Mecca’s Biggest Leap Yet

Australian beauty retail has reached a new milestone with the opening of Mecca 3000, the brand’s largest ever flagship store, located in the heart of Melbourne’s Bourke Street. With a $50 million investment, founder Jo Horgan transformed the historic David Jones building into a 4,000 square metre beauty playground. The store now combines luxury retail, experiential spaces, and next generation services.

Dubbed Mecca 3000 in reference to both its scale and futuristic vision, the flagship goes far beyond being a shop. In fact, it is a multi-level beauty universe designed to inspire, educate, and immerse visitors in everything Mecca represents. The store features dedicated treatment rooms, event spaces, exclusive international brands, and personalised services. Together, these elements mark a bold new chapter in how Australians experience beauty.

A Bold Vision for Beauty in Melbourne

When Jo Horgan launched Mecca in 1997, her goal was simple but ambitious: to bring the world’s most exciting beauty brands to Australian consumers. At that time, Australian shoppers had limited access to international names like NARS, Urban Decay, and Too Faced. Mecca changed that, and in doing so, redefined how beauty retail was experienced.

Almost three decades later, Mecca has grown into one of the most successful privately owned beauty retailers in the country. Moreover, the brand operates more than 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand and continues to expand both in physical retail and digital innovation.

Mecca 3000 is not simply a bigger store. Instead, it is a bold declaration of confidence in physical retail. The launch comes at a time when many competitors are closing doors or scaling back. In an interview with The Australian, Jo Horgan described the project as her biggest risk yet, but one she believes is essential to ensure beauty retail remains vibrant and experiential.

Exploring the Mecca 3000 Bourke Street Flagship

A Multi-Level Journey

Spread across three floors, Mecca 3000 offers a carefully designed journey through the world of beauty. Each level celebrates a different part of the Mecca universe, from colour cosmetics to skincare, fragrance, and wellness.

• Ground Floor: A showcase of international makeup brands, Mecca exclusives, and the latest product launches. Beauty lovers can explore hands on counters and receive tailored advice from trained makeup artists.
• First Floor: A hub for skincare and wellness, featuring treatment rooms, consultation lounges, and spaces to try products in a personal way.
• Top Floor: A dynamic space that blends a beauty event venue, a masterclass theatre, and an “innovation hub” where new concepts are developed and tested.

Where Beauty Meets Wellness

One of the most talked about aspects of Mecca 3000 is its wellness focus. Customers can book facials, skin treatments, and holistic services in spa like rooms designed for relaxation and rejuvenation. This emphasis reflects a global shift where beauty retail is more closely linked with wellbeing and self care.

Design Innovation Inside Mecca 3000 Bourke Street

Architecturally, the flagship is as ambitious as its concept. High ceilings, bold design features, and contemporary art installations make the store feel like a gallery. Mecca has always worked with local creatives, and Mecca 3000 continues this tradition with Australian artists featured throughout the space.

How Mecca 3000 Bourke Street is Changing the Beauty Landscape

The Role of Physical Stores

Online shopping has grown rapidly. Nevertheless, Mecca 3000 shows that people still want to touch, test, and experience beauty in person. The store provides a sensory journey that digital platforms cannot match. Customers can swatch, smell, and trial products before committing, creating a more personal and memorable connection.

Mecca 3000 Bourke Street as a Melbourne Retail Icon

The Bourke Street location adds cultural weight. Melbourne is home to Mecca’s headquarters, and transforming the former David Jones site into a beauty superstore signals confidence in the city’s retail future. The choice of location also secures Bourke Street’s reputation as a shopping destination, giving it a new landmark that attracts both locals and tourists.

Competing on the Global Stage

While global players like Sephora and department stores like David Jones and Myer have strong footholds in the Australian market, Mecca’s flagship is unlike anything they offer. With its emphasis on personalised services, exclusive brands, and immersive events, Mecca 3000 positions the brand not only as a retailer but also as a cultural leader in the beauty space.

The Customer Experience

Shoppers entering Mecca 3000 are greeted by floor to ceiling displays and rows of colourful cosmetics. The scene feels almost theatrical. Beyond the product shelves, the brand has invested in customer first services to make each visit unique.

• Personalised consultations: Beauty experts are on hand to guide shoppers through skincare routines or colour matching foundations.
• Workshops and classes: On the upper levels, regular tutorials help customers master new looks and learn professional tips.
• Immersive trials: Customers can test products in real life conditions, from fragrance booths to light adjusting mirrors that mimic natural settings.

This focus on hands on discovery ensures that the flagship is not simply about buying products but about creating an experience that encourages customers to return.

How Customers Are Responding

Even before opening, Mecca 3000 created huge a buzz on social media. For instance, many described it as “Disneyland for makeup” and “the future of beauty shopping.” Early visitors report the experience as overwhelming yet exciting, with every corner offering something new to explore.

For Melburnians, the flagship has quickly become a source of pride. It positions the city as home to one of the world’s most ambitious beauty destinations, proving that Melbourne is more than capable of competing with New York, London, or Tokyo when it comes to beauty retail.

The Risk and Reward of Mecca 3000 Bourke Street

With a $50 million price tag, the project represents a significant risk. Retail has faced challenges in recent years, and some experts question whether such a large investment in physical retail is sustainable, especially given the rise of online shopping and the pressures on CBD foot traffic.

But Mecca has a history of anticipating what customers want. By betting on experience led spaces, the brand is positioning itself for a future where shopping is about more than just products. As Horgan noted, beauty is about connection and joy. Mecca 3000 captures that ethos in a way that simply browsing a website cannot.

A New Standard for Beauty Retail

The launch of Mecca 3000 Bourke Street is a turning point for both the Australian and global beauty industry. The store raises the bar for what a flagship can be, combining shopping, wellness, artistry, and culture.

For Jo Horgan, it represents the culmination of nearly 30 years of innovation and a willingness to take bold risks. For customers, it is an invitation to step into a world where beauty is an experience, not just a transaction.

As beauty retail evolves, Mecca 3000 may become the blueprint for how brands around the world approach flagship spaces in the years to come.