Mecca (cosmetics)
 Mecca Maxima store in Westfield Carousel | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1997 in South Yarra, Australia |
| Founder | Jo Horgan |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 100+ (2024) |
Area served |
|
Key people |
|
Number of employees | 7000+ (2024) |
| Website | mecca |
MECCA is an Australian beauty retailer. The company was founded in Melbourne in 1997. There are more than 100 MECCA stores across Australia and New Zealand, in addition to its online store.[1] MECCA reaches over four million customers every year and offers more than 200 beauty brands from all over the world, as well as MECCA's own in house brands — MECCA COSMETICA, MECCA MAX, AND kit.[1]
History
[edit]MECCA was founded in 1997 by Jo Horgan, then 29 years old, who opened the company's first store in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra.[2] The company launched with seven brands unavailable in Australia including NARS, Stila and Vincent Longo.[1][3]
1999 saw more stores opening across Melbourne and Sydney, as well as MECCA's runway debut at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week where the team created looks for nine shows.
MECCA launched its online store in 2001, one of the first beauty retailer websites in Australia.[2]
In 2003 MECCA's own signature line, MECCA COSMETICA, was launched. This was then followed up by the launch of kit Cosmetics in 2005. [2]
In 2007, with multiple stores now open all across Australia, MECCA launched into New Zealand.[3]
With a growing customer base, MECCA decided to reward its customers by launching the MECCA Beauty Loop Rewards Program in 2012. The rewards program is free to join and regularly gifts customers with products they love and popular brands to try.[4]
In 2017 MECCA launched its MECCA MAX brand.[3] The same year, MECCA launched its social change program, M-POWER, which aims to educate, elevate and empower women and girls to help create a world where everyone has the same rights and opportunities.[5]
In 2018, the company held its first MECCAland, a three-day beauty festival.[1]
As a business with a passion for sustainability, MECCA partnered with TerraCycle in 2019 and have so far saved nearly one million beauty empties from ending up in landfill.[6]
All MECCA packaging (both in store and online) is 100 percent kerbside recyclable — including the handle on MECCA bags.
In late 2019, the company faced allegations of discrimination, bullying and favouritism from some former and then-current employees. The company pledged to make changes, including establishing a complaints hotline and appointing an external culture specialist.[4]
In August 2020, MECCA began a trial selling into China through the ecommerce platform Tmall Global.[5] In July 2021, the company launched the MECCA App, as well as a podcast called MECCA Talks which hit #1 on the Apple Arts and Spotify Fashion and Beauty charts across Australia and New Zealand in its first week of launch.[6][7] In August 2022, MECCA relaunched its kit brand, after closing it in 2016, as a gender-neutral, plant-based skincare range.[7]
In 2022 M-POWER was relaunched, with the company committing $25 million over five years to advancing gender equality.[8]
In 2023, an independent review commissioned by the company found that 1600 current and former employees had been underpaid between July 2016 and July 2022 and were owed a combined total of about $560,000. The company paid back the employees.[8]
In June 2023, MECCA expanded to the UK by selling its best-selling product, the To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen, on its UK website.[9]
MECCA has since grown to become the leading beauty retailer in Australia with a 2022 posted revenue of $971 million, compared to global beauty retailer Sephora who only recorded $246 million that same year.[9]
Operations
[edit]Jo Horgan leads the business with her husband Peter Wetenhall who is co-owner and co-chief executive, having joined MECCA in 2005.[2] The company's headquarters and support centre are located in Richmond.[10]
Most of the brands MECCA stocks are exclusive to the company.[11][1] MECCA manages sales, marketing and distribution for its brands.[11] MECCA's private label brands are MECCA Cosmetica, MECCA MAX, and kit.[1]
There are over 100 MECCA stores across Australia and New Zealand.[1] MECCA has three types of stores: MECCA Cosmetica, the original prestige boutique concept; MECCA Maxima, aimed at younger consumers; and MECCA, which combines both concepts.[1] Additionally, MECCA has concessions in several Myer department stores.[1] Some MECCA stores also offer beauty treatments and consultations such as makeup glam and lessons, skin services like facials and skin needling, brow and lash services, ear piercing, as well as hair styling.[11][10]
The company has a growing team of 7000 team members.[12] MECCAversity — the company's beauty education portal — was developed and launched for employees in May 2020 and later opened up to customers.[13][1]
MECCA's loyalty program is called Beauty Loop. It has over 4.3 million members, as of 2020.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Traill-Nash, Glynis (24 October 2023). "How Mecca Dominates the Australian Beauty Market". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Mitchell, Sue (6 August 2019). "Jo Horgan, the accidental cosmetics queen". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ a b Rippon, Remy (6 April 2018). "Mecca Cosmetica's Jo Horgan on the business of beauty and being at the helm of a multi-million dollar operation". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ Powell, Dominic (17 November 2019). "'It's all fake': Beauty giant Mecca facing bullying claims". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Sams, Lauren (18 August 2020). "Mecca makes play for Chinese market". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Abaño, Joyce (22 July 2021). "Listen up: Why Mecca is tuning in to the world of podcasting". Inside Retail Australia. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ Joyce, Emma (2 August 2022). "After Five Years, Australian Beauty Brand Kit Is Back with a New Look and Gender-Neutral, Plant-Based Products". Broadsheet. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Koehn, Emma (23 March 2023). "Beauty retailer Mecca discovers it owes staff $560,000". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Conti, Samantha (16 June 2023). "Australia's Mecca to Debut in Europe With Bestselling SPF Cream". WWD. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Xidias, Angelica (19 July 2023). "Office tour: inside Mecca's functional and light-filled support centre". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Sams, Lauren; Sprague, Julie-anne (4 June 2021). "How two Melbourne entrepreneurs stole the beauty market". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Sams, Lauren; LaFrenz, Carrie (1 November 2024). "How Mecca outfoxed Sephora in the Australian beauty glow-up". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Hui-Miller, Jo-Anne (17 September 2021). "Class is in session: Get schooled on skincare at MECCAversity". Inside Retail Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Paige (27 November 2020). "RESET - MECCA founder Jo Horgan on the brand's most powerful marketing lever - AdNews". www.adnews.com.au. Retrieved 24 February 2024.