LuLu Group opens 20th store in Qatar at The Pearl Island ahead of World Cup
LuLu Group opened a new hypermarket, its 20th store in Qatar, at Giardino Mall inside The Pearl Island yesterday, reaffirming the group’s strong presence in the region. “We are very happy to inaugurate our flagship hypermarket at The Pearl Island and we are thankful to the authorities of United Development Corporation (UDC) for shortlisting us, so we can serve the residents and visitors of this luxurious community,” LuLu Group chairman Yusufali M A told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event.
He said: “We would also like to express our utmost gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani, and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, as well as the government for their wholehearted support.”
The two-level, 150,000sq ft store featuring state-of-theart amenities was inaugurated in the presence of Yusufali and Dr Mohamed Althaf, director of LuLu Group International. The inaugural ceremony was also attended by dignitaries, including Sheikh Hassan bin Khaled al-Thani, UDC chairman Turki bin Mohamed al-Khater, UDC president and CEO Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, Sheikh Mohamed bin Ahmed M A al-Thani, Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan, Fahad Alfardan, Fardan Alfardan, Hussain al-Baker, Commercial Bank Group CEO Joseph Abraham, and the ambassadors of India, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Panama, and Georgia, as well as the senior commercial officer of the US embassy in Qatar.
The new store offers shoppers all the conveniences from the group’s hypermarket chain, such as an abundant range of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood from around the world. It also features an in-house bakery for fresh-baked breads and cakes, as well as shopping options for new award-winning trends. These include LuLu’s celebrated Planet Y, which showcases a wide selection of plant-based meat substitutes and foods, special organic and superfood selections, an extensive ‘free-from’ range, and a zero-waste refill station where eco-conscious shoppers can refill reusable containers with dry goods, including pasta, grains, and other items.
The store also includes popular LuLu shopping stations, such as LuLu Fashion, the electronics section – LuLu Connect, EyeXpress, the beauty and cosmetics division BLSH, and an extensive section dedicated to the latest IoT appliances and electronics. The new hypermarket boasts 500 parking spaces, self-check-out counters, and green check-out counters in-store. LuLu is also committed to delivering the same level of excellence in customer service and quality to its valued customers in this new hypermarket. For shoppers’ convenience, the mall offers amenities, such as ATM counters, food courts, money exchange, a pharmacy, and a beauty salon. The hypermarket also provides wheelchair services, a sitting area, and gift wrapping, among others. As a sustainability initiative, the new store is also equipped with a reverse vending machine (RVM) for recycling plastic bottles.
Giardino inside The Pearl Island is a futuristic project that extends over an artificial peninsula having vast leisure destinations with public marinas, avenues, hotels, several multipurpose residential, mixed-use, entertainment, and commercial facilities. Yusufali said: “The Pearl Island features so many unique attractions, making it a key destination for both tourism and investment. Considering that many fans and tourists are coming to Qatar for the World Cup, we are hoping to attract them to The Pearl Island so they can visit our hypermarket here and other branches across the country.” He added: “LuLu is ready to serve residents of the country and the millions of World Cup fans and visitors arriving here. This is LuLu’s contribution to ensuring that the country will host a memorable and very successful World Cup.”
Dr Mohamed Althaf, director of LuLu Group International, lauded the support provided by government authorities to help the hypermarket chain cater to specific and essential needs of the market, especially now that millions of fans and tourists will be arriving in the country for the FIFA World Cup. Dr Althaf emphasised that LuLu has a large workforce that is ready to address the needs of customers coming from different countries, explaining that LuLu is well-prepared to provide the necessities of diverse nationalities, especially their dietary preferences. He added that LuLu will offer a wide range of dining menus and will continue to change and adapt to customers’ essential needs on a daily basis.