Gonesh

What Gonesh does

Gonesh is a Chicago-based manufacturer and retailer of incense sticks, incense cones, and home fragrance products, founded in 1923 as The Hindu Incense Company and now operating under parent entity Genieco, Inc. The company remains family-owned by the Radkins family through its third generation. Gonesh manufactures its products domestically at its 200 N Laflin Street facility, utilizing a proprietary HighCharcoal™ formula with the highest charcoal content in the market and narrow-bamboo-stick construction designed to produce a clean, low-smoke burn and "crystal clear" aroma delivery. Its portfolio spans the Classic Collection (numbered scents No. 1-14 tracing back to the brand's origins) and the Extra Rich Collection, alongside an extensive range of sub-brands targeting specific use cases and demographics: African American Heritage, Pet-Friendly, Aromatherapy, Yoga Pets, Zodiac, Zen Garden, Zen Stone, Antique Horror, Dia De Muertos, Holiday Traditions, Outdoor Citronella, Gonesh Natural, and a CBD/hemp-infused Off The Wall line. Complementary product categories include votive and tea light candles, essential and fragrance oils, reed and aroma diffusers, soy wax melts, sachets, potpourri, hanging air fresheners, and accessories such as burners and stone holders. The company also distributes authentic Japanese Morning Star Incense under a partnership with Nippon Kodo and offers a Glow & Scent Scented Night Light line manufactured by Vickie Jean's Creations.

Gonesh operates a dual go-to-market model. The direct-to-consumer channel is its gonesh.com e-commerce site (free shipping on orders over $75 in the Continental US), with unit prices ranging from approximately $1.29 for 30-stick packs to $16.00 for premium 100-stick collections, plus candles, oils, diffusers, and accessories. The wholesale channel ships to major US grocery, drug, mass market, novelty, and specialty retailers, with named accounts including Walmart (US and Canada), Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ingles Markets, Meijer, Rite Aid, Spencer Gifts, Winco, and HEB; wholesale pricing is set through an inquiry-based process handled by a dedicated wholesale contact. Customer use cases span relaxation, meditation, aromatherapy, home ambiance, cultural and religious observances, pet-friendly households, and outdoor mosquito control.

Revenue mechanics are entirely transactional (one-time unit sales) with no subscription, licensing, or SaaS component. Customer segments split between individual consumers (DTC) and retail channel partners (B2B). The company holds registered trademarks for GONESH® and EXTRA RICH, has installed solar panels on its Chicago warehouse, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023. Current leadership is anchored by President & CEO Dana Morrison.

Name

Gonesh

Legal name

Genieco, Inc.

Website

https://gonesh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gonesh is a Chicago-based, family-owned manufacturer of incense sticks, cones, and home fragrance products, founded in 1923. It sells direct-to-consumer via its website and through wholesale distribution to major US and Canadian retailers including Walmart, Kroger, and Meijer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Incense & Home Fragrance Manufacturing

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance) (CRAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fragrance Oils & Concentrates (Roll-ons/Attars) (CRABADAJ)

Keywords

• Charcoal incense sticks
• Home fragrance products
• Scented candle manufacturing
• Fragrance oils
• Aromatherapy accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Incense Product Sales: Primary revenue from direct sales of incense sticks, incense cones, and fragrance products to consumers through e-commerce and to retailers through wholesale distribution.
2. Candle Sales: Sales of votives, tea lights, novelty candles, and scented moving-flame tall candles.
3. Home Fragrance Products: Sales of diffusers, diffuser oils, reed diffusers, wax melts, potpourri, sachets, spray fresheners, warming oils, and air fresheners.
4. Wholesale Distribution: B2B wholesale sales to retailers including grocery stores, drug stores, mass market stores, and specialty retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gonesh manufactures and sells charcoal-based incense sticks, incense cones, scented candles (votives and tea lights), fragrance and essential oils, reed and aroma diffusers, wax melts, spray fresheners, sachets, potpourri, hanging air fresheners, and incense accessories under its own proprietary Gonesh® and sub-brand labels. Products are formulated with the proprietary HighCharcoal™ base on narrow bamboo sticks and are sold directly to consumers through gonesh.com as well as through wholesale distribution to grocery, drug, mass-market, novelty and specialty retailers across the US and Canada.

