LuLu Group opened two retail outlets at Shenoy Nagar and Chennai Central Metro Stations on Monday. The Shenoy Nagar facility is India's first hypermarket inside a metro station. Chairman M. A. Yusuff Ali said, "We are very happy to be in Chennai," and plans to open 20-plus locations soon.
Retail major LuLu Group entered Chennai on Monday, opening two retail outlets at Shenoy Nagar and Chennai Central Metro Stations.
LuLu makes its long-awaited Chennai debut with two distinct retail formats in the city's metro network -- LuLu Hypermarket at Shenoy Nagar Metro Station and LuLu Daily at Chennai Central Metro Station.
LuLu Hypermarket and LuLu Daily
Spanning about 1 lakh sq. ft., the Shenoy Nagar facility is also India's first and largest hypermarket within a metro station. The development comprises a 56,000 sq. ft. supermarket and a 50,000 sq. ft. department store housing LuLu Fashion Store and LuLu Connect. Customers can shop for groceries, fresh produce, daily essentials, fashion, footwear and electronics under one roof. The facility also offers parking for more than 1,000 vehicles.
Yusuff Ali MA , the chairperson of LuLu Group at the opening of its first hypermarket at the Shenoy Nagar metro in Chennai
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Yusuff Ali MA , the chairperson of LuLu Group at the opening of its first hypermarket at the Shenoy Nagar metro in Chennai
At Chennai Central Metro Station, LuLu Daily spans 35,000 sq. ft. and offers fresh market products, groceries and everyday essentials, catering to metro commuters and residents in the surrounding areas.
Yusuff Ali on Chennai expansion
Speaking to businessline at the inauguration, LuLu Chairman M. A. Yusuff Ali expressed his happiness over LuLu Group's entry into Chennai and also thanked State government officials for support and cooperation over the past few years.
"We are very happy to be in Chennai, one of the most cosmopolitan cities with good buying power. We are particularly excited about setting this up in the Metro station and want people from all walks of life to choose LuLu for their monthly purchases," he said. This is only the beginning; we will continue to expand here, he added.
LuLu Group entered Chennai with two retail outlets at Shenoy Nagar and Chennai Central Metro Stations. The Shenoy Nagar facility houses a hypermarket, supermarket and department store, while LuLu Daily at Chennai Central offers groceries and everyday essentials.
More investments planned in Tamil Nadu
The retail industry titan announced plans to establish a mini mall in Tiruppur. He also said the group is interested in setting up a food processing unit in Tamil Nadu, highlighting its intention to explore further investment opportunities in the state.
Sources in the know said a much-awaited LuLu mall will soon enter Chennai and is still on the cards.
Dignitaries attend inauguration
Speaker JCD Prabhakar inaugurated the stores in the presence of LuLu Group Chairman M. A. Yusuff Ali. Ministers Raj Mohan and Venkataramanan, along with MLAs Kanimozhi Santhosh and V. K. Ramkumar, attended the inaugural ceremony.
LuLu Group Executive Director M. A. Asharaf Ali, LuLu India CEO M. A. Nishad, Directors V. Nandakumar and Joy Shadanandan, and Regional Director E. V. Rajesh also attended, along with other management representatives.
Executive director Asharaf Ali said Chennai and Tamil Nadu are important destinations for the company's expansion plans. We are planning a mix of various store formats in over 20 locations in Chennai itself, he added.