M.A Yusuff Ali Story - Founder Of Lulu Hypermarket

The very first Lulu Hypermarket was founded by him during the 1990s. During this time the retail sector of UAE went across a sea change with marketplaces making way for hypermarkets and neighbourhood stores. As the retail business scene was changed by Continent's entry in 1995, Yusuff Ali took charge of the retail sector of Abu Dhabi as he rolled out the LuLu Hypermarket.

Career

The Lulu Group has a hundred and fourteen supermarkets, hypermarkets along with grocery outlets and most of them can be found in the Middle East. Lately, the company has made expansions in markets of Indonesia and Malaysia where the 'halal' products have become quite popular. All the investments are being pumped by Yusuff Ali who was born in a rural village of southern India.

There is a LuLu mall and a couple of Marriott hotels in Cochin, Kerala in India that is owned by him. He also maintains a waterfront home that is as big as 60,000 square feet. He is engaged with building a technology park known as the Lulu Tech Park along with the Grand Hyatt hotel. He has recently made announcement of investing four hundred and thirty five million dollars in Telangana, another southern state of India that will have hypermarket, mall, meat and food processing unit as well as a convention centre.

LuLu Group International

Yusuff Ali moved to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to join his uncle's business, which was involved in the import and distribution of food products. Recognizing the potential for growth, he diversified the business to include the import and distribution of frozen products from Europe and the United States, catering to the needs of the local market. This strategic expansion laid the foundation for what would later become LuLu Group International.

Establishment of LuLu Group International: In 2000, Yusuff Ali established LuLu Group International, launching the first LuLu Hypermarket in Dubai. The hypermarket chain quickly gained popularity, leading to rapid expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Today, LuLu Hypermarkets are among the top retailers in the Middle East, with over 200 stores in the GCC, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Diversification and Expansion: Beyond retail, LuLu Group has diversified into various sectors, including hospitality, real estate, and food processing. The group owns several shopping malls, such as LuLu Mall in Kochi, Kerala, which was opened in 2013 and is one of the largest malls in India.

Global Presence: Under Yusuff Ali's leadership, LuLu Group has established a significant international presence. The group has operations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States, employing over 65,000 people of various nationalities. In 2013, the group launched operations in Birmingham, UK, with the inauguration of a logistics and packaging facility under the name Y International, aimed at sourcing and exporting products for LuLu Hypermarkets.

Philanthropy and Recognition: Yusuff Ali is known for his philanthropic activities, contributing to various social and charitable causes, particularly in India and the Middle East. His contributions to business and society have earned him numerous accolades, including being ranked among the top Indian business owners in the Arab world by Forbes Middle East.

Recent Developments

In recent years, LuLu Group has continued its expansion in India, opening malls in cities like Lucknow and Hyderabad. The group inaugurated LuLu Mall in Lucknow in July 2022, which is one of the largest malls in India, featuring nearly 300 national and international brands.

In September 2023, LuLu Mall Hyderabad was opened, marking the group's first venture in the state of Telangana. 

Through strategic vision and leadership, M.A. Yusuff Ali has transformed LuLu Group International into a global conglomerate, significantly impacting the retail and hospitality sectors across multiple continents.

Personal Life

As far as his personal life is concerned, Yusuff Ali has three daughters with his wife Shabira Yusuff Ali. He also maintains a waterfront home that is as big as 60,000 square feet. One of the newest toys to his collections is the Embraer Legacy 500 jet. A successful business man from Kerala, Yusuff Ali had been an inspiration to several young aspirants of his community.

Yusuff Ali is married to Shabira Yusuff Ali, and they have three daughters. His eldest daughter, Shabeena, is married to Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, an Indian radiologist and businessman who is the founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings. Dr. Vayalil oversees an extensive investment portfolio, including VPS Healthcare, Burjeel Holdings, and other ventures. Another daughter, Shafeena, is married to Adeeb Ahamed, who manages LuLu International Exchange and Twenty14 Holdings, the hospitality investment arm of the group.

Yusuff Ali's journey from a small town in Kerala to becoming a global business leader is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to both business excellence and social responsibility.