Coming soon: Beauty retailer Mecca to make Pako home
A former paint shop is being transformed into the second local outlet of a popular beauty brand as billionaire Nigel Austin’s revamp of the river end of Pakington St continues to take shape.
The evolution of a suburban Geelong shopping strip continues with confirmation that a popular beauty retailer will establish its second store at the river end of Pakington St.
Mecca is set to open a new store on Pakington St by the end of 2025, with the inclusion of a large perfumeria.
A Mecca spokeswoman said the new store will introduce an expanded range of brands and products in addition to what is currently available at Mecca in Westfield.
“MECCA Pakington St will deliver an elevated beauty experience for local customers, featuring an extended curation of luxury and emerging global brands,” the spokeswoman said.
“Customers will gain access to new brands, including Diptyque, Replica, Dries Van Noten, Tsu Lang Yor, To My Ships, Uni, Osea, Violette_FR, and Bamford, among others.
“In addition, it will offer increased availability of redeemable beauty services, including make-up applications and skin treatments, making it the ultimate destination for beauty lovers in the Geelong community.”
Mecca has begun advertising jobs for its Newtown store, which will operate from the former K & M Paints site at 340 Pakington St, next to fashion labels Kookai and Ena Pelly.
It will be the company’s second Geelong location, adding to its Westfield store that opened in 2021.
An official opening date for the Pakington St outlet has not been confirmed, but the company’s recruitment push and signage on the hoarding suggests the shop fit out is well under way.
According to online recruitment hubs Indeed and Jora, Mecca is seeking a retail manager, skin and fragrance specialists, and a replenishment assistant for the new store.
Nearby traders said the arrival of the beauty chain would boost foot traffic and strengthen the strip’s fashion and lifestyle offering.
“There is nothing like it along here, so I think it will be great,” a Kookai employee said.
“I guess the same kind of people who would typically shop at Mecca would probably also like our stuff.
“Feels like a win-win for everyone.”
Mecca’s local expansion follows the August launch of its flagship store in Melbourne – a three-storey Bourke St outlet known as the “pink palace”.
The new tenancy forms part of a broader rejuvenation by billionaire Cotton On founder Nigel Austin, who has bought up property on the strip and brought in new retailers over the past three years.
K & M Paints had occupied 340 Pakington St address for three decades but owner Kevin Spoors said last year that when Mr Austin purchased the property he was told a significant rental hike would come when his current lease expired.
“I know they want me out, it’s just a matter of time,” Mr Spoors said at the time.
Mr Austin’s rejuvenation also includes the former Village Store building and 326 Pakington St, which was converted from a vacant laneway into a retail space that is now home to LuvSky – a jewellery store founded by his daughter, Sky Austin.
Mr Austin also transformed what was a carpark on the opposite corner to the Cremorne Hotel into a Decjuba store – a fashion brand owned by his ex-wife Tania Austin – that opened in 2023.
And in a further sign of the area’s modernisation, the Cremorne Hotel ownership group, which includes Cats great Billy Brownless, has sought approval from Geelong council for a $4.5m upgrade.
The most stark change would see the lower bistro area that looks onto Pakington St replaced by four ground floor retail spaces that would have a rooftop terrace built above.
The terrace would flow out from a new upstairs area that would include a bar and dining area.
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Originally published as Coming soon: Beauty retailer Mecca to make Pako home
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