Background: Mecca, the Melbourne-born beauty retailer founded in 1997, has grown into the most dominant beauty player across Australia and New Zealand. With over 7,000 staff and more than 110 stores... it has become a bit of a beauty beast.

What happened: Now, Mecca has hit $1.43 billion in revenue for the 2025 calendar year... up more than $60 million from the previous year. To put that into perspective, it's making double the revenue from beauty as department store Myer,  

What else: The growth isn't just coming from products... it's being driven by in-store experiences. Mecca has been rolling out a bunch of new brick and mortar stores. The stores offer services like facials, ear piercing, and even acupuncture with the goal of turning a simple shopping trip into something more immersive.  

What's the key learning?

💡 In the digital era, stores that feel like an experience are the ones that thrive. Around 71% of consumers say experiencing a brand in-store strengthens their connection and loyalty. And Mecca is leaning into that with services like facials tied to its products.

💡 So far, it's working. Mecca's new $50 million Melbourne CBD flagship store needed around 50,000 visitors per week just to break even. It was pulling in over 70,000 weekly visitors when it first opened last year.

💡 Brands that can combine convenience, with experience do better at capturing customers by meeting them where they are. And for Mecca, the've clearly identifed the future of retail is blending simple online experiences with immersive in-store experiences.