Hey, Beauty Loopers! You’re going to want to clear your schedule on this day: Friday, August 8. Yep, after months of speculation on the official opening date (not to mention years of planning, construction and unexpected delays), the sparkling jewel in Mecca’s crown is officially ready to open – and trust us when we say it’s been worth the wait.
The launch of the massive Bourke Street flagship store will mark the beginning of a bold era in Mecca’s history, and set a new gold standard for experiential beauty retail. Spanning 4,000 square metres across three storeys (that’s three times the size of Sydney’s George Street store), it will play host to upwards of 200 leading beauty brands, 80-plus services and more than 300 team members. Oh, it’s also estimated that 50,000 people will walk through the doors weekly.
Specifically designed as an all-day destination where no two visits are the same, what awaits inside can only be described as the beauty playground of your wildest dreams. There’s the Perfumeria, aka an immersive fragrance gallery guided by scent sommeliers (yes, really); the Apothecary, where on-site naturopaths can advise on wellness issues relating to sleep and gut health; the Beauty Atelier, for hair, make-up and nail appointments; and Mecca Aesthetica, with seven private rooms for cosmetic consultations and clinical skin treatments like meso-needling and microdermabrasion.
But wait, there’s more! The Meccaversity Auditorium is a world-first educational space that will offer a year-round program of events, workshops, masterclasses and brand founder talks. There’s also a dedicated gifting area and a newsroom – where you can stay up to date on all the latest beauty news, of course. And because we know there’s nothing worse than shopping on an empty stomach, there will even be a café on level one where you can refuel, complete with a custom marble bar and leather banquette seating.
One more thing: renowned Melbourne florist Flowers Vasette will also have an in-house cool room where you can pick up fresh blooms and bespoke arrangements. After all, there’s nothing like a side of tulips to go with your purchase of Byredo’s La Tulipe perfume.
“Mecca Bourke Street is the physical embodiment of our purpose – to embolden through beauty by helping people look, feel and be their best,” says Mecca founder and Co-CEO Jo Horgan. “It reimagines what experiential retail can be, fusing creativity, culture, and collaboration to create something so much more than a store – it’s the Mecca of all Meccas.”
There’s beauty in the heritage-listed building itself, too. The exact location of the flagship store is 299 Bourke Street – which was originally the site of Cole’s Book Arcade, once regarded as one of the largest and grandest book stores in the world. The space has been beautifully preserved in partnership with Studio McQualter, with original features like the arched windows, terrazzo flooring and shopfront tiles remaining.
So, who’s ready for the beauty revolution? Find out more about the flagship store here and we’ll see you there on August 8.
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