Are Small Retailers Being Cut Out of Pokémon Supply Chains?

The beloved collector's brand Pokémon is undergoing some supply chain changes, after seemingly turning its back on smaller retailers in favour of big chains, according to Better Retailing.

Pokémon's official distributor, Asmodee, has been accused of blocking supply to independent businesses, causing frustration among shop owners.

This coincides with concerns of Pokémon card scalping, with consumers facing more difficulties than ever in purchasing the playing cards.

Ignoring the little guy

The English Pokémon slogan, "Gotta catch 'em all" has become recognisable around the world - as has the iconic red and black 'Poké Ball' and the electrifying mouse 'Pikachu'. As the biggest media franchise in the world, Pokémon is beloved for its video games, TV shows, movies and trading cards.

One of the main concepts of Pokémon is collecting - in the video games, the player takes on the role of a Pokémon Trainer, travelling the world to catch a specimen of each Pokémon species in order to train their very own team of Pokémon. Once they have every species, their Pokédex is complete. In the trading card game, fans make up their own Pokédex, made up of basic and evolved Pokémon, with special edition cards as a valuable factor.

As of March 2025, more than 75 billion Pokémon trading cards have been printed, according to The Pokémon Company. With the value added to old cards, exclusive cards and limited edition cards, consumers eagerly await each collection drop.

Pokémon cards used to be sold mainly across independent retailers, which had built up loyal relationships with the Pokémon brand. Now, Asmodee is blocking the supply to these businesses, instead turning towards larger corporations.

Mark Dudden, from Al­bany News in Cardiff told Better Retailing: “All the Tesco Expresses and everything around me were all sent one or two boxes. They’ve never sold them before. They’ve just put them on the shelves with all their newspapers."

Pokémon’s Mega Evolution collection was released on 10th October and was the top-selling new product across thousands of independent shops, according to Better Retailing's sales data. For many independent stores, Pokémon has become a key part of their sales, providing them with steady income and reliable customers.

Now, they are struggling to receive stock, as a result of unprecedented caps and a lack of delivery. This is leaving them unable to meet consumer demand and is causing a dip in income levels. Instead, Pokémon cards are being supplied to larger stores like Tesco, or even places like Sports Direct.

Asmodee's supply chain switch-up is leaving independent store owners reeling, with no notice to plan around the loss of a key product.

Supply chain threats

As long-established retail locations struggle more to receive stock in order to sell to their loyal customers, the online store becomes a further risk to consumer satisfaction. Online listings, due to the popularity of Pokémon cards, are becoming increasingly bought out by bots and scalpers.

Scalping in Pokémon has become a serious issue, particularly as they aim to gain hundreds of dollars with exclusive cards. Scalpers and resellers are overtaking The Pokémon Company's official sellers, with fans of the franchise facing extremely inflated prices on the market.

Retailers around the world are facing more issues with stock, with shelves being left empty either from reduced product allocations, or from scalpers taking to the shelves early with the aim of reselling online. 

When discussing Pokémon resellers, CEO of The Pokémon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, says it "prevents new products from being sold".

"When the second hand market becomes more valuable because of rarity, that is problematic because our business is affected."

Pokémon restocks, with high demand for low supply, has inadvertently led to several fights occurring earlier this year, showing that scalping has had a serious impact on the seamless supply chain of The Pokémon Company. 

Wider toy supply issues

As Pokémon is already facing supply chain issues, with small retailers losing out on thousands of pounds as the company turns towards other sellers, it points to other concerns in the lead-up to the festive period. Businesses and shoppers around the world have been facing uncertainties around product availability, as a result of supply chain disruption caused by tariffs and geopolitical tensions throughout 2025.

In the lead up to the festive period, shoppers are already anticipating higher costs and lower stocks when buying toys - especially as 80% of the toy industry is made in China, according to the Toy Association.

The toy industry has seen a significant supply chain shake-up throughout the year, with every link being affected, from the manufacturer, to the retailer, and finally the consumer who is facing heightened prices or dissatisfaction when the product is unavailable. The market has been unpredictable this year, which is only increased as scalpers join the fray.