TORONTO—The Pokemon Go sign directing people to the front door of Rock Candy Boutique in Halifax has only been up for a week, but Jeff Powers says he is already seeing it pay off.
“Downtown is alive in a way that I haven’t seen in a long, long time,” said Powers, a manager at the store, which sells various rock music T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and other paraphernalia.
“There is just a flood from everybody, from young kids to older adults, and you can tell they’re playing this game.”
The wildly popular video game sends players into the real world to search for the mythical digital pocket monsters known as Pokemon, who appear onscreen when users hold up their smartphones in various locations at various times of the day. It is currently the most downloaded app in the Apple app store.
Powers said the sign has brought people into the store who wouldn’t normally shop there but hear it’s a good place to play the augmented reality video game.
“This has just blown up bigger than anybody has expected,” he said, adding that the various Pokemon merchandise the store carries have also been flying off the shelves.
