LuLu Group opens supermarket in Lucknow: Here’s everything you need to know about the Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate

Remember iPhone launch queues ?
Here is our Kerala’s Lulu Mall sale queue at midnight:

pic.twitter.com/X4cCcFDbYi

— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) July 9, 2022

Founded by Abu Dhabi-based Indian businessman Yusuff Ali MA in 2000, LuLu Group is a highly diversified conglomerate and its businesses include supermarkets, food processing, realty and financial services. In India, it runs its popular supermarkets in Kochi, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram. It has a significant presence in many Gulf nations as well as the US, the UK, Italy and China, among other countries and has 235 retail stores in total.

The 66-year-old businessman was born in the Thrissur district of Kerala, where he did his schooling before moving to Gujarat to pursue business management. He left India in 1973 and went to Abu Dhabi to join the EMKE Group of companies.

Ali is not just known for his success in business but also for his philanthropy. Yusuff Ali MA is vice-chairman of the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA ROOTS), Government of Kerala. He is also a former member of India’s Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council from 2008-2014.

LuLu Group operates retail stores, supermarkets, department stores, shopping malls and hypermarkets. It produces and processes meat products, manufactures and exports silk, garments, sources, and exports various agro-products, cashew nuts, coffee, rice, pulses, fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, footwear, textiles, luggage, electronics, and household articles.

Apart from the retail business, it also has a presence in businesses such as food processing, and commodities trading private labels. LuLu is the main provider of food and consumer goods. It has two of the largest food processing facilities in India in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai founded by FAIR EXPORTS. It is also present in the hospitality sector and owns five-star luxury properties, big convention centres and travel consulting companies.

The retail arm LuLu Hypermarket operates over 200 stores and is immensely popular with shoppers across the GCC, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. As per the information provided on LuLu Group’s website, it has 18 hypermarkets and 7 shopping malls in the pipeline.

The LuLu Group has a workforce of over 57,000 from 42 countries and has an annual turnover of $8 billion globally, according to the website. It has operational bases are across the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Turkey, Spain, Italy, UK, USA and India. Its Indian subsidiary LuLu Group India has stretched its operation in hypermarkets, shopping malls, food processing units, e-commerce and fun stations.

LuLu Group International’s brand-retailing unit Tablez had last year launched ‘House of Toys’, India’s first global kids’ super store at Bengaluru. It is expanding ‘GO Sport’, which is a one-stop organised sports retailer with multiple power brands and private labels. Tablez has interests in fashion, speciality retail, and food and beverages across GCC and India and plans to open over 100 stores in India in 2022.

(with PTI inputs)