A snack-lovers "kingdom" was unveiled in Changsha, Hunan province, on Friday, with the 12,000-square-meter facility setting a Guinness World Record as the world's largest snack store.

Roughly the size of 30 basketball courts, Snack Kingdom represents a strategic shift in Chinese retail — moving away from traditional sales toward "dopamine-driven" immersive environments.

More than 35,000 kinds of snacks from 70 countries and regions stock Snack Kingdom's shelves, with about one-third of the products being imported.

Items come from about 6,500 brands, including Chinese specialties such as Pingjiang spicy strips from Hunan and Chongqing's Tianfu Cola, alongside international goods like chocolate from Hokkaido, Japan, and candies from Russia.

At a rate of one item per day, it would take about 96 years to sample every type of snack available.

Since opening, visitors have been waiting at least half an hour to enter.

"I knew about this place through Douyin," said Luo Lingman, 18, one of the first visitors to the store. "I never imagined there would be such a large store dedicated to snacks. I was surprised the moment I walked in."

Luo, who has a sweet tooth, said she enjoys jelly, candies, puffed snacks and potato chips. "For me, snacks are a way to relax. They bring me emotional comfort far beyond just satisfying hunger," she said.

The store's layout abandons traditional aisles for a "treasure map" concept, and features a towering wall of 3,500 varieties of instant noodles.

The store's bright, vibrant colors and "dopamine" aesthetic create a lighthearted, cheerful atmosphere, Luo said.

Luo Qiong, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said the store stands out not only for its size but also for transforming a vast range of global products into an immersive, interactive experience.

Among its more unconventional offerings are braised pork belly-flavored yogurt and ginger-scallion poached chicken-flavored milk, pushing the boundaries of taste.

In another installation, more than 70,000 lollipops recreate the cover of Jay Chou's album Fantasy.

Nearby, a candy pipeline made up of 34 transparent tubes contains about half a million real candies. A sign reads: "The world needs a little sweetness. May every day of yours be sweet."

"We hope to bring snacks from around the world here for consumers and create a place that both adults and children will want to visit at least once," said Yang Wei, head of the marketing center at Busy Ming Group, the store's operator.

"Many happy moments in life are connected with snacks — festivals, gatherings with friends, camping and picnics," Yang said. "Snacking should not be purely purpose-driven, but a pleasure of browsing. We wanted to create a 'snack amusement park', a maze-like space where visitors feel wonder as soon as they step in and discover surprises as they explore."

Yang added that Changsha's vibrant consumer culture, large young population and openness to experiential retail make it an ideal location for such a concept.

The launch served as a major industry event, with over 20 food giants — including Yankershop Food and Master Kong — using the space for more than 500 simultaneous product debuts and livestreams.

"In an era of material abundance, snacks are no longer just for satisfying hunger; they have become carriers of emotion, social interaction and identity expression," said Gu Leilei, vice-president of the Business School at the Central University of Finance and Economics.

She said immersive retail environments engage multiple senses and appeal to Generation Z's interest in sharing novel experiences.

The wide range of brands and creatively designed zones contribute to a more engaging shopping experience, while also reflecting rising confidence in domestic products.

Jolin Guan, an associate partner at consultancy Prophet, said the store blends Changsha's reputation as a "city of entertainment" with favorable real estate costs.

Its highly photogenic design is likely to attract waves of social media influencers, she added.