Why thousands of shoppers were spotted lining up outside Kmart stores at midnight: ‘I’m crying’
Hundreds of shoppers were spotted lining up at Kmart stores at midnight hoping to grab a new, unexpected item.
The sell-out $79 Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet Prismatic Evolutions edition hit shelves across Australia this week – and fans are scrambling to get their hands on the sought-after collectible box.
Angeline Devera, from Sydney, was among those who successfully secured the Elite Trainer set on Thursday night.
Upon arriving at the 24-hour Kmart store in Campbelltown at 11.30pm, she was greeted by dozens of shoppers, all vying for the same product.
‘Thought I had the genius idea to go at 12am to get the new Pokémon release… Definitely wasn’t the only one with the same thought,’ Angeline said in a video.
She shared a video showing a long queue of shoppers patiently waiting to buy the new Pokémon box, which was limited to one per customer.
‘Definitely worth the line up,’ Angeline said, adding that she thought it was wholesome to see Pokémon fans in real life.
However, not everyone has been lucky, with many reporting the playing cards were sold out within 20 minutes at their local store.
Angeline Devera was among the crowd to successfully secure the sought-after Pokémon collectible set at Kmart on Thursday night
‘My kid just wanted one set he saved up for. We left six stores empty handed. Should be sale on the day with purchase limits. Now it’s on Facebook Marketplace for $90 to $160 a set,’ one parent said.
‘My local Kmart sold out all their stock in 15 minutes,’ another shared.
The wildly popular playing cards are available for purchase at major retailers – including Big W, JB Hi-Fi and EB Games – with some stores offering pre-orders.
‘Just walked out of the fifth Big W store so far today and all sold out. I’m crying,’ one shared.
Fans were spotted scrambling to get their hands on the sought-after collectible box at Kmart
‘I was able to get mine today – paid double but anything for my son,’ another said.
‘I called EB Games near me and they told me it’s completely sold out and they will have some stock in store but it will be gone by 9.01am (9:00am opening) which is insane. I have no idea why this set is so hyped everywhere,’ one revealed.
‘Big W just released Prismatic products on their website. Sold out within a minute everywhere,’ another added.
