When Pokémon bread returned to South Korea in 2022, demand centred as much on the randomly packed character sticker as on the pastry. ABC News reported young customers chasing delivery trucks, visiting multiple shops and joining hour-long lines before opening. One thirteen-year-old said he woke at 4 a.m. to queue at a grocery store. Even then, sold-out notices were common.
What distinguishes this queue is the way an unseen collectible amplified demand for an inexpensive food. The roughly $1.20 bread revived nostalgia for a product first popular in 1998 while creating a new collecting race. Customers did not know only whether they would obtain a loaf; they also did not know which sticker would be inside.