Generation Z and millennials have flocked to a London store selling a popular toy from the 90s, making its big comeback.
In the first store of its kind in the UK, Tamagotchi has opened an official store at Camden’s Bandai Namco Cross Store, 28 years after the toy’s release in 1996.
The egg-shaped device, which reportedly sold 40 million in its first two years, houses a virtual pet that owners feed and play with. If the player cares for it, the pet ages and will want to breed, but could also die if neglected.
Despite its success in the 1990s and 2000s, Bandai struggled to keep up with gaming trends in the 2010s. However, an official relaunch in 2019 saw the toys begin to gain popularity again.
The brand opened an official Tamagotchi store in the UK capital this month, creating a buzz among younger generations, with one taking to TikTok to share their experience in the store, writing: “This took me back to my childhood!”
Generation Z and millennials have flocked to the new Tamagotchi store in London, including content creator Aisha (pictured).
According bbc newsGlobal sales of Tamagotchis doubled between 2022 and 2023.
The brand is so confident in growing demand that they have now opened their first UK store in London’s Camden Market, something they didn’t do at the height of Tamagotchi craze in the 1990s.
Excited shoppers have taken to TikTok to share their thoughts on the store. London-based gaming influencer Sam Williams said: “Come with me to the newly opened Tamagotchi store.”
‘Located upstairs in the Bnadai Namco Cross store, you’ll find a small but packed store with everything from the Tamagotchi themselves to stationery and much more.
‘Honestly, I had so many of these when I was a kid I was obsessed. These have become very advanced since I was a child. One of them even connects to the Internet and you can travel the world meeting other players from the comfort of your home.
‘This store took me back to my childhood and I almost walked away with about seven or eight Tamagotchis. “If you’re in Camden and you love Tamagotchi’s, I can’t think of a better place to go.”
Elsewhere, London-based player May, who goes by @mayplaystv on TikTok, revealed the inside of the store to his followers.
He wrote: “If you’re a Tamagotchi fan in London, then you need to head to the Bandai Naco Cross Store to check out the exclusive pop-up store.”
The store (pictured), located in London’s Camden Market, is the first of its kind in the UK.
Content creator May (pictured) took to TikTok to encourage her followers to visit the new pop-up toy store.
Egg-shaped toys took the world by storm when they were released in 1996. Archive photo of the original toys from the 1990s.
Content creator Aisha, who goes by @aisha.anime on TikTok, seemed pleased with her new toys while attending the store launch.
Meanwhile, content creator Amber shared a clip of the products on display and wrote: “Relive your childhood and grab a Tamagotchi.”
“As an avid Tamagotchi collector, it makes me very happy to see the pop-up store at Bandai Nacco Cross Store and see more people joining in and playing with Tamagotchi.”
Brand manager Priya Jadeja listed some of the ways Tamagotchis have been updated for 2024.
She explained: “Now you can connect with friends, you can play on Wi-Fi and download different items, and that really helps combat that feeling of fatigue that you might have had with some previous models.”
After a digital creature is born, users must care for their virtual pet as it progresses through the different stages of life.
Users have to feed him (either a “meal,” which consists of a bowl of rice or a “snack” of sweets) and clean him after he goes to the bathroom. If not properly cared for, the pet will become ill and may even die.
The colorful egg-shaped device housed a virtual pet that owners had to remember to feed and play with.
If the player takes care of it, the Tamagotchi pet will grow up and want to have a baby, but it could also die or run away if neglected.
“It got a tremendous global response from fans who were knocking down our door to bring it back to the US, so we brought it back,” Liz Grampp, Bandai America’s vice president of brand management, told Dailymail. .com last year.
The toy was released in six different shell designs, from pale orange and transparent blue to boldly contrasting two-tone schemes straight out of the ’90s. Each Tamagotchi included six virtual pets.
“It’s about resource management, it’s about parenting, it’s about caring for a little virtual pet and it’s about that basic human emotion of caring for something that I don’t think will ever go away,” Grampp added.
‘What is different is our delivery. So, it’s a more classic pixel game, which has a bit of a trend of its own.
“I think for kids who have only grown up playing on iPhones and iPads, it will feel unique, but the game will feel very familiar to them.”