LuLu opens its ‘biggest, most innovative hypermarket' in Qatar's Abu Sidra Mall

* 'From Super Food Pantry to zero-waste refill aisle, the Middle East’s 'largest hypermarket' is set to 'revolutionise' the way people shop

Leading retail chain LuLu Hypermarket Monday opened its 15th store in Qatar, at Abu Sidra Mall. The new store, which has a vast retail area spanning 24,000sqm, has "again strengthened LuLu’s presence in the region and is set to transform the country’s retail shopping experience", according to a press statement.The mall is located in the Abu Sidra area of Muaither.The new hypermarket is spread over two levels and its innovations include the following: * Smart technology utilised to make the shopping experience smoother – from self-checkouts to a new system to ensure no line exceeds three shoppers at any one time.* Qatar’s biggest and most comprehensive zero-waste refill station where shoppers can refill reusable containers with dry goods, including pasta, grains and other items.* A vegan butchery offering plant-based meat alternatives.* A sushi station with a trained sushi chef freshly made maki rolls and sashimi.* The Super Food Pantry – stocking affordable superfood items, including acai, quinoa and goji berries.* A honey station with regional and international honey sold by weight* The largest and most spacious produce section of any of LuLu’s Qatar stores.* LuLu Cooking School – a multifunction area where local and international chefs will do virtual and in-person cooking sessions.The inaugural ceremony was held in the presence of LuLu Group chairman and managing director Yusuffali M A, Sheikh Jassim Mohamed H A al-Thani, Sheikh Hassan bin Khalid H A al-Thani and other dignitaries, including Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan, Fardan Fahad Alfardan, Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, MBHH Group executive director Fathi Ibrahim K Aburish, Commercial Bank Group CEO Joseph Abraham, Doha Bank Group CEO Dr R Seetharaman and LuLu Group director Dr Mohamed Althaf.“We are proud that the 215th LuLu has opened in Qatar and has already become a commercial and retail space landmark of sorts. Of course, the excitement over presenting arguably the world’s largest hypermarket is giving us all a great buzz, but what we are really focused on is that we should deliver the same level of excellence in customer service and quality to our valued customers in this new hypermarket. That is the LuLu promise we are striving to keep,” said Yusuffali M A.He added, “Abu Sidra Hypermarket, which is the 15th LuLu outlet in Qatar, is a reaffirmation of the group’s confidence in the vision and energy of Qatar’s leadership and part of a global expansion plan that has already put the group in the Deloitte Top 150 list of Global Retailers for 2021. “The world is well on its way to recovery after a harsh business setback during the pandemic, and robust businesses like ours have to match our capacity and vision with that of the countries we are working in to help the recovery process. Qatar is gearing up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, football’s biggest tournament, and also for the Asian Games 2030. We are confident of the upward development trajectory of the nation.”Althaf said the greatly anticipated new store “would revolutionise how people shop for everyday essentials in Qatar”.He said, “LuLu Hypermarket, Abu Sidra reflects the vision of our chairman and managing director for innovation in retail and his commitment to sustainability. It also delivers on our enduring promise to our loyal customers to not only improving the shopping experience but also bring them new products and services at an affordable price.“We are especially proud of innovations, such as Qatar’s largest zero-waste refill station, a meat-free service counter and an on-trend cookery school. We have also thought about how customers want to shop – from the in-store comfortable seating area to our new self-service check-outs. "As a group, we can’t wait for our customer to experience the future of shopping.”