Product overview

Gonesh is a fragrance company offering a diverse portfolio of incense and home fragrance products organized into core lines and specialized sub-brands. The core product lines include Classic Collection incense sticks (featuring numbered scents No. 1-14 that trace back to 1923), Extra Rich Collection single-note scents, and Incense Cones in various fragrances. The company complements these with candles (Votives, Tea Lights), essential and fragrance oils, diffusers with reed variants, wax melts, spray fresheners, sachets, potpourri, and accessories (burners, holders, warmers). Specialized sub-brands target specific markets: African American Heritage Collection and Hispanic Heritage (Dia De Muertos) for cultural celebrations; Aromatherapy, Yoga Pets, and Best Friends Pet-Friendly for wellness and pet safety; Holiday Traditions and Seasonal collections for seasonal occasions; Zodiac, Zen Garden, and Zen Stone for lifestyle aesthetics; Off The Wall (CBD/hemp) and Antique Horror for alternative lifestyles; and 100th Anniversary for commemorative products. The company also offers Concerto Aromatherapy and Spiritual Sky oil collections, plus novelty items like face masks and mystery boxes. All incense products utilize the proprietary HighCharcoal formula for a clean burn, and the company manufactures in Chicago, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Classic Collection: The original perfume scents that started the Gonesh legacy, with each number a tribute to the first quantities ever crafted.
• Extra Rich Collection
• African American Heritage Collection
• Best Friends: Pet-Friendly Incense
• Gonesh® Natural
• Gonesh Outdoor™
• Antique Horror
• Dia De Muertos
• Concerto Patron Saints
• Aromatherapy
• Zen Garden
• Zen Stone Collection
• Zodiac Collection
• Scented Night Lights

Products and services

• Classic Collection Incense Sticks The original Gonesh perfume-scented incense sticks (No. 1 through No. 14) tracing back to 1960s formulations, including signature bestsellers such as No. 4 (Orchards & Vines) and No. 8 (Spring Mist). Made with the proprietary HighCharcoal™ formula on narrow bamboo sticks, sold in 20-pack and 100-pack sizes to individual consumers via gonesh.com and through wholesale retail channels.
• Extra Rich Collection Incense Sticks Single-note fruit, floral, wood and spice incense stick collection including Dragon's Blood, Sandalwood, Nag Champa and Lavender, sold in various pack sizes via gonesh.com and wholesale distribution.
• Incense Cones Cone-shaped incense in Classic Collection (No. 4, 6, 8, 12) and Extra Rich Collection (Jasmine, Lavender, Musk, Nag Champa, Sandalwood, Strawberry, Vanilla) varieties, for use with brass cone holders and other incense accessories.
• Gonesh® Natural Incense First natural product line crafted in India from bamboo with wood powders, herbs, resins and honey; 100% recyclable packaging. Available in Lavender, Nag Champa, Sandalwood and White Sage scents and sold via gonesh.com.
• Gonesh Outdoor™ Citronella Incense Outdoor citronella incense sticks for mosquito control, available in Orange Flash and Strawberry Blast scents and sold via gonesh.com and outdoor/seasonal retail channels.
• Scented Night Lights (Glow & Scent Collection) Scented light-bulb night lights (with replaceable inner bulbs and decorative covers) plus scented moving-flame tall candles and fluted lamps. Manufactured for Gonesh Brands by Vickie Jean's Creations and sold via gonesh.com.
• Gonesh Votives™ Candles Subtle, long-lasting votive candles reproducing popular Gonesh incense fragrances and other scents such as vanilla, jasmine and cherry. Sold in 24-pack glass configurations via gonesh.com.
• Gonesh Tea Lights Candles Self-contained mini candles that liquefy when lit and provide hours of shimmering light, sold individually via gonesh.com.
• Via Natural Essential Oils 100% pure essential oils (Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint) and carrier oils (Grapeseed, Jojoba, Rosehip) for aromatherapy and topical application, sold via gonesh.com.
• Fragrance Oils Natural concentrated fragrance oils for body, bath, perfumery and environmental scenting, including Lavender, Nag Champa, Patchouli, Sandalwood, and Classic No. 4 and No. 8.
• Wax Melts Flameless fragrance wax melts made from high-quality soy wax in Extra Rich Black Cherry, Lavender, Nag Champa, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vanilla scents.
• Oil Diffusers, Diffuser Oils & Reed Diffusers Reed diffusers and aroma diffusers including Bliss Diffuser (Ocean, White Musk), Classic No. 6/7/8 Reed Diffusers, and Extra Rich Jasmine/Lavender variants.
• Spray Fresheners 2 oz portable air freshener sprays in Black Cherry, Coconut, Lavender, Love, No. 8, Ocean, Raspberry, Sandalwood, Strawberry and Vanilla scents.
• Sachets Versatile scented sachets for closets, cars and drawers, available in Classic No. 8, Extra Rich Jasmine, Lavender and Vanilla.
• Potpourri Natural botanical potpourri fragranced with Gonesh best-selling scents, designed for continuous re-use and re-fragrancing with Gonesh oils.
• Hanging Air Fresheners Portable, long-lasting hanging aromatic products for vehicles, homes, offices and lockers.
• Incense Accessories Burners and holders including Paw Print Incense Burners, Brass Cone Holders, Premium Wood Burners, Stone Burners (Paddleboard, Round Gray Moon, Hamsa Hand, Star Bowl), Ceramic Oil Warmers and Flat Wood Stick Holders.
• Morning Star Incense (Nippon Kodo) Traditional Japanese-style incense from Nippon Kodo distributed by Gonesh, providing daily tranquility and serenity; incense sticks made with light, clean bamboo that produces less smoke, in Cedar, Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender and Patchouli scents.
• Holiday Traditions™ Incense Holiday-themed incense collection including Fall fragrances (Ghostly Glow, Scary Night, Witches Brew), Winter scents (Christmas Wreath, Vanilla Sugar Cookie, Warm Cinnamon Cider) and Sweet Treats.
• Best Friends Pet-Friendly Incense Pet-safe incense blends with subtle hints of soft Musk, earthy Patchouli and Amber, designed to be safe and comfortable for cats, dogs and humans.
• Zodiac Collection Incense Astrology-themed incense featuring all 12 zodiac signs with corresponding scents (Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo).
• Off The Wall CBD & Smoked Incense Hemp- and CBD-themed product line featuring bamboo hemp incense and CBD-infused oils (Crystal Tonic, Drift, Float, Summer Haze), plus themed products such as Purple Haze and Skullfood.
• 100th Anniversary Collection Limited commemorative incense collection launched for Gonesh's 100th anniversary in 2023, featuring special anniversary scents.
• Limited Mystery Boxes Curated mystery product bundles including the Heartwarming Kit, Incense Starter Kit and Warming Oil Kit, priced between $15.30 and $22.80 and sold via gonesh.com.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Vickie Jean's CreationscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGlow & Scent – The Scented Light Bulb Collection is made by Vickie Jean's Creations for Gonesh Brands. This partnership brings scented night lights with replaceable inner bulbs and customizable covers, combining warmth with aroma.
• Nippon KodocoreTechnology or IntegrationGonesh distributes Morning Star Incense from Nippon Kodo, a traditional Japanese style incense that provides tranquility and serenity. This partnership extends Gonesh's product portfolio with authentic Japanese incense products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Scentsy: Scentsy is a direct-sales (MLM) home fragrance company specializing in scented wax bars, warmers, and diffusers. It overlaps with Gonesh's wax melts, diffusers, and warmers categories and represents a structurally different (consultant-driven) channel that competes for the same end consumer spend.
• Paddywax: Paddywax is a U.S. candle and home fragrance brand known for decorative vessels, ceramic burners, and curated gift sets. It overlaps with Gonesh's candles, incense accessories, and gift-positioned SKUs in boutique and specialty retail.
• Chesapeake Bay Candle: Chesapeake Bay Candle (a Stonewall Kitchen brand) makes soy-blend jar candles and diffusers positioned in mid-tier home and gift retail. It overlaps with Gonesh's diffusers and candles in specialty and mass channels and represents a comparable premium-but-accessible positioning play.

