The re-opening of an iconic Melbourne building as a mega-beauty store attracted thousands of shoppers to the city centre today with supporters heralding it as a sign of business confidence in the city. The premier and Melbourne’s lord mayor were among those spruiking the new Bourke Street store. But whether it attracts more investment remains to be seen.
00:10Dancers taking over the tram tracks watched on by high profile guests.
00:15Eager customers lined up for hours, braving darkness and a cost of living crisis.
00:21We left home at about 5.45, came up from Cranbourne.
00:25Melbourne needs it, it's not the old Melbourne I remember.
00:29The flagship Melbourne make-up store takes over a heritage listed building with a rich history.
00:35Originally the Coles Book Arcade, the largest bookstore in the world.
00:39In the early 20th century it was redeveloped into its current form and in recent decades became home to David Jones.
00:47It's wonderful to be a part of that legacy.
00:50The cost hasn't been revealed, but in this online world there's no question it's a serious investment in bricks and mortar.
00:57I think Mecca's move is bold, I think they're making a very counter-intuitive bet that people will come back to the CBD.
01:05We think that this store is going to be here for a long time.
01:09It's no secret Bourke Street Mall is no longer the destination it once was, but there's hope this mega investment will bring more shoppers into the CBD.
01:18The trajectory is really positive and, you know, we're back baby.
01:22Mecca's investment in their hometown shows that the CBD will continue to be a retail and hospitality mecca.
01:28Australian beauty brands continue to thrive in challenging economic times.
01:33These things make us feel better about ourselves and, you know, if it's a little pretty penny that, you know, makes us feel good and happy inside, then why not?
01:41Whether that feel good factor can pay the rent on such a grand store is the unanswered question.
