China turns shopping into immersive experience

CHANGSHA -- After an hour-long wait amid the neon-lit bustle and drifting aromas of snacks in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province, 22-year-old Fang Tianyu finally stepped into the Snack Kingdom in the city center.

He had no regrets about the wait. Inside, there was no need to settle for the usual favorites. Instead, Fang wandered aisle by aisle, pausing to examine snacks he'd never seen before and carefully deciding, one by one, which ones might be worth a try.

"It feels quite novel," Fang said. "Shopping here is like a treasure hunt."

That sense of discovery is part of what draws visitors to the sprawling supermarket, where snacks from across China and around the world fill more than 13,000 square meters of retail space. There are so many choices that even if you tried just one snack a day, it would take nearly a century to sample them all.

The store was designed with young consumers in mind, from colorful themed installations to photo-ready corners that turn a quick snack stop into something worth pausing for and sharing online.

"People want more than just a purchase. They want an enjoyable experience," said Liang Xiao from Busy Ming Group Co Ltd, which operates the supermarket.

This idea does not stop at the shop counter. In neighboring Xiangtan, about 50 kilometers from downtown Changsha, it takes a different form at Wanlou Youth Wharf, where rows of shipping containers have been turned into a lively market for young people to eat, shop, play, hang out, and stay.

The concept serves both a practical and cultural purpose. The containers echo the site's roots dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a wharf.

"There are already many ancient towns and streets in China," said Duan Keke, general manager of Xiangtan Mango Cultural Tourism Co Ltd. "Instead of creating another one, we chose shipping containers to give young people a fresh way to experience the old wharf."