won Global Top Toy Property of the Year, Europe’s Top Gaining Property Total Toys and Europe’s Top Gaining Property Games & Puzzles.
Pokémon maintained its position as the No.1 property in France, Belgium and the Netherland, and achieved its highest-ever annual position in the UK, Germany and Italy, according to figures recorded by NPD.
In France, sales were almost double that of the No.2 brand for a second successive year, achieving 14% growth year on year. The best-performing top 15 property, Pokémon also had 14 items in the top 50 toys of the year.
In 2022, Pokémon achieved its highest-ever annual position in Germany, the UK and Italy. It was No.4 in Germany (up from No.9) with 44% growth, was the best-performing top 15 property and featured two products in the year’s top 50 toys by revenue. In the UK, Pokémon was No.4 (up from No.7), and also No.4 in Italy — its first time in the top 15 there, with the strongest growth among top 15 properties at 101% year on year. It was No.1 in both Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansion will launch on 31st March, adopting an updated take on the Pokémon ex gameplay mechanic and introducing Tera Pokémon ex, featuring unique etched artwork that spotlights their Tera Types.
The toy range includes Jazwares’ Battle Figures, 8-inch plush and the Clip-’N’-Go Belt Set and Mattel’s Mega sets.
“We built on the success of our 25th anniversary celebrations with another packed programme of exciting activity and innovative product launches, creating huge demand and buoyant sales,” said Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA for The Pokémon Company International. “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.”
“2022 saw another sensational year for the Pokémon TCG,” said Simon Benton, vice president of Pokémon TCG sales for Europe. “We would like to thank our retail partners and distributors for their amazing support, which has continued to raise the profile of our products — and TCG in particular — to consumers. In another record-breaking year, Pokémon is the No.1 NPD property in three countries and achieved its highest-ever position in other key territories, and we look forward to building on this success further in 2023.”
