Leslie Massey
Australian beauty retailer Mecca is the largest prestige beauty retailer in Australia, with over 100 stores across the country and New Zealand. The company was founded by Jo Horgan, who opened the first store in Melbourne in 1997. Horgan currently leads the business with her husband Peter Wetenhall, who is co-owner and co-chief executive.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of stores | 100+ across Australia and New Zealand |
| Ownership | Jo Horgan and her husband, Peter Wetenhall |
| Number of employees | 7400+ |
| Number of customers | 4.5 million+ |
| Number of brands | 200+ |
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What You'll Learn
- Mecca is Australian-owned by Jo Horgan and her husband, Peter Wetenhall
- The company is Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer
- It has over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand
- Mecca has three types of stores: Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Maxima, and Mecca
- The company has over 7400 employees and serves 4.5 million customers
Mecca is Australian-owned by Jo Horgan and her husband, Peter Wetenhall
Mecca is an Australian-owned company founded by Jo Horgan and her husband, Peter Wetenhall. Horgan, a former L’Oréal executive, was fed up with men telling women how to buy makeup and skincare, so she decided to open her own store. The first Mecca Cosmetica store opened in South Yarra, Melbourne in 1997. Horgan's vision was to search the world for exciting makeup, niche fragrances, and cutting-edge skincare and bring them to Australia.
Mecca has since become Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer, with over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand. The company has three types of stores: Mecca Cosmetica, the original prestige boutique concept; Mecca Maxima, aimed at younger consumers; and Mecca, which combines both concepts. Mecca has a strong online presence as well, with an e-commerce platform and a popular app.
The company is known for its commitment to providing the best in beauty through its three in-house brands: Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Max, and kit:. Mecca Cosmetica, launched in 2003, offers a curated selection of global beauty brands. Mecca Max, launched in 2017, features vibrant pigments and essential skincare for all. Kit:, relaunched in 2022, offers gender-neutral, plant-based skincare and body care solutions made with sustainable practices.
Mecca is also committed to social change through its M-Power program, which donates money to charities. In 2022, M-Power was relaunched with a $25 million commitment over five years to advance gender equality. The company has a strong focus on education as well, with its beauty education portal, Meccaversity, offering online introductory lessons and masterclasses led by industry experts.
With its success in Australia and New Zealand, Mecca is now looking to expand globally, starting with the launch of its best-selling sunscreen in the UK.
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The company is Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer
Mecca is an Australian-owned company and is Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer. The company was founded by Jo Horgan in 1997, with its first store opening in South Yarra, Melbourne. Horgan, frustrated with the way men dictated how women should buy makeup and skincare, decided to open her own store.
Mecca has since expanded to over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand, with plans to increase its footprint by more than 70% over the next three years. The company has three types of stores: Mecca Cosmetica, the original prestige boutique concept; Mecca Maxima, aimed at younger consumers; and Mecca, which combines both concepts. In addition to its physical stores, Mecca has a strong online presence, with an ecommerce platform and a dedicated app.
Mecca's success can be attributed to its commitment to providing the best in beauty through its three in-house brands: Mecca Cosmetica, launched in 2003, offers a curated selection of global beauty brands; Mecca Max, introduced in 2017, features vibrant pigments and essential skincare for all; and Kit:, relaunched in 2022 as a gender-neutral, plant-based skincare and body care range.
The company's dedication to education is evident through its online learning platform, Meccaversity, which offers introductory lessons and masterclasses to revolutionise the way customers learn about beauty. With over 7400 employees, Mecca prioritises training, providing 200 hours of training to staff in their first year.
Mecca's loyalty program, Beauty Loop, has over 2.9 million members, and the company has a strong focus on social responsibility through its M-Power program, committing $25 million over five years to advancing gender equality.
Mecca's dominance in the Australian beauty market has kept both local and international competitors at bay, and the company is now setting its sights on global expansion, starting with the launch of its best-selling sunscreen in the UK.
