Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, H E Alessandro Prunas (second left), inaugurating the ‘Let’s Eatalian’, a food festival featuring Italian products at the Al Messila branch of Lulu Hypermarket. Dr. Mohamed Althaf (second right), Director of Lulu Group Intern
Doha: Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, H E Alessandro Prunas inaugurated yesterday ‘Let’s Eatalian’, a new promotion and communication campaign to boost the sales of Italian food products in Qatar in collaboration with Lulu Hypermarkets.
There are many kinds of products involved in the promotional campaign such as canned vegetables, pasta, rice, cheese and dairy products, biscuits, coffee, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables, chocolate, sauces, spices, and condiments among many more.
The promotion and communication campaign has been organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), Trade Promotion Section of the Italian Embassy in Qatar, in collaboration with the large-scale distribution company LuLu Hypermarkets, leader in the GCC with the presence of 192 super and mega-stores in 22 countries.
The promotion, called ‘Let’s Eatalian - Authentically Italian Products Promotion in Qatar 2020-21’, derives from an agreement signed last July between ITA and LuLu Hypermarket. It will see the direct involvement of eleven points of sale in Doha and will run for approximately one year from October 2020 to September 2021.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ambassador of Italy in Doha, H E Alessandro Prunas said: “I am pleased to inaugurate today the campaign ‘Let’s Eatalian’ promoted in Qatar in collaboration with the LuLu Hypermarket. It is an initiative designed to promote and taste a wide range of ‘Made in Italy’ products, while telling the unique story of the extraordinary Italian gastronomic heritage. We are encouraged by the continuous growth of Italian agrofood exports to Qatar where, despite the global difficulties caused by the pandemic, the increase of over 9 percent of our exports in the first half of this year confirms the recognition of quality and excellence of our products.”
He said that there is good reason why people eat Italian food; because it is healthy, of high quality, and meets safety and environmental standards. “This is a very exciting partnership and I hope this will be a long standing partnership,” said Prunas.
Ambassador of Italy to Qatar H E Alessandro Prunas (second right) and Director of Lulu Group International, Dr. Mohamed Althaf (second left), with other senior officials from the embassy and Lulu touring after the envoy inaugurated the ‘Let’s Eatalian’, at the Al Messila branch of Lulu Hypermarket yesterday.
The scope of the promotion, implemented by Italian Trade Agency through its Office in Doha, with the coordination of the Italian Embassy, is to allow the local public to discover Italian excellence in the food sector and to encourage the consumption of Made in Italy products.
Speaking on the occasion, Director of Lulu Group International, Dr. Mohamed Althaf, said: “There has been a surging demand and recognition of the ‘Made in Italy’ products. This is an opportunity for promoting excellent Italian products in Qatar. Thanks to the efforts of Italian Trade Agency."
“Since we started trade relation with Italy, we have been able to take the partnership forward by bringing the most authentic 100 percent Italian food products to Qatar.”
He said that Italian food products are well-known in our market and other markets of the world for their fantastic quality, highest safety standard and wide varieties and there is an increasing demand for good quality Italian food products in Qatar and other countries of the region.
“As part of strengthening our long standing business relations with Italy now we have dedicated Italian corners in most of our hypermarkets. Based on our data from the last festival to this one we have added almost over 1,000 Italian products,” said Dr. Althaf
The entire promotion will revolve around four special moments ‘Weeks of Made in Italy promotion’, in October and December 2020, in March and June 2021 as well. During these periods, the involved Lulu stores will set up dedicated areas where the new Italian products might be exhibited, tasted, and sold.
Giosafat Riganò, ITA Trade Commissioner said: “We are particularly happy with the agreement signed by ICE-Agency and LuLu Hypermarkets. We believe that the promotion that has just started will help us to raise awareness and appreciation of the local market towards Italian food.
"It is a privilege for us to work with an international player like LuLu Group, whose exceptional commitment will help to give further boost to the already positive Italian exports to this important Gulf market."
The sales of Italian products will take place through individual stores and by the LuLu Hypermarket e-commerce website. LuLu buyers will be offered the opportunity to select new products through the new digital business platforms recently created by CIBUS and MACFRUT, as well as through trade missions to Italy, organised by Italian Trade Agency, at the most important Italian food & beverage trade exhibitions between the second semester 2020 and the first six months of 2021.
