In a milestone blending retail innovation and experiential consumption, a one-of-a-kind massive snack retailer has officially opened its doors in the central Chinese city of Changsha, Hunan, earning an immediate spot in the Guinness World Records for its unprecedented scale and selection.
Named Snack Kingdom, the sprawling retail space clocks in at 12,000 square meters — an area roughly equivalent to 30 standard basketball courts. Stocking more than 35,000 distinct snack products from across the globe, the store sources one-third of its inventory from nearly 70 countries and regions, creating a truly global snack destination under one roof.
The selection ranges from beloved domestic Chinese specialties — such as Hunan’s iconic Pingjiang spicy strips and Chongqing’s classic Tianfu Cola — to internationally coveted treats, from Hokkaido, Japan’s premium chocolate to Russia’s famous purple-wrapped hard candies. To put the enormous selection in perspective: if a customer sampled one new product every day, it would take approximately 96 years to try every item in the store.
Luo Qiong, a Guinness World Records adjudicator who officiated the certification, confirmed the new record and noted that the shop’s achievement extends far beyond its physical size. “It is not only a leader in size; what is even more impressive is how it transforms a vast array of global products into an explorable, interactive, immersive experience,” Luo said.
Breaking away from the traditional display-focused sales model common to grocery and snack retailers, Snack Kingdom is structured like a large-scale treasure map, divided into themed zones designed to encourage exploration. Visitors can wander through dedicated areas including the kilometer-long Snack Corridor, Instant Noodle City, Beverage Town, the Global Snack Station, and even an on-site Snack Museum. Additional sections highlight oversized novelty snacks and pocket-sized mini treats, turning a routine shopping trip into a recreational activity where guests can shop, sightsee, snap photos, and enjoy leisure time with friends and family.
Yang Wei, marketing center director for Busy Ming Group, the operator behind Snack Kingdom, explained that the concept was built around reimagining snack consumption as a recreational experience rather than a purely transactional errand. “We hope to bring snacks of all kinds from around the world here for consumers,” Yang said. “We hope this will be a place that adults and children will want to visit at least once. Consuming snacks should not be a purpose-driven act, but a pleasure of browsing. We want to create a ‘snack amusement park’, a maze-like space where visitors will react with a sense of wonder as soon as they step in. As they explore and wander, they will discover surprises and experience pure, simple happiness.”
Yang added that Changsha was the ideal location for the concept, as the city has emerged as a national hub for innovative new consumption models, with a thriving culture of experiential shopping, a large population of young consumers, and abundant urban vitality and entrepreneurial energy.
Long lines of excited snack lovers formed outside the venue as early as 11 a.m. on opening day, with thousands of visitors turning out to explore the new space. Wu Yitang, a 22-year-old consumer who was among the first guests to enter, shared his enthusiasm for the unprecedented selection. “I think the selection here is amazing, and the atmosphere is really nice. There are so many people here, all sharing the same love for snacks,” Wu said. “Most of the items are the kinds I enjoys, including lots of novel flavors, some of which are imported and hard to find. For example, my favorite thing here is instant noodles. They have a huge range of foreign brands from places like Japan and South Korea. When I saw that entire wall covered with noodles, I was absolutely shocked. I’d never seen anything like it. It really took me by surprise.” For Wu, snacks are a go-to comfort for everyday leisure time, making the store a particularly exciting new destination.
To mark the opening, more than 500 new snack products made their global or regional debut at Snack Kingdom. Over 20 leading food and beverage manufacturers — including top domestic brands Yankershop Food, Master Kong, and Want-Want — hosted in-store product launches, live-streaming marketing events, and public tasting sessions for guests.
Industry analysts note that the concept aligns perfectly with shifting consumer trends in China’s fast-growing retail sector. Jolin Guan, deputy partner of global brand consultancy Prophet, pointed out that Snack Kingdom successfully blends Changsha’s widely recognized “City of Entertainment” identity with favorable local commercial real estate costs. The store’s highly photogenic layout and unique attractions make it a natural draw for social media content creators, Guan added, predicting it will spark a widespread trend of influencer visits and social media check-ins that will drive further foot traffic.
The launch of the Guinness record-breaking snack store marks the latest example of how Chinese retailers are innovating to meet growing consumer demand for unique experiential leisure activities, blending shopping with entertainment to create new destinations that resonate with young domestic consumers.