The UAE-based retail group Lulu opened its first mall in India in Kochi, Kerala in 2013. Since then, the mall has been able to transform the way Kerala shops. “Being the first avenue for large-scale organised retail in Kerala that provides great value as a complete shopping and entertainment destination, we have been able to stay far ahead of competition across the state,” says Shibu Philips, Business Head, Lulu Mall. With 225 operational stores and 22 kiosks, it comes with everything that is required to whet the desire of a discerning shopper – from branded apparels, fashion accessories, jewellry, gifts, and electronic items to food courts, restaurants, coffee shops and an excellent entertainment experience that serves the needs of both locals and international tourists.
CHANGING TENANT MIX
“We are in a churning mode now and have been trying to reinvent the existing spaces to accommodate the big retail players. Therefore, we have transformed complete corridors to new zones in the mall by bringing in brands like Forever New, Hamleys, Howards, Punjab Grill, Aldo, Steve Madden, Gas, Wrogn and more for the first time to Kerala. We have 50+ international brands (30%) and 150+ national and local brands (70%).We are also concentrating on building up the food and entertainment categories in the mall at par with the fashion sector. As such, food and beverage will get more prominence from the current occupancy of 10-12% to at least 30-35%. There will be a scaling up of the entertainment and cinema sections also,” Philips informs.
FORTHCOMING PROJECTS
The Lulu Group is currently in an expansion mode. “Our next projects are in Trivandrum and Lucknow, expected to be completed towards the beginning of 2019. Very soon, we will be opening a reduced mall concept of the Lulu Group under the brand name ‘Y Mall’ in Triprayar – a small town with big potential. We also have expansion plans to take our mall to Vizag, Hyderabad and Calicut, some of which are mixed use properties,” Philips reveals.
