Why this ‘mundane’ $10 Woolies item suddenly sold out nationwide

An everyday product that is notoriously “boring” has been given an overhaul by a former Aussie model – and it’s flying off shelves.

Shoppers have been snapping up a new $10 product at Woolies, causing it to “sell out” across the country as Aussies clamber to get their hands on it.

Australian beauty brand Gem, best known for its natural toothpastes, recently launched its “skin-loving deodorants” in the supermarket.

Unlike regular antiperspirant, the pastel-coloured aerosols contain a formula that is “entirely free from alcohol and parabens”, and ingredients found in bougie skincare products that moisturise underarms.

As soon as it hit Woolworths shelves, the product – which the brand’s creator Georgia Geminder described as notoriously “boring and mundane” – flew off the shelves.

Ms Geminder, a former model and the daughter of Forbes billionaire Fiona Geminder, launched Gem in 2020 after being inspired to “redefine the mundane”.

Georgia Geminder, the founder of Gem, said the deodorant industry is traditionally very ‘boring and mundane’. Picture: Supplied

Initially hitting the market with a mint toothpaste that used a coconut-derived form of calcium called hydroxyapatite rather than fluoride, Gem has grown to become a complete oral health brand, before expanding into antiperspirants.

“We are absolutely blown away by the incredible response to our deodorant launch,” Ms Geminder told news.com.au.

“Being available in Woolworths just makes so much sense for us; our customers look to Woolworths to shop their daily products, and I’m so grateful we get to be a part of that experience for them.

“Our mission has always been to make better-for-you, efficacious products accessible to every Australian.

“It’s honestly so surreal and incredibly exciting to see our deodorants sell out nationwide.”

Gem recently launched four ‘skin-loving deodorants’ in Woolies which sell for $10. Picture: Instagram/BecJudd

The item has proved to be a huge success, with stock being cleared from shelves. Picture: Supplied

The Gem community has been very “engaged”, she added, stating many customers have been sending in photos of empty Woolies shelves and generating a buzz.

“Every morning I’m flooded with pictures and messages from my team, friends, family and customers of empty shelves – it’s just insane and I am SO happy.”

Prior to starting Gem, Ms Geminder worked at Remedy Kombucha, which she credits for sparking her “start-up bug”.

“I watched the team grow from four to 100 people, all the while getting visibility into the inner workings of a business, and I knew I wanted to branch out and build something of my own,” she explained to news.com.au.

“Gem was born out a desire to redefine the mundane; I had watched various beauty categories receive, what I call a ‘facelift’, but some had been left as they were.

“The oral category was stale, boring and bland, and I wasn’t afraid to go up against longstanding competitors if I knew it would shake up the category and bring beautiful products to people’s bathrooms – products they’d be proud to show off, and loved using.

“Though the business continues to evolve, our mission remains true: we are here to help you make every moment, every day amazing, and we’re starting with the products you use every day.”

Melbourne WAG Rebecca Judd said she is ‘obsessed’ with the supermarket buy. Picture: Instagram/BecJudd

The deodorant is currently available in four scents, Coconut and Vanilla, Macadamia and Vanilla, Santal and Cool Fresh, the latter of which has been described as a “boyfriend scent” by consumers.

“We partnered with Gem around two years ago to launch their oral care range in-store and in mid-June, we expanded this to the four deodorant varieties,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

“The deodorants have proven to be very popular with customers and we expect availability to return to normal over the coming weeks.”

Since launching in June, fans of the new deodorant have been raving about the product in droves, including Melbourne WAG Rebecca Judd who said she was “obsessed” with the $10 item.

“The most aesthetic deodorant I’ve ever seen,” one shopper declared on Instagram.

“Such a great product,” shared someone else.

While one loved the supermarket buy so much, she stated: “Bought them all.”

There have been some who pointed out the antiperspirant contains aluminium, an ingredient which can irritate sensitive skin types, causing some to choose aluminium-free deodorants.

Ms Geminder said the brand has an aluminium free range launching very soon to cater to those consumers.