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It has over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand
Mecca is an Australian-owned company, founded by Jo Horgan, who runs the business with her husband, Peter Wetenhall, who is co-owner and co-chief executive. The company is entirely owned and funded by the couple.
Mecca has over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand its current footprint of 108 stores by more than 70% over the next three years. The company's flagship store in Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne, will become the largest beauty retail space in the Southern Hemisphere. The company's headquarters and support centre are located in Richmond.
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. The first Mecca Cosmetica store opened in South Yarra, Melbourne, in 1997, offering an expertly curated selection of seven renowned global beauty brands that were not previously available in Australia.
Mecca has since expanded to become Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer, captivating over four million customers every year through its network of 100+ stores, its digital content, its e-commerce platform and app, and its best-in-class Beauty Loop loyalty program. The company services 4.5 million customers across Australia and has 2.9 million members in its loyalty program as of 2025.
Mecca has recently begun to expand internationally, starting with the launch of its best-selling sunscreen in the UK. The company has also had a small e-commerce presence in China since 2020.
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Mecca has three types of stores: Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Maxima, and Mecca
Mecca is an Australian-owned company founded by Jo Horgan, with her husband Peter Wetenhall as co-owner and co-chief executive. The company is the largest prestige beauty retailer in Australia, with over 100 stores across the country and New Zealand.
Mecca has three types of stores:
Mecca Cosmetica
The original prestige boutique concept, the first of which opened in South Yarra in 1997. This store offers an expertly curated selection of renowned global beauty brands, and the in-house brand, Mecca Cosmetica, features uncomplicated beauty essentials. The brand is known for its Australian SPF products, which are subject to strict standards and testing due to the country's climate and outdoor lifestyle.
Mecca Maxima
Mecca Maxima, launched in 2017, is aimed at younger consumers and offers a range of vibrant pigments, essential makeup, and skincare for all. The brand includes Mecca Max, a collection of vibrant pigments and essential skincare suitable for everyone.
Mecca
The third type of store, simply called Mecca, combines the concepts of both Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima.
Mecca has a strong focus on education and customer experience, with an online learning platform called Meccaversity that offers introductory lessons and in-depth masterclasses on beauty-related topics. The company also has a loyalty program called Beauty Loop, with over 2.9 million members as of 2025.
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The company has over 7400 employees and serves 4.5 million customers
With over 7400 employees, Mecca is Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer. The company serves 4.5 million customers annually, captivating them through a network of 100+ stores, digital content, an e-commerce platform, and an app.
Mecca's success is due in large part to the vision and leadership of founder Jo Horgan, who started the company in the living room of her Melbourne home in 1997. Horgan's goal was to bring exciting makeup, niche fragrances, and cutting-edge skincare from around the world to Australians.
The company has three types of stores: Mecca Cosmetica, the original prestige boutique concept; Mecca Maxima, which targets younger consumers; and Mecca, a combination of the first two concepts. In addition to its physical stores, Mecca has a strong online presence, with an extensive e-commerce platform and a dedicated app for customers.
Mecca's commitment to providing the best in beauty has led to the development of three in-house brands: Mecca Cosmetica, launched in 2003; Mecca Max, introduced in 2017; and kit:, a gender-neutral, plant-based skincare range launched in 2022. The company also prioritises education, creating the Meccaversity online learning platform to teach customers about beauty and offer masterclasses led by industry experts.
Mecca's impact extends beyond its products and services. In 2017, the company launched its social change program, M-Power, which donates money to various charities. In 2022, M-Power was relaunched with a $25 million commitment over five years to advance gender equality. The company also faced challenges, including allegations of discrimination and underpaying employees, and has worked to address these issues and improve its culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Mecca is Australian-owned and was founded by Jo Horgan.
Jo Horgan is the founder of Mecca and a former L’Oréal executive. She opened the first Mecca store in South Yarra in 1997.
Yes, Mecca is Australia's largest prestige beauty retailer with over 100 stores across Australia and New Zealand. The company has over 7400 employees and serves over 4 million customers.
Yes, Mecca has recently launched its best-selling sunscreen in the UK and has plans to further expand globally.
