That was fast – just a couple of weeks after it was revealed that Aussie and New Zealand Pokemon fans would be able to shop at the official Pokemon Centre Online web store, the virtual doors have now been opened in a “soft launch.”
The range available on the website seems to be more or less the same as the US, Canada and UK counterparts at this stage, with no fun exclusives, but given this is a soft launch that could very well change. Along with more localised postage, hopefully, as right now it all seems to be forwarded on through a global carrier at some eye-watering shipping prices. Products available to be shipped to Australia and NZ include the incredible POKÉMON × KOGEI Pikachu plush, Squishmallows, Pokemon Centre-exclusive TCG boxes, figures, apparel and heaps more.
You can navigate straight to the AU-friendly version of the store right here.
A message that appears when you first head to the site from Australia reads:
“We’re excited to welcome you in with the best possible experience, but this site is still in its early stages, and you may see a few hiccups. With that note of caution, please have fun browsing our current selection and be sure to check back—we’ll be working hard to add new product lines continually!
“Please keep in mind that the items on this site can be delivered only to addresses in Australia. If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Service team or view our FAQ section.”
In that FAQ section is a heap of info on availability of products, purchasing and shipping. Currently, things like pre-orders and promotional items are not available to ANZ customers, and shipping takes a couple of weeks on average which suggests it’s coming from overseas, but these are things we’d expect to shift and change as the “hard launch” of the local arm of the Pokemon Centre Online happens at some point in the future.