The shopping habits of consumers have shifted towards healthy foods, especially this Ramadan season, a store manager has told Gulf Times.
“Consumers are spending more on fruits and vegetables, including gluten-free items and other healthy foods,” LuLu Hypermarket deputy general manager Malik Mohamed explained.
“We’ve observed this trend - people are becoming more conscious of what they eat. There is also a growing number of customers frequenting a designated aisle where they can choose from a variety of organic, gluten-free, fructose-free, low-fat and low-sodium foods,” he said.
“In the days leading to the start of Ramadan, our fruits and vegetable section has been one of busiest areas in the store. Rather than stocking on chips, sweets and other snacks, we observed that people have opted to buy healthy provisions for the holy month.”
Mohamed also noted that customer feedback and comments on social media have helped LuLu’s management address the shopping needs of its consumers, especially requests for “healthy brands”.
“We regularly receive requests from consumers for a particular brand. Depending on the availability of the product from our suppliers, we try to have the stocks on our shelves immediately. Customer feedback helps us respond quickly to what our shoppers need,” Mohamed stressed.
Previously, LuLu regional manager (Qatar & Egypt) Shanavas PM said they had started Ramadan-related preparations last month.
“We tapped our UK and India offices, as well as those in the Far East like Thailand and Malaysia, for advanced procurements to avoid any delays.”
“Also, we have piled on stocks and co-ordinated with suppliers to ensure the availability of sought-after products, which are kept in a 30,000sqm warehouse at the Logistics Village,” he explained.
“The consumption of meat increases during Iftar and last year we ran short in the availability of chicken. To make sure that our stocks are available this year, we have introduced our own fresh chicken from Saudi Arabia following a partnership with Tanmia, which is co-branding for LuLu.”
A manager of another hypermarket said the government’s health-related programmes are mainly responsible for raising awareness towards healthy living, specifically engaging in exercise and maintaining a proper diet.
“Aside from the availability of healthy foods in stores and hypermarkets, physical fitness equipment found along Doha’s Corniche and in parks across Qatar entice people to get fit.
“My family and I have dedicated a certain day in the week when we would take leisurely strolls. Not only do we get to bond together but it also serves as a light exercise for the entire family.”