Mecca is an Australian beauty retailer founded in 1997 by Jo Horgan, a former executive at L’Oréal. Privately owned by the founder and her husband, Mecca operates 110 stores, serving over 4.5 million customers annually and employing 7,000 people as of 2025.

The company doesn’t disclose sales figures but says it has grown tenfold since 2017. A 2022 IBIS report estimated Mecca’s revenues to be approximately equivalent to €580 million. Other industry sources estimate revenue to be around €865m.[1] According to WWD’s BeautyInc, Mecca continues to outperform the overall market in Australia and is expected to end 2025 with around €1 billion in turnover. Horgan says Mecca’s growth rate is three times higher than the 2024 Australian prestige beauty market, which posted a 3% year-over-year growth.

Succeeding in maintaining its pole position in the market despite Sephora's power and means to develop in Australia, Mecca is an interesting company in its own right. The retailer also has more outlets than the two leading Australian department stores combined, David Jones’ and Myer’s 100 stores. Said to be the world’s biggest standalone beauty store, the recent opening of Mecca’s new flagship store in Melbourne (pics attached) is an opportunity to understand more about the retailer’s success.

[1] In comparison, Sephora has 3,000 stores in 35 countries and generated €18bn revenue in 2024.

IADS Exclusive – Rivalling Sephora, rewriting beauty retail: inside Mecca’s rise

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