Global teen trend hits Australia as DAISE launches in Woolies
DAISE, created by Kiwi entrepreneur Jaimee Lupton, is a fragrance and bodycare line made specifically for Generation Alpha.
While Gen A is defined as those born between 2010 and 2024, meaning there are still babies in the age group, Ms Lupton said DAISE was for those 12 and up who are currently using brands designed for much older consumers.
After initially launching the 'tween' brand in US mega-retailers Ulta Beauty and Target, it was released in the UK, and has now just landed in Woolies, where Aussies have been snapping it up in droves.
'With Gen Alpha emerging as the fastest-growing cohort of beauty consumers, we saw a clear opportunity to create something for them that created a positive and age-appropriate experience as they engage with beauty and bodycare for the first time,' Ms Lupton told news.com.au's The Beauty Diary.
'So many brands tweens are buying are intended for those much older than they are, meaning the active ingredients and 'anti-ageing' function of the products are not always suitable.'
Ms Lupton, the mastermind behind global beauty brand Monday Haircare, said the target buyers of DAISE are unlike generations that have come before, largely due to the rise of social media – which created a 'clear gap in the market'.
'We were seeing Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z completely immersed in the beauty space, discovering products on TikTok, building routines, and speaking fluently about ingredients and trends (even more so than their parents),' she explained.
'But the products available to them weren't made for them. Tweens and teens are often either using brands designed for much older consumers, or stuck with 'kids' products and brands they no longer relate to.'
Indeed, with its colourful packaging and flower-shaped bottles, DAISE looks like nothing else on the shelves in Woolies – and that's deliberate, said Ms Lupton.
'We thought about colour, texture, and shape as a means to spark joy and focus on play rather than performance,' she explained.
'We've designed everything from flower-shaped lip balms to whipped body washes because we know this generation loves products that are tactile and visually exciting.
'It's about creating something that's fun, dopamine-boosting, and that shoppers will enjoy using and will talk about with friends.'
It appears to have worked, with social media awash with rave reviews about the new Woolies range.
'It's finally here... the pineapple fragrance is my favourite,' one said on TikTok.
'These smell amazing and its CUTE packaging,' shared another.
While one declared: 'OMG, definitely giving these a try, what scent should I get?'
Ms Lupton said DAISE launched into the Australian retail giant last month with its Foaming Body Wash and Exfoliating Body Scrub and later added the brand's Mists and Body Sprays to Woolies shelves.
'Our Exfoliating Body Scrub has been super popular and has already climbed to be the number 8 best-selling item in Woolworths' total body care category,' she said.
'Our fragrance products, such as our Fragrance Body Mists, are our best-sellers in our established markets like the USA and UK so we expect those to be incredibly popular, too.'
Woolworths confirmed the product range had launched in its supermarkets and in Big W stores last month, and while its early days, popular picks among shoppers have been the vanilla body scrub, closely followed by coconut.
The fact the brand is currently exclusively sold in a supermarket is a deliberate strategy for Ms Lupton, who said she believes 'accessibility isn't just nice-to-have'.
'Our consumer is young and beauty-obsessed, but they don't always have the budget or access to shop in high-end or prestige environments,' she said.
'By launching through mass retail 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.'
Recent data shows 12-14 year olds are spending around $US300 (about $460 Australian Dollars) a year on cosmetics, skincare products, and fragrances – a huge amount considering most aren't old enough to earn money yet.
While industry experts state 'you're never too young' to be interested in self-care, many brands have issued urgent warnings to parents after it emerged kids were buying products that were too harsh for such young skin.
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