Broad incumbents

• Yankee Candle: Yankee Candle, owned by Newell Brands, is the largest U.S. home fragrance brand with broad distribution in mass, grocery, and its own retail stores. It overlaps with Gonesh in scented candles, wax melts, and home fragrance and competes for the same mass-market shelf space at Walmart, Kroger, and HEB.
• Bath & Body Works: Bath & Body Works is a national specialty retailer and brand portfolio (candles, wallflowers, room sprays, soaps) competing for the same mass and specialty shelf dollars as Gonesh. Its scale, marketing spend, and fragrance-license partnerships (e.g., Disney, seasonal exclusives) make it a key incumbent benchmark in U.S. home fragrance.
• Candle Lite: Candle Lite is a 180+ year-old U.S. candle manufacturer (Cincinnati, OH) producing votives, tea lights, and jar candles for mass and grocery retail. It competes with Gonesh in votives and tea lights within the same mass and drug channel accounts (Walmart, Kroger).

Direct peers

• Wildberry Incense: Wildberry is a U.S.-distributed incense brand sold in smoke shops, gas stations, and convenience stores with broad scent variety. It competes head-to-head with Gonesh at the impulse and convenience channel for stick-format incense buyers.
• Hem Incense: Hem is an Indian manufacturer of incense sticks, cones, and dhoop sold in U.S. natural foods, head shops, and metaphysical retailers. It competes with Gonesh's Extra Rich and Classic collections across core sandalwood, nag champa, and floral SKUs.
• Satya Incense (Shrinivas Sugandh): Satya is one of the best-selling incense brands globally, manufactured in India by Shrinivas Sugandh and widely distributed in U.S. smoke shops, head shops, and natural-goods retailers. It competes directly with Gonesh in incense sticks (notably Nag Champa and Sandalwood) for the same home fragrance and spiritual use cases.
• Nippon Kodo: Nippon Kodo is Japan's largest and oldest incense manufacturer (founded 1575), producing Morning Star, Kayuragi, and other incense brands. Gonesh already distributes Nippon Kodo's Morning Star line in the U.S., making it a direct comparable in incense sticks and cones serving overlapping consumer occasions (relaxation, meditation, aromatherapy).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Goneshbrands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gonesh