Lulu Group inaugurates first hypermarket in Cairo, plans $300 million investment in Egypt

Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group has opened its first hypermarket in Cairo, Egypt. The group also plans to invest EGP three billion ($300 million) in setting up 10 new hypermarkets in next two years across Egypt.

Commenting on Lulu Group’s Egypt plans, Chairman of Lulu Group, Yusuffali MA, says, “We consider Egypt as a very important market for us and our experience of more than four decades of success and accomplishment in the retail industry is sure to help us become the most popular retailer in the region. Egyptians are already well aware of Lulu and we hope to bring world-class shopping closer to them in various important locations of this great country.”

The group’s 119th hypermarket – the first in Cairo – was inaugurated by Khalid Hanafy, Egyptian minister for trade in the presence of Galal El Saeed, governor of Cairo; Mohamed Abdul Sayed, advisor to the prime minister; Khalifa Thunaiji, deputy UAE ambassador to Egypt; and other high ranking government and civil officials. Yusuffali, Lulu Group CEO Saifee T Rupawala, executive director Ashraf Ali MA, director of Lulu Egypt Mohamed Althaf and other top company officials were also present on the occasion.

The new store is located in Twin Plaza opposite Police Academy on the Zakir Hussein road extension in the 1st settlement of New Cairo. Spanning 170,000 sqft, the new store is specially designed to offer the residents with a world-class shopping experience at fair prices and friendly service. The hypermarket will provide the widest range of quality and value-for-money products all under one roof.

It has separate sections for fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy products, ready-to-eat products and a live bakery. The outlet also offers a huge area dedicated to electronics, IT products, home appliances, sports, furnishing and furniture, kitchenware, toys, stationery and health and beauty products. The new hypermarket also offers a wide choice of world-class fashion brands and products for men, women and children. A special area is also dedicated for promoting local products and handicrafts of Egypt.

The systematically arranged sections promise customers an easy and hassle-free shopping experience. Extra-wide aisles, extensively laid out counters and ample parking space are some of the other distinguishing features of the new store.

“The new hypermarket will offer a window of opportunity to the local community. We will encourage the Egyptian agricultural sector by procuring and promoting local agricultural produce and also export them to our stores across the GCC and Far East. Currently we are exporting EGP 50 million and this will go up to EGP 150 million next year,” Yusuffali adds.

Some of the main exporting products include fruits and vegetable, meat, fish, cheese and pickles. The Lulu Group also plans to set up own food processing plants to further boost exports.

“We believe that having a strong national workforce is vital to our long-term success as it helps in creating sustainable community living. Currently, there are more than 800 Egyptians employed at our new hypermarket in Cairo and we intent to employ 10,000 more Egyptians in next two years. We already have more than 3,000 working in our operations in GCC countries and continuously train them in our various operations,” he states.

RetailME Bureau