Thursday, Aug 11, 2011
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi Lulu Hypermarket’s 54th outlet in the UAE opened in the Mushrif Mall on Airport Road in Abu Dhabi yesterday, making it the 94th outlet in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the retail giant.
Emke Group, which owns supermarkets, hypermarkets and shopping malls, has plans to have 100 Lulu Hypermarkets by the end of this year, its managing director told reporters at the opening yesterday.
“Our 95th will be in Oman and 96th will be in Madinat Zayed Shopping Mall in Abu Dhabi,” said Yousuf Ali M.A., Managing Director of Lulu Group. “I promised two years ago that by December 31, 2011 I will reach 100 hypermarkets and I will reach that. Everything’s on schedule,” he said.
Emke Group, which owns the newly opened Mushrif Mall, is also the owner of Al Raha Mall, Mazyad Mall, Khalidiya Mall, Al Wahda Mall and Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, among others. He said that Abu Dhabi is the “safest place” for investment. “A lot of investors are coming to Abu Dhabi and it’s developing very fast. Not just the city, but also the suburban areas are developing. This is inspiring the investors to come in and invest,” he added.
This year, Emke Group has allocated a total investment of Dh2.1 billion for its projects, he said.
“On an average a 220,000 square foot hypermarket like this one would cost around Dh140 million to Dh150 million,” said V. Nandakumar, head of corporate communications at Lulu Hypermarket Group. At the new hypermarket, customers waiting by the doors rushed to grab the bargains that Lulu has on offer as part of its opening promotions.
“This is an opening offer plus it’s Ramadan and Eid time,” Nandakumar said. “It’s an opening launch offer to give our customers something new from here.”
The hypermarket, which covers 220,000 square feet, is described as the “next generation hypermarket” with a different layout, advanced facilities and lighting, Nandakumar explained.
Mushrif Mall will also soon open “The Market,” for fresh fruits and vegetables and a taste of the old souq market.
“We want to bring the old souq market feeling, but making sure it’s a highly hygienic area,” he said.
As part of its expansion plans, the Lulu Group is all set to open two new hypermarkets during the second half of this year mainly in Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre in Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks and another in Ras Al Khaimah.
New outlets will also open in Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Dh2.1b
is the allocation of Emke for its projects
Dh140m
and more is approximate cost of new outlet
By Samia Badih?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
