Pokémon has turned 30, and Target is set to cash in on the anniversary craze
THE SO WHAT
The Pokémon 30th rush—long lines, sold-out SKUs at Target—shows nostalgia IP can still drive real-world foot traffic and inventory risk in a mostly e-commerce world. Retail and CPG operators should treat these anniversary windows as operational events: pre-commit supply, staff for surge, and build data capture around the spike, not just marketing gloss.
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