Rhode Partners With Mecca For Australasian Launch

When Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode announced its much-anticipated launch in Australia and New Zealand, industry insiders took notice—not just for the celebrity sparkle, but for the calculated choice of retail partner. Instead of following its North American playbook and extending its partnership with Sephora, Rhode chose Mecca, the region’s dominant beauty retailer, as its exclusive brick-and-mortar launchpad. This move, as reported by Inside Retail, signals more than a simple distribution strategy; it’s a brand architecture decision that could shape Rhode’s long-term standing in Australasia.

Founded in 2022, Rhode quickly made waves with minimalist, skincare-meets-makeup formulations and a viral social media presence. The brand’s meteoric rise saw it report over US$200 million in sales last year, culminating in a US$1 billion acquisition by ELF Beauty. According to industry sources, demand in Australia was already “white-hot,” with the country topping Rhode’s international waitlist. Now, with the official launch set for February 12, 2026 via rhodeskin.com and in-store at Mecca’s flagship locations on Bourke Street and George Street, anticipation is reaching fever pitch. Most Mecca stores across Australia and New Zealand will stock the range from February 13, 2026, making Rhode’s products widely accessible almost overnight.

Why Mecca, not Sephora? The answer lies in cultural fit and brand alignment. In the U.S. and Canada, Rhode leverages Sephora’s vast scale and omnichannel prowess. But in Australasia, Mecca is the undisputed cultural epicenter of beauty retail. Tracksuit’s brand tracking data shows Mecca outpacing the competition with 72% awareness, 43% consideration, and 14% preference—numbers that eclipse both the category average and Sephora’s performance in the region. As Connor Archbold, CEO and co-founder of Tracksuit, explained to Inside Retail, “In North America, Rhode uses Sephora to drive scale. In Australia and New Zealand, choosing Mecca signals a deliberate play, prioritising brand strength and alignment at launch rather than distribution alone.”

For a celebrity-led brand like Rhode, the challenge in a new market isn’t building awareness—it’s establishing relevance. Local fans have been clamoring for Rhode’s arrival, going so far as to build digital shopping carts, forward TikToks, and even ask friends to mule products from overseas. This pent-up demand gives Rhode the luxury of choosing a retail partner based on qualitative alignment instead of just reach. Tracksuit’s data reveals that Mecca’s core shoppers—those aged 18 to 44—are exactly the demographic that has fueled Rhode’s global fandom. Mecca’s reputation as “trendy, youthful, premium and high quality” could have been lifted straight from Rhode’s own branding materials.

Archbold describes this as “a strategic alignment of two ‘community-first’ powerhouses,” noting that both companies have built their reputations on more than just product—they’re known for curation, experience, and building loyal communities. In a mature beauty market like Australia, where consumers are savvy, brand-loyal, and skeptical of fleeting trends, this alignment is crucial. Launching with a retailer that feels like “their” store lowers the barrier for trial and adoption. When shoppers see Rhode featured prominently in Mecca—on gondolas and feature tables, not tucked away in a corner—it’s read as a powerful endorsement. “This community is where the commercial edge for Rhode lies,” Archbold argues. “When shoppers feel a retailer is ‘for people like them’, they are much more willing to purchase, simply because it’s sitting on that retailer’s shelf.”

Mecca’s Beauty Loop loyalty program, with its 4.3 million members, acts as both a sampling engine and a recommendation layer, amplifying Rhode’s reach and credibility. The program’s structure turns Mecca into a trusted advisor—one that knows customers’ preferences, birthdays, and past purchases. This deep connection translates to commercial advantage: shoppers are more likely to try a new brand when it’s endorsed by their preferred retailer.

Yet, the power of loyalty programs can cut both ways. On January 17, 2026, Mecca found itself at the center of a loyalty backlash after offering a low-value tote bag as a reward, sparking outrage among its most loyal customers. As reported by Meyka AI PTY LTD, many shoppers felt the reward didn’t match their level of spending, and the resulting social media firestorm highlighted just how quickly value perception can shift in beauty retail. Premium shoppers, in particular, expect meaningful perks, not token gestures. When trust slips, it can lead to fewer store visits, lower conversion rates, and weaker repeat purchases. Retailers may then be forced to offer deeper discounts or more samples to win back customers, which can squeeze margins and raise customer acquisition costs.

The incident at Mecca serves as a cautionary tale for other beauty retailers, especially in loyalty-heavy markets like the UK, where programs such as Boots Advantage Card, Superdrug Health & Beautycard, and Sephora UK’s offerings are integral to driving repeat spend and larger baskets. If rewards are perceived as poor or difficult to redeem, shoppers may shift their loyalty to online marketplaces or direct-to-consumer sites. In a sector where small frictions can move entire baskets, the stakes are high. As the Meyka report notes, “The key lesson from the Mecca loyalty backlash is clear: reward value must match customer expectations, and communication must be simple. In beauty retail, trust is an asset that can turn quickly if perks feel token.”

Industry analysts advise investors and retailers alike to monitor key loyalty metrics—redemption rates, churn, social sentiment, and promotional activity—to anticipate potential impacts on margins and traffic. If negative sentiment grows, companies may need to enhance rewards by raising point values, adding samples, or running more events to restore trust. While these fixes can stabilize revenue, they often come at the cost of thinner margins. The most resilient retailers will be those with clear, easy-to-understand perks, robust data science capabilities, and flexible supplier funding for gifts. Diversified chains with pharmacy or essential goods can help cushion the volatility of the beauty segment, while platforms that offer strong reviews and try-before-you-buy options may better defend their market share.

Rhode’s launch with Mecca, then, is not just about selling product; it’s about embedding itself within a trusted retail ecosystem and leveraging the “community-first” ethos to build long-term brand equity. The staggered debut—first online and at flagship stores, then across the wider Mecca network—caters to superfans while ensuring broad accessibility. Mecca’s service-heavy model, with opportunities for in-store discovery and sampling, is tailor-made for a minimalist, repurchase-driven brand like Rhode. The omnichannel loop—TikTok to Mecca floor to loyalty email to repeat purchase—creates a feedback cycle that can drive both sales and sustained engagement.

Looking ahead, Rhode’s decision to treat Mecca as a brand-building partner rather than just a sales channel reflects a broader industry shift. As Archbold predicts, “Over the next five years, brands will treat retailers as brand-building partners rather than just sales and distribution channels.” The success of such partnerships will be measured not just in sales, but in their impact on brand health and consumer trust. For Rhode, which trades heavily on founder equity and digital credibility, this approach could prove vital in an era where celebrity brands rise—and fall—at breakneck speed.

In the fast-evolving world of beauty retail, Rhode’s calculated bet on Mecca may just offer a blueprint for how brands and retailers can thrive together—if, and only if, the value exchanged matches the expectations of an ever-more discerning customer base.