Does the Cloud 9 store from Superstore exist in real life? Behind-the-scenes secrets about the sitcom, revealed 

Everybody dreams of shopping at the Cloud 9 store while watching the chaotic supermarket in NBC's sitcom Superstore. The show features a big-box chain store in St. Louis, Missouri, that has all the essential and luxurious items needed for human survival.

While every one of us has dreamed about shopping in a Cloud 9 store and having front row seats to the employee drama that unfolds in the sitcom, the store does not exist in real life. Yes, sadly, the Cloud 9 store from Superstore is fictional and does not exist in real life.

While the hypermarket looks life-like and real like an actual supermarket, the interior scenes were filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

The crew used soundstages 16 and 17 at Universal to make the fictional Cloud 9 store come to life.

The Cloud 9 Superstore is built on a 20,000 to 22,000 square foot soundstage, which is very small compared to an actual Walmart or Target. But the crew uses many behind-the-scenes illusions and tricks to make the set appear bigger and mimic a large hypermarket.

More behind-the-scenes secrets in our story.

Superstore: The behind-the-scenes secrets behind fictional Cloud 9

While the chaotic and super busy hypermarket in the sitcom feels real to an actual Walmart, Cloud 9 does not exist outside of Superstore. After the NBC show was picked for a series after its Pilot, the crew built the Cloud 9 set from scratch on Universal soundstages 16 and 17.

However, the Pilot was actually shot in a real Kmart and once the series got greenlit, a realistic set was created. If you wonder how Cloud 9 feels so realistic and authentic even when shot on a set, it's because the makers use many behind-the-scenes secrets and tricks while filming.

One of the biggest illusions used by Superstore is mirrors. While an actual hypermarket like Target or Walmart is built on about 130,000 square feet, the sitcom set just utilizes 22,000 square feet. Still, Cloud 9 feels massive like a real supermart.

That's because the crew uses mirrors above and around the set to create depth and form illusion that the mart is bigger than it appears. Genius hack!

Another secret that makes the sitcom feel realistic is the food displayed on Cloud 9 shelves. Thanks to agreement contracts with companies like Pepsi and LeCroix, the products displayed on the sitcom are real, which are strategically placed to create a diverse product range just like in an actual supermarket.

In addition, the sitcom uses real elements from defunct stores which makes it feel real. Working refrigerators and scanners from Easy & Fresh were used, which further provides authenticity.

Lastly, Superstore is highly inspired by real Box-chain stores like Walmart, which gives them an authentic feel. Right from the uniforms, name tags, vests, store designs to intercom systems, the show borrows a great deal from real supermarkets.

The blue and white color scheme and fluorescent lighting further elevate the sitcom's aesthetic and it feels like you are watching an actual supermarket.

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