124-125 LSB NHM (2 - SL).qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 30/04/2026 21:41 Page 1
FOCUS ON: NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
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partners
The Natural History Museum’s collaboration with The Pokémon Company International has been a key talking point of 2026, with its success further helping to expand the reach of the Museum. Alongside this, it has also opened the doors of its immersive VR experience with Sandbox VR. LSB finds out more.
Inset: The collaboration had a common theme of the diversity of and passion for the natural world (photo credit: Luke Dyson). Below left: The shop stocked 60 products across six ranges (photo credit: the Trustees of the Natural History Museum).
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atural History Museum and The Pokémon Company International teaming up has been one of the most talked about collaborations of the year so far. Originally announced in September 2025, a dedicated free ticketed pop-up celebrating the theme of ‘Pokécology’ - reflecting the brands’ shared fascination for and focus on the natural world and its creatures, from their evolution to their environment – opened from 26 January to 19 April 2026 in the Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique shop.
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LICENSING SOURCE BOOK 2026
The theme of the special pop-up space was inspired by the Japanese publication ‘Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology’, which explores how Pokémon live, interact with their environments and adapt to habitats from deep forests to shadowy caves. As well as themed merchandise, the space touched on the concept through an artwork display. The shop stocked 60 products across six ranges featuring items across a variety of categories such as plush, print, apparel and accessories, stationery and homeware. “The plush has been the most popular, followed by the Multiple Evolutions of Eevee pin badge set,” Emma Fearn, buyer and product developer, tells LSB. “We've also done well with the postcard set and tote bags. In terms of the range, the Scientific Drawings range also went down very well.” Around 85% of the product range was developed with licensee A2V. Emma continues: “A2V brings extensive knowledge, experience and a strong network of contacts across a wide variety of categories, which enabled us to collaborate closely