Lulu Hypermarket

Lulu SUPERMARKET (KERLA)

Official logo of LuLu Hypermarket
Industry	Retail
Founded	2000
Headquarters	Abu Dhabi, UAE
Number of locations	131 stores
Area served	Middle East Asia Africa
Key people	M. A. Yousuf Ali(Managing Director)
Revenue	$6.3 billion (2016)
Parent	LuLu Group International
Website	luluhypermarket.com

Lulu Hypermarket (stylized as LuLu Hypermarket) is a hypermarket chain and retail venture started by Lulu Group International in 2000. M. A. Yousuf Ali is the managing director of the group that is based in Abu Dhabi. LuLu has over 35,600 employees of various nationalities.^[1][2]

It is one of the largest retail chains in Asia and is the biggest in Middle East with 128 outlets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. They also have 13 malls all over the GCC and India with a mall planned to come up in Malaysia which after opening willl be the largest mall in Malaysia. Research firm Deloitte, recently placed it amongst the world’s 50 fastest growing retailers.^[3][4]

History

LuLu Group International opened its first supermarket in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 1995, when the retail business scenario in the region started to change with the entry of Continent (now Carrefour). Later, more LuLu Supermarket stores were opened in different parts of Abu Dhabi There are also several Lulu stores found in the emirate of Dubai. In the late 1990s, the LuLu Center department stores were launched, and the group expanded to other countries in the Middle East.

In 2000, the first Lulu Hypermarket store was opened in Dubai. With this launch, the Group embarked on an aggressive expansion plan. It soon grew into a chain with several outlets across the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen. On March 10, 2013, LuLu Hypermarket was opened in Kochi, India at LuLu Mall. The group has started construction of the Lulu Mall in Thiruvananthapuram, which upon completion will be the largest shopping mall in India and the 5th largest in Asia. ^[5][6][7]

Today the LuLu Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and Department Stores together control 32% of the retail market share with 106 stores and is regarded as the retail pioneer constantly setting new benchmarks for the industry.

The Group that follows the tagline "LuLu, where the world comes to shop" is hailed as a one-stop-shop for the multi-ethnic community of the region with an international mix of products.

Operations

Around the Middle East

As of august 2016, there are 124 LuLu Hypermarkets in the GCC countries, one in India at Kochi, Kerala^[8] and one each in Malaysia and Indonesia.

International

In April 2013, LuLu Group launched its operations in the UK at Birmingham with the inauguration of a logistics and packaging centre under the name, Y International. The 20,000 sq. ft. facility procures and exports food, non-food, chilled and frozen products of British origin to LuLu Hypermarkets spread across the Gulf countries. Date coding and labeling for different countries, translation of labels, Halal and other relevant certifications are also carried out here. About 60 British nationals are employed at the facility which hopes to create 200 jobs soon.^[9] In May 2014, following the visit of Prime Minister Najib Razak to United Arab Emirates, a memorandum of understanding between Lulu Hypermarket and the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) was signed for the establishment of ten Lulu Hypermarkets in Malaysia.^[10][11]

Locations

Country	First store	Number of stores
United Arab Emirates	2000	Numerous stores across 7 emirates.
Oman	2004	13
Bahrain	2007[12]	6
Saudi Arabia	2009[13]	5*
Kuwait	2007	6
Qatar	2000	6*
Egypt	2010[14]	1
India	2013[15]	2
Yemen	2006	1
Indonesia	2016	1 (10 planned)[16]
Malaysia	2016[10][11]	1 (10 planned)[10][11]

• three in the capital city, "Riyadh", and one in Khobar and Jubail and latest outlest opened in Dammam(13/jan/2016) in "eastern region"

LuLu co-branded credit cards

LuLu Hypermarket has partnered with banks in the Middle East to create co-branded cards that help loyal customers gain special privileges and rewards every time they shop. The ADCB LuLu Credit Card in association with the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) helps users gain points on every AED 1 spent at any Lulu outlet in the UAE.^[17]

The LuLu Doha Bank Shopping Credit Card in association with the Doha Bank, Qatar helps the card holders get a 5% discount on every purchase made from a LuLu outlet in Qatar. Shopping points can also be accumulated and redeemed on purchases.^[18]

Corporate social responsibility

LuLu Hypermarket is involved in various corporate social responsibility initiatives. Here are some of LuLu Hypermarket’s recent charitable involvements:

In April 2013, a memorandum was signed between LuLu Hypermarket and Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO) to sell organic products locally grown by the special needs community in UAE. The agreement aims at rehabilitating people with special needs by involving them in a productive and social life.^[19][20]

In February 2013, LuLu teamed up with Dubai Cares to adopt schools in Gaza and Nepal thereby improving the infrastructure of primary school classrooms. It also aims to improve the access to adult education and literacy skills by providing training to local facilitators.^[21]

In July 2012, LuLu Hypermarket teamed up with the Bahrain Petroleum Company for the LuLu Joy of Giving Programme. Seven Bapco petrol stations were set up with Lulu food banks to provide a box filled with water, lemon juice, dates, oranges, grapes and a cake roll – during the Ramadan month.^[22]

The initiative was continued in 2013 during Ramadan in association with Your FM 104.2. This time, four vans branded "LuLu Joy of Giving" traveled to four locations in Bahrain each day at sunset and distributed free Iftar packages to the needy.^[23]

In December 2012, BankMuscat joined hands with LuLu Hypermarket to equip 40 young Omanis with the necessary skills to develop their careers and contribute to national development. On successful completion of a 3-month training programme, the Omani youth, including women, from low-income families in Dakhiliyah and Dhofar governorates were to be absorbed by LuLu for various jobs in its outlets.^[24]

In June 2011, LuLu Hypermarket was part of the initiative to combat inflation across the UAE by subsidizing the cost of about 400 products. The Government had asked retail chains to subsidize costs in a bid to check inflation. LuLu joined the project by classifying the extra cost it incurred, as corporate giving. The Al Ain Cooperative had also joined the programme.^[25]

See also

• List of hypermarkets
• List of supermarket chains in the United Arab Emirates

References

External links

• Official website
• EMKE Group