US retail giant Target has announced it will no longer be selling Pokémon trading card game products, as well as certain sports cards, in its stores as of this Friday.
The statement comes after customers noticed signs appearing on store shelves this week. Pokémon, NFL, MLB and NBA cards will not be sold in stores "until further notice", however other card games, such as Magic the Gathering, will continue to be available.
The decision comes following both immense queues (during a pandemic) and even violence surrounding anything Pokémon card related. In a statement made to Polygon, Target said that "the safety of our guests and our team is a top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores". However, they will all still be available through the Target website.
The frenzy surrounding Pokémon cards has caused significant problems for both its producer and retailers, with stock being bought out almost immediately. Even promotional deals, such as the McDonalds and General Mills tie-ins, saw scarcity and increased theft due to people desperate for the cards.
Pokémon is big money at the moment, with the most valuable cards selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. While recent sets, such as Battle Styles and Shining Fates, haven't had any cards worth quite as much, they're still valuable and highly desirable products that have been incredibly difficult for customers to find. The Pokémon Company stated in February that it will be upping the production of TCG products in an attempt to meet the demand.
