RETAIL giant LuLu Group plans to open three more hypermarkets across Bahrain within the next four months taking its investment in the country to more than $260 million, the company’s top official has said.
LuLu Group chairman Yusuffali MA told the GDN yesterday that the kingdom’s retail sector continues to offer good growth prospects, which has accelerated the company’s expansion plans.
Mr Yusuffali was speaking as the group’s 10th hypermarket in the country was inaugurated in Gudaibiya by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, who commended the strong support of the LuLu Group to Bahrain’s progress.
Also present at the inauguration were Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan, Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Municipal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak and Indian Ambassador Vinod Jacob.
The two-level 40,000sqft offering is located in the building that used to house the Dasman Centre department store.
The opening of the new LuLu hypermarket signals a re-energising of commercial activity in the key community thoroughfare and is in line with Mr Yusuffali’s vision to continuously invest in the future of Bahrain.
“The store signals the LuLu Group’s confidence in the vision of progress mapped by the leadership of Bahrain, its belief in the excellence of Bahrainis as our partners in success and keeps our expansion in line with the march of urban developments in the kingdom,” he explained.
It boasts all the popular LuLu features that have made the retailer so successful as a shopping destination plus an updated grocery section offering ‘the best food and home shopping trends in a modern and easy layout’, a global spread of fresh fruit and vegetables to the choicest cuts of meat and seafood, as well as other grocery essentials.
Alongside a well-stocked department store, there is LuLu Connect, the digital and electronics hub, and LuLu Fashion, the popular high-street clothing and shoes outlet.
Talking of the group’s commitment to Bahrain, Mr Yusuffali said the three new stores expected to open within three to four months will be at The Avenues Mall, Manama Centre and in Diyar Al Muharraq respectively.
He added that the group has so far created 880 jobs for Bahrainis over the last 16 years and would soon have a 1,000-strong local workforce.
“LuLu Hypermarket has built its brand on the quality promise and we are very happy that the people of Bahrain have responded so warmly to the range of products, the cost-effectiveness and top quality of LuLu,” he said.
“Bahrainis have excellent people skills and have been the backbone of our business growth. We’re proud of their participation in our multi-cultural human resources.”
Mr Yusuffali also commended the Bahrain team for their recent winning of the GCC-wide award for ‘best nationalisation’ with Bahrainis working for the group in Bahrain, as well as in other countries.
Based in the UAE, the multinational LuLu Group operates more than 255 hypermarkets and shopping malls in 10 countries.
avinash@gdnmedia.bh
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