Dubai: The Lulu Group will start a hypermarket in Kottayam within a year, its chairman M A Yusuff Ali has said.

Preliminary steps, such as finding a suitable location, have begun. It will be one among the five hypermarkets that would be started in Kerala.

Also, this will be the first Lulu hypermarket in central Travancore. The hypermarket aims to target people in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts. It is expected that those from Pala, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Adoor and eastern regions of Alappuzha would frequent the hypermarket.

The strong expatriate link to these areas is also likely to benefit the hypermarket.

While recruiting staff, preference would be given to those expats who were forced to return amid the COVID-19 crisis, Yusuff Ali said.