UAE hypermarket LuLu opens first women-led store in Saudi Arabia
Published 11 Feb,2021 via Arab News - Economy - The UAE-based retailer LuLu Group has opened its first store led by an all-women staff in the Kingdom, in a pioneering move designed at reaffirming the group’s commitment to the economic empowerment of Saudi women in line with the Vision 2030 reform plan.
The soft opening of the new LuLu Express, located in Jeddah’s Al-Jamiah district, further strengthens the retailer’s presence in the western region of Saudi Arabia, thereby increasing its total store count to 201 globally.
“Apart from introducing innovative shopping platforms, we are proud to announce that this is our very first store led by our female team, from the general manager to the cashiers, which signifies our effort to empower more Saudi women in the workforce,” said Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Hypermarkets Saudi Arabia
He added: “At present, we employ 3,000 Saudi nationals including 800 women in all the hypermarkets across the country in various positions and our aim is to encourage more women in our organization, thereby ensuring Saudi women’s economic participation.”
Maha Mohammed Alqarni, general manager of the newly launched store, said: “I am extremely happy to be part of LuLu Group’s first ever store that is fully managed by women. This is such a great honor for me to represent the growing community of Saudi women who are supporting the progress of the country’s economic activities and aiming to share their skills, making a greater contribution to the public.”
Located near King Abdul Aziz University, in a retail space of 37,000 square feet, the express store — which is the 20th in Saudi Arabia — is home to a wide variety of globally sourced products, such as grocery essentials, fresh food, health and beauty, household and much more.
“The LuLu brand has always been known for catering to shoppers based not only in city centers, but also in the outskirts and suburbs, where people do not need to drive long distances. We are committed to providing world-class shopping and we shall continue meeting the lifestyle needs of our clientele base,” said Mohammed.
In view of the COVID-19 crisis and public movement restrictions, an inaugural function was not held. To support the government’s mandate, LuLu only permits entry to shoppers who have downloaded the Tawakkalna app as a safety precaution.
In the midst of the pandemic, LuLu has played a crucial role in ensuring an uninterrupted supply of food and non-food products, while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene, health and safety of both its customers and employees. Enhanced sanitization programs and social distancing norms are being adhered to as per industry protocols.
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