Walls decorated from top to bottom with Pokémon characters and merchandise. A gigantic Mugen Dyna hanging from the ceiling. Amazingly, this is the interior of a convenience store: a 7-Eleven located in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The in-store eating area, one of the largest in any 7-Eleven in Taiwan, recently underwent a total transformation into a special zone where Pokémon fans can gather, meet, and have fun together. How did all this happen?
Pokémon became famous all around the world after the launch of “Pokémon GO” in 2016, but the way Pokémon has been marketed differs from place to place. In Taiwan, Pokémon is very popular today – but there aren’t any Pokémon Centers or Pokémon Stores there, whereas Japan has about 30. To make Pokémon more familiar to the people of Taiwan, and to give them an opportunity to engage firsthand with the broad range of Pokémon contents, a project was started by the Taiwan team of our Asia Business Development Department. The team worked up a proposal and made 7-Eleven an offer.
Taiwan has approximately 6,000 7-Eleven branches, more than any other convenience store chain. But in today’s competitive market, what customers want isn’t just quantity – i.e., more and more stores – but, more importantly, greater quality in their convenience store branches. Once 7-Eleven’s management staff in Taiwan began noticing the level of excitement being generated locally by Pokémon, they accepted Pokémon’s offer as a way of creating new value. Their decision set the project in motion to develop a centrally located branch of 7-Eleven where Pokémon fans could gather “conveniently”
The branch chosen for this experiment, in the capital city of Taipei, temporarily shut its doors for a month and preparations for its total transformation got underway. All sorts of opinions were exchanged as to how to give the store an attractive new format where Pokémon fans would eagerly gather at all hours, day and night. Spatial and interior designers collaborated in working up a plan, the highlight being walls that depict the amazing variety of Pokémon characters players can encounter on their game adventures. Both people already familiar with Pokémon and those completely new to Pokémon are sure to find a character that will endear them. The store is designed and laid out with tables and chairs to let as many people play in comfort as possible. It also hosts Pokémon TCG and video game tournaments and other events.
From the day it opened, the new Pokémon-themed convenience store in Taipei has attracted large numbers of Pokémon fans. Their shared love of Pokémon brings them together, creating opportunities to make new friends and acquaintances.
Convenience stores typically are patronized by many people from many different walks of life. By giving Pokémon a central role in store branches, besides giving existing enthusiasts a place to gather, The Pokémon Company also creates new possibilities for people unfamiliar with Pokémon to get to know – and fall in love with – Pokémon. Going forward, we will continue to expand and develop new and ever more attractive ways to connect people around the world through Pokémon.
