NZ and Australia look like the same market. Dulesé founder Amelia Jory explains why that assumption can cost you, in this week’s Founders Friday.
Expanding into Australia has reinforced the importance of staying close to the fundamentals: listening to customers, iterating quickly and not losing sight of why the brand exists in the first place
Expanding into a new market is often framed as a milestone, a signal that a business has made it beyond its home ground. But in reality, it is less of a finish line and more of a stress test.
When I founded Dulesé in New Zealand, the goal was not to scale quickly or chase growth for its own sake. It was to solve a very specific problem I had personally experienced: why is it so hard to find a natural deodorant that actually works?
Like many consumers, I had tried to make the switch away from conventional deodorants, only to be repeatedly disappointed. Performance did not stack up, irritation was common and the experience often felt like a compromise rather than an upgrade.
What I did not anticipate at the time was how much that same philosophy would shape our approach to growth, particularly when it came time to expand into Australia.
Start with the problem
Before thinking about markets, channels or scale, the most important question I asked myself was: does this genuinely solve a problem people care about?
The natural deodorant category has grown, but growth does not always mean the problem has been solved. There are more products on shelves, but many Kiwis and Aussies still had not found a natural deodorant they fully trusted, one they could rely on day to day. That gap is where we saw opportunity.
One early signal came before we even had logistics in Australia. Customers were placing orders from across the Tasman and paying $20 in shipping on a $40 product just to try it. For us, that cemented that people were still searching for something they could really rely on, and were willing to go out of their way to find it.
In New Zealand, strong repeat purchase rates and high customer ratings gave us confidence that the product was genuinely resonating. We were hearing directly from customers that this was the one that finally worked for them. We still hear that regularly. Even people who had always relied on clinical-strength antiperspirants made the switch because the performance was there. If a better-for-you option does the job just as well, it becomes an easy choice. That kind of validation felt important before considering expansion.
Proximity isn’t sameness
One of our earliest lessons was to resist the copy-paste instinct. What worked in New Zealand did not automatically translate.
On paper, New Zealand to Australia looks like an easy leap. Similar cultures, close proximity, often treated as a copy-paste expansion. In reality, it is anything but.
Australia is bigger, noisier and far more competitive. The retail landscape is more mature and consumer expectations are higher. Earning attention, and trust, takes more work.
One of our earliest lessons was to resist the copy-paste instinct. What worked in New Zealand did not automatically translate. Messaging, pricing and channel strategy all needed to be rethought, not replicated.
In New Zealand, our sustainability story carried real weight. In Australia, performance had to come first. Consumers were open to refillable, low-tox products, but only if they delivered on par with, or better than, conventional options. That shift in priority changed everything: how we positioned the product, how we communicated benefits and how we educated customers.
DTC as a feedback loop
We launched in Australia with a direct-to-consumer model supported by a considered number of aligned retail partners. This was a deliberate choice. DTC gave us immediate access to customer feedback. We could see what messaging resonated, where people hesitated and how they used the product once it arrived. That level of insight is invaluable when entering a new market, where assumptions can quickly become expensive mistakes.
It also allowed us to refine our subscription model for refills, a key part of our long-term strategy. Refill systems only work if they are genuinely convenient and intuitive.
For founders considering expansion, my advice is to think of DTC not just as a sales channel but as a feedback loop. The closer you are to your customer, the faster you can learn.
Community over acquisition
There is a natural tendency when entering a new market to focus heavily on acquisition: getting your name out there, driving traffic, generating initial sales. But sustainable growth comes from building a community of advocates who genuinely go in to bat for your product.
In a category like personal care, repeat purchase matters. It is also one of the clearest indicators of a product that is really working. If someone comes back, it means the product has earned a place in their routine.
From day one, we designed Dulesé with community in mind. That included our Under Army, a group of passionate low-tox and wellness advocates. Our refillable format, subscription offering and focus on multi-functionality were all designed to support people coming back, and to simplify their routines rather than add to them.
As we expanded into Australia, this became even more important. Customer acquisition costs are higher, competition is stronger and brand loyalty is harder to win. Investing in the full customer experience across every touchpoint is not optional.
DTC has been central to our strategy, but retail still matters, especially in a category where discovery often happens in person. Early on, alignment matters more than scale. We have been deliberate about partnering with stockists who can represent the brand properly, from clean beauty spaces to curated wellness and lifestyle environments. The right partners amplify your brand. The wrong ones dilute it.
Growth isn’t linear
The stronger your foundations, the more resilient your growth will be.
One of the most important mindset shifts has been accepting that growth, especially in a new market, is rarely linear. There are moments of momentum and moments of friction. Campaigns that outperform and others that do not land. Assumptions that prove correct and others that need rethinking.
Expanding into Australia has reinforced the importance of staying close to the fundamentals: listening to customers, iterating quickly and not losing sight of why the brand exists in the first place. It is easy to get caught up in the idea of scaling. But growth without clarity can be just as risky as not growing at all.
If there is one thing I have learned from taking Dulesé from New Zealand to Australia, it is this: expansion does not solve problems, it exposes them. The stronger your foundations, the more resilient your growth will be. For us, that meant clear product-market fit, a disciplined approach to brand and messaging, and a willingness to adapt without losing sight of our core philosophy.
We did not set out to build just another beauty brand. We set out to build something better, for people and for the planet, without compromise. As we continue to grow, that principle remains the same.
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