How Toys R Us rolled out Pokémon’s 20th anniversary plush
Pokémon reached twenty years in 2016, and TOMY marked the occasion with a licensed series combining familiar characters, Mythical Pokémon and specialty play items. The plush were designed as displayable collectibles as much as toys for imaginative play. Consistent presentation, individual packaging and a growing roster encouraged buyers to begin with one Pokémon and then complete a broader set.
The role of Toys “R” Us in the rollout of the 20th Anniversary plush was practical and highly visible. The chain supplied concentrated retail reach, exclusive access to selected products and a reason for collectors to visit stores when monthly stock arrived. TOMY created the official objects, Nintendo licensed the Pokémon characters, and Toys “R” Us helped turn that coordinated program into a calendar of launches Australian fans could encounter in person.
A licensed celebration built for collectors
TOMY served as the product maker, while Nintendo supplied the official Pokémon licence. The TOMY collection archive documents the resulting range and its release sequence. That separation is important: a collector buying a branded TOMY object was buying an officially authorised product, not an unrelated imitation assembled with Pokémon imagery.
The opening plush wave paired Pikachu with Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff and Meowth. Pikachu’s visibility made it a natural gateway item, while the other characters gave the set instant recognition. Clip 'n' Carry Poké Balls and other specialty pieces extended the anniversary treatment beyond soft figures, giving collectors several kinds of objects to display.
Official licensing also shaped how collectors judged value. Recognisable tags, boxes and series graphics made it easier to verify authenticity, keep figures together and trace a plush back to its release wave. Mythical characters added a different kind of desirability, since many fans knew them from games and anime but had encountered plush versions much less often.
Why the retail partnership mattered
Retailer exclusivity gave selected plush and gift bundles a clear home. Toys “R” Us was not the designer or licensor, but its stores controlled an important part of how Australian customers could encounter those items. A collector did not have to search across unrelated toy shops to find the relevant release; the participating Toys “R” Us location became the central place to check the range and seek the newest character.
That concentration was particularly useful within Australia’s suburban retail landscape. Large stores in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre and around Sydney and other capital cities brought the collection into busy family shopping destinations. Plush could sit beside board games, LEGO sets and other character merchandise, allowing collectors to inspect fabric, tags and packaging directly while ordinary shoppers became aware of the anniversary range.
Australian shelf prices were normally displayed in Australian dollars with the 10 per cent GST included, making the cost comparatively straightforward at the register. Exclusivity still required some care: it applied to designated products and participating retailers rather than guaranteeing that every figure would be available in every Australian store at the same time. Collectors checking before a weekend shop often relied on store knowledge because online listings could not always confirm local stock.
Monthly releases created a collector rhythm
The regular release schedule turned the collection into a year-long pursuit. Instead of offering every Mythical Pokémon at once, TOMY introduced characters in stages, giving buyers a reason to return after each launch. A completed shelf could also encourage further purchases, especially when a familiar starter Pokémon was displayed beside a less common Mythical character.
Mew was a particularly effective early subject because it had a long history in the games but remained absent from the main numbered Pokédex. The Mew release details connect the plush to that broader Mythical rollout. Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Meloetta and Genesect followed as distinct collectibles, each appealing to fans who associated it with a particular game generation or storyline.
For Australian buyers, the timing of each drop mattered. School-holiday periods created opportunities for families to browse, while the lead-up to Christmas transformed character plush into gifts as well as collectibles. The monthly cadence encouraged repeated store visits and careful budgeting, since a collector aiming for the full Mythical series could not necessarily purchase every figure on the same day.
The Australian fan experience
Pokémon GO launched in Australia in July 2016, bringing renewed attention to the franchise shortly after the plush campaign was underway. The mobile game encouraged players to recognise Pokémon beyond the starter trio and revisit characters already familiar from the core games. That surge in interest helped the physical anniversary range feel current, even though the plush were designed for display rather than direct interaction with the game.
Australian shoppers also brought their own retail language to the hunt. Collectors might ask whether a character had “landed” or warn friends not to “miss out” after a store posted new stock. A quick trip to the shop during the arvo could become a family outing, with children drawn to Pikachu while adults checked tags and compared boxed figures. This mix of character appeal and collector scrutiny broadened the plush audience.
The physical chain was especially valuable for buyers who wanted certainty before spending. Holding the plush, checking the tag and asking staff about a forthcoming release were common parts of the process. Later, the Australian Toys “R” Us closure in 2018 made that 2016 access more significant as a historical fact: shoppers could once inspect exclusive anniversary stock in major stores, while later collectors had to rely on saved information and the secondary market.
What the retail partnership left behind
The collaboration created a clear division between making, licensing and distributing official Pokémon merchandise. TOMY maintained a recognisable product design, Nintendo authorised the characters, and Toys “R” Us placed selected releases before a broad audience. That structure gave the plush campaign a visible retail identity without confusing the retailer with the manufacturer.
The end-of-year release shows how that system combined collecting with retail gifting. The winter plush finale features Meloetta, Genesect and a holiday bundle, linking the Mythical plush series with the Christmas shopping period. Seasonal packaging and bundles gave Toys “R” Us another reason for collectors and gift buyers to visit the same destination.
| Source or channel | Role in the 2016 rollout | Benefit for Australian collectors | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toys “R” Us stores | Distributed selected exclusive plush and seasonal bundles | Physical inspection, GST-inclusive pricing and access during launches | Availability could vary by store and sell quickly |
| TOMY collection pages | Recorded products, characters and scheduled releases | Helped collectors identify items and follow the monthly sequence | Informational rather than a checkout service |
| Collector resale markets | Supplied figures after the original rollout | Allowed buyers to fill gaps or inspect older examples | Condition, authenticity and prices depended on the seller |