JEDDAH: Lulu Hypermarket, the retail arm of UAE based Lulu Group, will open its first hypermarket in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Located in Alkhobar, the 76th Lulu Hypermarket spreading over an area of 250,000 sq. ft offers a whole world of shopping convenience with popular brands of a wide variety of product lines.
Speaking on the occasion, Yusuffali M.A., managing director of the group, disclosed plans to establish five hypermarkets in the Kingdom. "Saudi Arabia is a very important market for us and we will be investing more into the booming retail sector of this great economy. By the end of 2010, we will be opening five hypermarkets in different parts of the Kingdom," he said.
"We see tremendous market potential in this part of the region and have done serious research before finalizing the exact location. Each of our stores have a well-defined catchment area and a target shopper base, which ensures that we are easily accessible to the bulk of residents," he said.
Lulu, which has established 76 supermarkets in GCC countries, is aggressively going ahead with its expansion plans despite global recession. "Even though there have been talks of economic slowdown in the market, we have decided to carry on with our expansion plans of reaching the figure of 100 stores by the end of 2011," said the Indian business magnet.
The main focus area of Lulu Hypermarket will be the extensive supermarket section with fresh vegetables, fruits, butchery and delicatessen serving hot and ready-to-eat foods and special counters serving the best of bakes and cakes and an array of Arabic sweets. It will also showcase a wide range of electronics and IT products, garments and sports equipment.
"This hypermarket is also going to be the most eco-friendly project with many unique features to reduce the carbon footprint," Yusuffali said. The state-of-the-art logistics, refrigeration, LED lighting, cooling system, bio-degradable bags are all going to be first-of-its- kind in the region," he added.
The hypermarket will also feature a number of other outlets including jewelry shops, optical center, coffee shop and a food court as well as an antique shop, pharmacy, money exchange center and a host of other branded outlets. The layout has been strategically designed to enable uncluttered browsing, easy access to product categories and faster shopping with more than 80 check-out counters.
"We have great confidence in the Saudi economy and are looking forward to launching new projects to further strengthen our presence here," Yusuffali said. He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the royal family members and government officials for their far sighted vision and tremendous support for the business community.
By P.K. Abdul Ghafour
© Arab News 2009
