What Is the World's Largest Retail Store?

Macy's Department Store at Herald Square in New York City was the world's largest retail store until March 2009. After that date, the "largest" retail store, if you measure "large" by size—square footage—or retail floor space the new champion is in South Korea.

Since March 2009, the world's largest moniker goes to Shinsegae Centum City Department Store, located in Busan, South Korea. With 3.163 million square feet in one retail location, the Shinsegae destination flagship store in Centum City beat out the Herald Square Macy's Department Store in New York City for the title of "world's largest" by more than a million square feet.

Features at Shinsegae Centum City

The English translation of "Shinsegae" is "new world," and, from a retailing perspective, the name does not disappoint. Since the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store is larger than most of the shopping malls in the U.S., it's not surprising that the Shinsegae Centum City is much more like a mall itself, rather than just a normal retail store.

In addition to the usual men's, women's, and children's apparel, shoes, and accessories, features of the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store include:

• After-sales service
• Baby stroller rental
• Bank
• Cell phones
• Clinics - dentist, dermatology clinic, medicinal herb clinic, concierge service
• Dry cleaner
• Electronics
• Event hall
• Flower shop
• Food hall - outlets serving Korean and Japanese food
• Fresh foods market
• Golf driving range
• Ice skating rink
• Kyobo book store
• Lockers
• Lost and found
• Luxury boutique
• Men's and women's wear repair shop
• Multiplex theater
• Optician
• Pharmacy
• Photo printing
• Restaurants
• Roof garden
• Shinsegae (English language) Academy
• Shinsegae Cultural Hall - Busan International Film Festival, Busan Music Festival Concert, Festival of India
• Shoe repair
• Sky Park
• Travel agency
• Trinity Sports Club and Spa Land - Saunas, bubble massage machines, themed jjim-jil-bang public bathhouses, wave dream room, SEV room to increase metabolism, relaxation room, outdoor foot-soaking area, massage chairs
• VIP zone - Members' lounge, valet lounge
• Vehicle maintenance
• Wedding planning

Shinsegae Centum City is just one store in the Shinsegae retail chain. Not only is Shinsegae the largest retail chain in South Korea, but it also has these distinctions:

• Korea's first department store
• First retailer in Korea to accept credit cards
• First Korean department store to sign partnerships with foreign brands

Other Mega-Sized Retail Stores And World Record Holders

The World's Largest Bookstore - Depending on how you measure "largest," there are other bookstores with legitimate claims to the "World's Largest Bookstore" title, such as Barnes & Noble in New York, and Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon. 

The World's Largest Shoe Store - Even more controversial than the claims to the World's Largest Bookstore title are the three stores that lay claim to the World's Largest Shoe Store title. Macy's, Selfridges, and Level Shoes in Dubai all have laid claim to the World's Largest title. 

The World's Largest Convenience Store - There's no controversy about the world's largest convenience store, which boasts 60 gas pumps and 67,000 square feet of retail convenience store space. 

Largest Retail Sales Per Square Foot - Apple retail stores have proven that size doesn't matter as much as the customer experience by continuing to lead the U.S. retail industry in terms of sales per square foot. The latest record-breaking number for Apple retail stores is $4,798.82 per square foot, no matter how big or small any individual retail store is. 

The World's Biggest One-Day Retail Expansion - Telenor holds the world record for the "Most Stores Launched Simultaneously" in the Guinness Book of World Records. On August 26, 2015, Telenor opened 472 new retail stores, which is the largest number of retail store outlets opened by a single retail company in history. With these 472 simultaneous store openings, Telenor broke its own record of 362 store openings in a single day, which it had set in April 2014.