Experience it the Lulu way

Bahrain, with its business-friendly environment and expanding and prosperous middle class, has proved to be a fertile growth zone for the LuLu hypermarket group's flagship LuLu Hypermarket.

With the opening of the third LuLu Hypermarket at Ramli Mall in A'ali, the group is entering a new development phase, said managing director Yusuffali M. A.

The 900,000 sq ft mall is the latest leisure shopping destination in the kingdom and will feature all the attractions of a premium family shopping venue and the LuLu Hypermarket will be its anchor store.

The mall taps a new geographical area which has not so far been explored and which is conveniently located in the tourist corridor off King Fahad Causeway and a busy intersection of residential and school/university zones.

"More than 80 major brands have joined us already at the mall and we are delighted with the enthusiasm of shoppers who have been checking the mall's development," said Mr Yusuffali.

The third hypermarket opens today, spread over two levels and an area of 200,000 sq ft.

Mr Yusuffali said: "This hypermarket has broken new ground in many ways. This store, which is the 86th in our regional chain, makes the group one of the largest retail chains in the region. It is also the first store of this size in A'ali. It is both a significant achievement of rapid growth and confirmation of the group's confidence in Bahrain's bright future."

He said the company has embedded the Vision 2030 development blueprint of Bahrain's leaders into its growth model, adding that the rapid growth of the hypermarket chain in the kingdom was due to the country's stability and economic progress, the far-sighted ambitions of the leadership and the policies the government has put in place to encourage business activity.

He said: "The political wisdom of His Majesty King Hamad, the experienced leadership of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the youthful energy and vision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, have given Bahrain a headstart in laying the foundation for a promising future.

"We at the group are also stakeholders in this success story and believe that Bahrain's stability is a key factor in its future growth."

The third hypermarket makes LuLu the only hypermarket with multiple stores in the kingdom.

Mr Yusuffali said the store was an important milestone in the group's journey to its 100th store landmark by the end of 2011. This would also include a fourth hypermarket in Hidd, which will most likely be the largest in the kingdom.

"We started in 2007 with our first LuLu Hypermarket in Dana Mall and are humbled by the continuing trust and loyalty of our shoppers who have powered our expansion to Riffa and now this third hypermarket and the mall in the third year," he said.

"We have plans for other locations in Bahrain as well."

Over the three years of its operations in Bahrain, LuLu Hypermarket has worked closely with different ministries to align its development with the kingdom's growth.

"After establishing LuLu in all major cities in the Gulf, our current emphasis is on taking it to the different suburbs of main cities, closer to our shoppers so that they don't have to drive longer to reach us," said Mr Yusuffali.

"We believe that our group's emphasis on quality and customer service has helped us deliver stability to the retail market and keep the price of essential goods at an affordable level. LuLu Hypermarket works closely with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Consumer Protection Department to ensure year-round supply of quality products at best prices. For instance, during Ramadan, prices are 'locked' at the most affordable rates to make food and essential supplies available to the common man."

Mr Yusuffali stressed LuLu Hypermarket's commitment to meeting the goals of the Ministry of Labour and making Bahrainis its partners in success and progress.

"We work very closely with the ministry because our group believes that the community is our partner in progress and Bahrainisation is not just number-crunching but the inclusion of stakeholders in the kingdom's success story," he said. "Bahrain has one of the most forward-looking plans for its labour market management and took an early lead in nationalisation. Now, powered by the labour market and education reforms initiated by HRH the Crown Prince, we believe that we shall have access to the talent of hundreds of bright young Bahrainis and are keen to involve them in our growth.

"We are happy that we have succeeded in attracting so many promising Bahrainis to our operations and that we have Bahrainis at every level - from the shop floor to supervisors to managers.

"We work closely with the ministry to train Bahrainis and maximise our Bahrainisation. LuLu Hypermarket's expertise across the region and its global reach have helped us put in place a world-class training and employee satisfaction programme that has delivered rich rewards in the form of high Bahrainisation percentage and excellent quality and customer service which are key to the retail sector.

"We have 1,000 Bahrainis employed with us and the number is rising, our employee retention levels are excellent and our staff contribute richly to our success in the kingdom."

The hypermarket also leverages its popularity for the cause of needy Bahraini families. By working closely with the Ministry of Social Development, all the LuLu Hypermarkets here have popularised the products of the Productive Families Unit.