What is the World's Largest Retail Store?

South Korea's Record-Breaking Retail Store Gets Macy's World's Largest Title

Marc-Henri Desbois/Moment Open/Getty Images

By Barbara Farfan

Updated April 27, 2017

Although Macy's Department Store at Herald Square in New York City was the world's largest retail store for many years, since 2009 the world has a different "largest" retail store, if you measure "large" by size, square footage, or retail floor space.

Since March, 2009, the world's largest retail store is Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store, located in Busan, South Korea. With 3.163 million square feet in one retail location, the Shinsegae destination flagship store in Cetumcity 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.

The English translation of "Shinsegae" is "new world," and, from a retailing perspective, the name does not disappoint. Since the Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store is larger that most of the shopping malls in the U.S., it's not surprising that the Shinsegae Centumcity 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, some of the features of the Shinsegae Centumcity 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 - 10 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 jjimjilbang rooms, 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

There are more than 400 different brands of merchandise sold in the Shinsegae Centumcity store. Inside the Shinsegae Centumcity store, there are also in-store boutiques specifically dedicated to these brands:

• Burberry
• Giorgio Armani
• Gucci
• Hermes
• Louis Vuitton
• Prada
• Tiffany & Co.
• Van Cleef & Arpel