Hypermarkets in Shanghai are the city’s largest supermarkets — and if you’ve been searching for the biggest supermarket in Shanghai, this is the category you’re looking for. The reality is more useful than a single answer: Shanghai has an entire category of large-format stores, and understanding how they work and where to find them is far more practical than chasing a square-footage record.
This guide explains what hypermarkets are, who operates them in Shanghai, and — crucially — how to find one that’s actually near you.
For a broader overview of grocery shopping in the city, see our Shanghai Supermarkets Guide.
What a Shanghai Hypermarket Looks Like
Take a quick walk through a Century Mart hypermarket to see the scale, layout and product range of one of Shanghai’s largest supermarket formats.
While every hypermarket is slightly different, this Century Mart branch gives a good idea of the size, product range and shopping experience you can expect across Shanghai’s larger stores.
What Is a Hypermarket?
A hypermarket is a large-format retail store that combines a full supermarket with a general merchandise section under one roof. Think of it as a step up from a standard supermarket in terms of floor space, product range, and the scale of its fresh food, household goods, and non-food sections.
In Shanghai, hypermarkets operate under distinct brand names that are separate from the smaller supermarket fascias you’ll find in neighbourhood shopping centres and metro-adjacent malls. The format is designed for a weekly or monthly shop rather than a daily top-up, and most locations have dedicated car parking — though many are also reachable by metro or bus.
The key point: when people ask about the biggest supermarket in Shanghai, they’re usually asking about this category, not a single store.
Looking for one near you? Use the Shanghai Supermarket Store Finder to search by district or nearby metro station.
The Main Hypermarket Operators in Shanghai
Three brands dominate the hypermarket segment in Shanghai.
Walmart (沃尔玛)
Walmart operates a handful of hypermarket locations across Shanghai. The stores follow the familiar Walmart format — wide aisles, strong own-brand presence via the Great Value label, a broad range of both local and imported products, and competitive pricing. Walmart in Shanghai tends to attract a mixed local and expat customer base, and the stores generally have a well-organised layout that’s easy to navigate even without Mandarin.
Locations are scattered rather than clustered, with some near-central options that make Walmart the most accessible hypermarket choice for many expats living in the inner districts.
Century Mart (世纪联华)
Century Mart is a homegrown Chinese hypermarket chain and the most centrally distributed of the three operators. Its network of stores extends into districts that Walmart and RT-Mart don’t reach, making it the most practical hypermarket option for the majority of people living in or near central Shanghai — including Jing’an, Xuhui, Changning, and Putuo.
On my most recent visit, I found particularly strong fresh produce, extensive household goods sections, and a wide selection of Chinese pantry staples. The store was bright, well organised, and generally easier to navigate than many people might expect from a large Chinese supermarket. It also regularly appears in our guide to the Best Supermarkets in Shanghai.
RT-Mart (大润发)
RT-Mart operates the largest network of hypermarket locations in Shanghai by some margin — over twenty stores across the city. However, a look at where those stores are tells an important story: the overwhelming majority are in the outer districts and suburbs, with a particular concentration in the north of the city. There are, notably, almost no RT-Mart locations in the south.
This makes RT-Mart an excellent option if you live in areas like Baoshan, Jiading (嘉定), or Qingpu — particularly if you’re trying to keep grocery costs down. Our guide to Cheap Supermarkets in Shanghai explains which chains offer the best value for different types of shopping. However, RT-Mart is largely irrelevant if you’re based centrally or in the southern districts. For visitors staying in central hotels, RT-Mart is unlikely to be a convenient option regardless of the size of its network.
While not technically hypermarkets, warehouse membership stores like Sam’s Club — Walmart’s warehouse retail chain — and Costco are also popular for bulk shopping and imported goods in Shanghai.
What to Expect from Hypermarkets in Shanghai
All three operators share the broad characteristics of the hypermarket format:
Fresh food sections are typically extensive — produce, meat, seafood, tofu, and prepared foods are given significant floor space, often with wet counters staffed by in-store butchers and fishmongers.
Dry goods and packaged food cover both local brands and a selection of imported products, though the imported range at a hypermarket is generally narrower than at a specialist imported food store or a premium retailer like City’Super or Ole’.
For premium grocery options and imported specialty products, see Imported Food in Shanghai.
Household goods and non-food sections vary by store but commonly include cleaning products, small appliances, kitchenware, and basic clothing. This is the “hyper” part of the hypermarket — you can often pick up a mop, a toaster, and a week’s groceries in a single visit.
Pricing across all three operators is broadly competitive with standard supermarkets, with some categories — particularly bulk items and own-brand products — offering better value than smaller format stores.
Payment is straightforward via Alipay or WeChat Pay at all locations. Cash is accepted but increasingly uncommon.
How to Find a Hypermarket Near You
Given how spread out hypermarket locations are across Shanghai, the most practical step is to check what’s actually accessible from where you live or are staying. Use the Shanghai Supermarket Store Finder to search by location — it covers the major supermarket and hypermarket operators across the city and will show you what’s within a reasonable distance.
For most people in central Shanghai, Century Mart is the most likely result. If you’re in the northern outer districts, RT-Mart becomes a genuinely useful option. Walmart locations are worth checking regardless of where you are, as some sit in relatively central positions.
The Bottom Line
The biggest supermarkets in Shanghai aren’t defined by a single store — they’re defined by a format. Hypermarkets offer the widest range, the largest floor space, and the most complete shopping experience of any supermarket category in the city.
For most expats and visitors, Century Mart is the most accessible starting point. Walmart is worth knowing about for its product range and central-ish locations. RT-Mart is a strong local option if you happen to live in the north — but don’t make a cross-city trip for it.
Use the Store Finder to see what’s near you, and use this guide to know what to expect when you get there.
For a broader overview of supermarket options in Shanghai — from convenience stores to premium imported food retailers — see the Shanghai Supermarkets Guide. For recommendations on the best all-round supermarkets for expats, see Best Supermarkets in Shanghai.