Why cult beauty brands are heading straight to the supermarket

The lines between niche and mainstream are blurring in the beauty world. Independent brands are no longer content with staying small or speaking to a select few. Instead, they’re making their way into supermarket aisles, while maintaining their dignity and what made them special in the first place.Gem, Daise and Soma are three homegrown names doing just that. Now stocked in Coles and Woolworths, they’ve managed to bring thoughtful, design-led products to the masses.Their success reflects a shift in what modern shoppers consume and prioritise, and how strong digital communities, clear values and sharp storytelling can build bridges between online hype and real-world retail.Gem x Coles: Community first, alwaysGem has established a cult online following, but founder Georgia Geminder didn’t anticipate the viral response that followed the personal care brand’s national launch into Coles.Following strong internal pitch cycles and early consumer hype, Coles rolled out Gem’s deodorants and fragrance mists across more than 800 stores this month.“We’ve always had a really strong two-way dialogue with our community, so when we launched into Coles, we knew there was appetite – but the response has honestly blown us away,” Geminder told Inside Retail.“TikTok has become a huge part of how people discover new products, and the fact that we’ve been able to cut through in such a saturated space says a lot about the power of our community and the shift we’re seeing in how retail discovery happens,” she said. “It’s fast, it’s emotional, and it’s driven by real people. We feel so grateful to be a part of that conversation and to see our customers genuinely excited to pick up Gem in their weekly shop.”After launching as an oral-care brand in 2020, Gem’s expansion into new categories, including fragrance, grooming and personal care, has been driven by a clear commitment to listening to Geminder’s community. Despite Gem’s premium aesthetic, price accessibility also remains central to the brand’s Gen Z appeal.As for navigating growth while preserving her original mission, Geminder says the biggest lesson has been the importance of staying anchored to your ‘why.’ “For us, it’s about creating everyday personal care products that feel elevated yet are still accessible in price and location,” she said.Daise x Woolworths: Wellness that worksFounded by Jaimee Lupton, who previously launched Monday Haircare to international acclaim, Daise brings a performance-led lens to ingestible wellness. The tween-targeting body care brand’s arrival on Woolworths shelves is a natural evolution for Lupton, who understands how to merge mass-market retail with premium design cues.Lupton’s reputation for packaging prowess, paired with a wellness-savvy customer base, made Daise an attractive proposition for Woolworths. “Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s core to what Daise stands for. Our consumer is young, curious and beauty-obsessed, but they don’t always have the budget or access to shop in high-end or prestige environments,” Lupton told Inside Retail.“By launching through mass retail (think Target, Woolworths, Ulta Beauty, Big W, Superdrug and Tesco) we’re meeting them exactly where they already are, both physically and financially… Daise is about democratising beauty and self-care, and mass retail gives us the scale and reach to actually deliver on that promise,” Lupton said. Rapid success in the US confirmed Daise’s Gen Alpha appeal, and Lupton is now applying those insights locally.“Gen Alpha is the fastest-emerging cohort in beauty right now… They’re at the beginning of their beauty journey, so they are looking for something that is low stakes and non-intimidating. From day one, Daise was built for them,” she reinforced.“We’re not gatekeeping self-care; we’re opening the door wide,” she added. SOMA x Woolworths: Fragrance meets feelingFounded by former Mecca executives Camille Peressini and Georgie Gilbert, Soma was born out of a desire to deliver functional beauty products that feel elevated, both in formulation and experience. The brand’s debut in Woolworths marks another chapter in the supermarket’s push into elevated wellness offerings.Soma’s approach merges science-backed ingredients with a deeply personal sensibility of products designed not just to work, but to feel good. The founders’ shared backgrounds in beauty, branding and business allowed them to craft a range that reflects a high-low harmony: supermarket accessibility with boutique quality.“We’re classic millennials,” Gilbert told Inside Retail, meaning she and Peressini were attracted to minimal, elevated design and high-quality scents beyond eucalyptus and lemon. “It became quite clear to us that there was a gap, and we felt very passionately that we could fix that… because we just wanted it for ourselves,” she added.With deep experience in product development and customer experience, Gilbert, who was previously head of retail innovation and new concepts at Mecca, and Peressini, who most recently led the skincare category at the beauty giant, combined their strengths to create a brand that balances sensorial luxury with affordability.Their decision to launch Soma exclusively with Woolworths was deliberate. Drawing on prior experience at major FMCG companies, Peressini and Gilbert identified Woolworths as a forward-thinking retail partner ready to invest in premium beauty for everyday customers.“We really had our hearts set on Woolworths,” Peresssini said. “The Woolworths team has been absolutely incredible. Rowan Downs is our buyer, and he has collaborated with us on this… The partnership was pretty much a match made in heaven, and we got really lucky.” The result is a body wash that smells like a high-end fragrance, is safe for sensitive skin and is gentle enough for the whole family.With strong early sales and no promotional discounting, Soma’s price point is resonating with time-poor but ingredient-conscious customers.Mass retail, new expectationsIn an era when supermarket shelves are becoming more desirable than the hallowed halls of specialty beauty retailers, it is apparent that what unites these three brands is a shared belief in the future of beauty, where cult brands and personal care meet emotional connection.For Geminder, Lupton, Peressini and Gilbert, supermarket partnerships are increasingly about showing up in the places where their customers already are.“What keeps me going is the excitement of pushing into new categories that challenge the norm,” said Geminder. “But above all, it’s the love and support from our community after every launch that truly fuels me.”