Lulu Group, a leading retail chain in the Middle East, has launched a new hypermarket concept and revamped store design at The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi (The Mall at WTCAD).

The opening has marked Lulu’s 148th store and cemented its reputation as the region’s fastest growing retail chain with multiple stores across the GCC, Egypt, India, and the Far East.

The 148th store was inaugurated by Aldar Properties chief executive officer Talal Al Dhiyebi along with LuLu Group chairman and managing director Yusuff Ali M A, executive director Ashraf Ali M A, CEO Saifee Rupawala, among others.

Situated within Abu Dhabi’s central business district, the 100,000-sq-ft store highlights an exceptional design with state-of-the-art layout and aesthetic lighting—a first in the region. Created by top Italian designers, the new hypermarket’s design features wooden ceiling elements, neutral-coloured fixtures, and modern patterns with a unique combination of contemporary and industrial style.

Yusuff Ali said: “We are glad to see another beautiful store opening that will cater to our loyal patrons living in the central area of Abu Dhabi. Through our internationally sourced quality products and enthusiastic staff, Lulu has been the shopping partner of different nationalities and we will continue to preserve this identity with our new store. This new hypermarket at The Mall at WTCAD introduces a newly improved design and space, which will further strengthen the world-class shopping experience that we have always been committed to.”  

Al Dhiyebi said: “Aldar has an enviable portfolio of retail assets including malls and retail community centres throughout Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. We constantly review our retail mix to ensure we provide residents and visitors alike with the right balance of brands so are pleased to welcome Lulu Hypermarket to The Mall at WTCAD. This hypermarket, along with the nine other new brands that have opened at the mall so far this year, expands the existing mix of retailers and will drive further footfall while responding to local resident demand.”

Categories at the new store include grocery, fresh food, meat and fish, bakery, dairy, pizza and snacks, hot food, roastery, and a delicatessen. An exciting addition to the product offerings will be Lulu Hypermarket’s first sushi station in Abu Dhabi, where customers can indulge in delicious and healthy Japanese dishes. LuLu will also be dedicating self-service and automated checkout counters for easier and efficient transactions.

For the grand opening, the hypermarket will be kicking off with inaugural offers and special promotions at attractive prices that are exclusive for the new store’s clientele. Lulu will also successively launch a department store with lifestyle sections, including ladies and men’s fashion, kids, sports, electronics, ethnic wear, electronics, and home essentials within the year.

 Elaborating Group’s expansion plans, Yusuff Ali said, “We see tremendous growth opportunities in Abu Dhabi where ten new hypermarkets are on the construction stage in different areas and it will be operational within the next 18 – 24 months. This includes Al Falaha, Reem, Khalifa City, Sadiyat, Beda Zayed etc. Two more hypermarkets will be opened in the coming weeks (one in UAQ & one in Saudi) that will make total number of outlets to 150.”

 Apart from this, Lulu has also plans to enter in the retail scenario in China where it has a strong sourcing & logistics facility since 2000. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation on various areas of mutual interest was signed recently between Lin Yi, Party Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC), Yiwu, in Zhejiang province and Yusuff Ali M

As per the MoU, Lulu will increase its yearly exports from China which stands currently at $220 million to $300 million. Apart from this, Lulu will also look into the possibility of investment to set up Hypermarkets in Yiwu and other major cities at an investment of $200 million. – TradeArabia News Service