You can buy Pokémon cards nearly anywhere these days, but most people in the United States default to buying TCG products at Target stores. Target, it seems, is taking that association seriously for the impending launch of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set. Reports and photographs from Target employees suggest that Sept. 16 won’t be treated like just another Pokémon product debut.
Target customers may already have noticed this change. Throughout September, many Target locations have set up elaborate Pokémon product displays near the electronics section in the back of the store. According to leaked documentation, these shelves won’t be limited to 30th Anniversary items — fans should also expect to see recent products, like the new Target-exclusive Pokémon Owala bottles.
How will Target’s 30th Anniversary Pokémon sale be different?
The retailer is apparently increasing its security measures around the release as well. The exact rules will vary by location, and fans who plan on lining up early might do well to check with their local store. However, as first reported by Pokémon restock influencer BritBrattv, Pokémon fans should expect a stricter sales system for the 30th Anniversary products. Many stores will make use of added security personnel to manage potentially long and unruly lines, and to direct parking lot traffic.
Some stores are banning the practice of claiming a spot in line with an empty lawn chair, or informing customers that they cannot gather outside until a specified time. Those times vary by store: Some won’t allow lines to form until Target officially closes on Sept. 15; others prohibit lines until a few hours before the store opens on Sept. 16. Once the store opens, some Target stores reportedly won’t allow every customer in line to enter at once.
Will Target enforce a purchase limit for the TCG set’s release?
These measures have not been officially announced by Target, but retail employees at the chain are corroborating BritBrattv’s reports in the comments to her social media post. One Target store’s flyer showed that some locations may enforce a limit of one item type per customer rather than the retailer’s typical limit of two. In the past, some unscrupulous Target customers ignored limits stated on the flier — but the behavior may actually be curbed for the 30th Anniversary.
Target isn’t the only retailer that will enforce more rules for the 30th Anniversary release. Best Buy recently published a release day guide that, among other things, instructs customers to behave while in line. Some Barnes & Noble locations say they won’t sell any 30th Anniversary items on Wednesday until late in the day. Between the special shelving, added security, new product limits, and the ban on specific practices, Target’s approach to the set’s debut stands apart from its competitors.