Pokémon Center London shuts entry queue early because of high demand

The Westfield London shopping centre has closed queuing for entry to the new Pokémon Center just three hours after the store opened its doors to the public for the first time on Friday morning.

The pop-up shop, which will be located at the Shepherd’s Bush shopping centre until mid-November, opened at 10am and isn’t due to close until 10pm this evening.

But people had reportedly been queuing since 4am to gain early entry, and by 11am the line stretched out of the shopping centre and down the street.

Westfield London shopping centre tweeted the following message (via Nintendo Life) at around 1pm on Friday: “Queuing for entry to the Pokémon Center London is now closed for the day. There is a limit of sales on some items to ensure as many customers can enjoy the experience and the products available.”

The store sells a range of Pokémon Center-branded products, including designs exclusive to London, and offer visitors limited access to a Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield-themed area featuring a playable demo of the upcoming Switch game.

Permanent Pokémon Center stores have been in operation throughout Japan and North America for several years, offering many exclusive items for sale.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield releases on November 15, the day the pop-up store in London is set to close its doors. The title is available to pre-order from retailers including Nintendo, Amazon, Best Buy and Game.

A limited edition Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Switch Lite console will also be released in November. It’s available to pre-order from Nintendo, Amazon, Best Buy, ShopTo and Game.