SHANGHAI (Kyodo) -- Major Japanese game company Sega Corp. held an event Wednesday in Shanghai, a day before the opening of the world's first official permanent store selling character goods, including items from the popular Sonic the Hedgehog video game series.

Sega President Shuji Utsumi said at the event, "We'd like to deliver the charms of Sega to many people in Shanghai, where game culture takes root."

The Sega shop, set to open in a local shopping mall, will also allow visitors to play the company's games. The event drew a large crowd, with a 27-year-old woman from Suzhou near Shanghai saying she is "happy" to have the chance to buy Sega goods in China.

According to Chinese media, consumption of character goods in the world's second-largest economy has been rapidly expanding. In 2024, the market size for such goods in the country was estimated at 168.9 billion yuan ($23 billion), up about 40 percent from the previous year.