homework

What homework does

Homework is a London-based, founder-led premium fragrance brand founded in 2019 that sells TCM-inspired scented candles, Eau de Parfums, essential oil blends, and bath salts under a proprietary Five Elements framework (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The core product technology is a natural rapeseed and coconut wax blend for candles and phthalate-free fragrance oils with essential oils for scent formulations, hand-poured in the UK in reusable smoked-glass vessels, with positioning built around vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainably sourced ingredients.

The business operates a multi-channel distribution model: a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer storefront at homeworkstore.co.uk, wholesale via Faire (Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ) and Peeba (selected Asia markets), and a network of 40+ curated physical stockists across the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia/NZ, supported by a dedicated US fulfillment centre. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time purchases (no subscription), with price points ranging from $37.50 (10ml Eau de Parfum) to $250 (Five Elements Candle Collection) and bundle discounts of approximately 10%.

Customer acquisition is content-led rather than performance-led at scale, built on TCM education, an interactive element quiz, organic social (Instagram, Pinterest), an email newsletter with first-order incentives, earned media, and stockist presence in lifestyle and cultural venues. The target customer is a wellness and mindfulness consumer seeking natural, ritual-driven fragrance aligned with holistic health and seasonal living. No external funding, management team details, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

homework

Legal name

homework

Website

https://homeworkstore.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Homework is a London-based DTC premium fragrance brand founded in 2019 that sells TCM-inspired candles, Eau de Parfums, essential oil blends, and bath salts through its Shopify store, Faire/Peeba wholesale platforms, and 40+ global stockists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Home Fragrance and Personal Perfume

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Care & Home Fragrance (Air Fresheners, Candles, Plug-ins, Diffusers) (CRADAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE), Natural & Clean Fragrance (CRABADAG), Candles, Home Fragrance & Diffusers Retail (CRAIACAC), Spiritual, Metaphysical & Inspirational Gifts Retail (CRALAJAJ)

Keywords

• Scented candles
• Eau de parfum
• Aromatherapy products
• Wellness fragrances
• Home fragrance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Primary revenue channel through homeworkstore.co.uk Shopify storefront. Customers purchase individual candles, Eau de Parfums, discovery sets, and bundled collections directly at listed prices. One-time purchase model with no subscription component.
2. Wholesale: Products sold to stockists and retailers via wholesale platforms (Faire, Peeba) and direct wholesale enquiries. B2B revenue from retailers stocking the brand across UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Asia, and Australia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Homework designs, produces and sells TCM-inspired scented candles and Eau de Parfums organised around the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Candles are hand-poured in the UK using a natural rapeseed and coconut wax blend scented with essential oils and phthalate-free fragrance oils, while the Eau de Parfums share the same elemental fragrance philosophy. The collection is sold primarily direct-to-consumer through the homeworkstore.co.uk Shopify storefront, with additional distribution through wholesale platforms (Faire, Peeba) and a network of 40+ premium boutiques, museums and galleries worldwide.

Product overview

Homework is a fragrance brand inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), offering a unified portfolio centered on the Five Elements philosophy (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The core product lines include: (1) scented candles in five elemental variants, available individually ($50+ USD) or as curated collections (Five Elements Candle Collection at $225); (2) Eau de Parfums in matching elemental formulations (50ml at $110); and (3) discovery/bundling sets such as the Five Elements Discovery Set ($45) and Your Energy Your Way Set ($90). Products are hand-poured/crafted in the UK using natural rapeseed and coconut wax blends (candles) or essential oils with phthalate-free fragrances (perfumes). The collection is designed around the TCM principle of harmony between humanity and nature, with each element corresponding to specific scent profiles and wellness benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wood Candle TCM-inspired scented candle for growth and renewal, with top notes of Pine and Hinoki, middle notes of Ho Leaf, Clary Sage, and Cypress, and base notes of Chinese Cedar, Patchouli, Oakmoss, and Vetiver. Hand-poured in the UK using a natural rapeseed and coconut wax blend; priced from $50.00 USD.
• Earth Candle TCM-inspired scented candle for stability and warmth, with top notes of Fir Needle and Elemi, middle notes of Rose, Geranium, Cardamom, Clove Bud, and Black Pepper, and base notes of Musk, Chinese Cedar, and Patchouli. Hand-poured in the UK using a natural rapeseed and coconut wax blend; priced from $50.00 USD.
• Fire Candle TCM-inspired scented candle for energy and passion, with top notes of Blood Orange and Hiba, middle notes of Clove and Coriander, and base notes of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber, Cade, and Chinese Cedar. Hand-poured in the UK using a rapeseed and coconut wax blend; priced from $50.00 USD.
• Metal Candle TCM-inspired scented candle for clarity and focus, with top notes of Lime and Mandarin, middle notes of Bay Leaf, Pink Pepper, and Tobacco, and base notes of Teakwood, Ho Wood, Vetiver, and Chinese Cedar. Available in 180g (35–40 hour burn) and 280g (55–60 hour burn); hand-poured in the UK; priced from $50.00 USD.
• Water Candle TCM-inspired scented candle for calm and clarity, with top notes of Bergamot, Neroli, and Petitgrain, middle notes of Rain, Lotus, and Caraway, and base notes of Chinese Cedar. Hand-poured in the UK using a natural rapeseed and coconut wax blend; priced from $50.00 USD.
• Five Elements Candle Collection Complete collection of all five element candles (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) designed to illuminate inner balance. Listed at $250.00 USD with a sale price of $225.00 USD, offering 10% bundle savings versus purchasing individually.
• Your Energy, Your Way Set Customisable bundle allowing customers to choose two candles to create a personalised duo. Priced at $90.00 USD (regularly $100.00 USD), offering 10% savings.
• Wood Eau de Parfum TCM-inspired fragrance balancing vibrant green notes and smooth woods to encourage creativity, clarity, and growth. Top notes of Hinoki and Hiba, middle notes of Ho Wood, Pink Pepper, and Hydacheim, base notes of Chinese Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, and Frankincense. 50ml glass bottle with wooden lid; priced at $110.00 USD.
• Fire Eau de Parfum TCM-inspired fragrance merging smoky woods and nuanced spices for vitality and warmth. Top notes of Blood Orange and Galbanum, middle notes of Clove, Labdanum, and Coriander, base notes of Sandalwood, Chinese Cedar, Amber, and Cade.
• Earth Eau de Parfum TCM-inspired fragrance weaving warm spices and soft florals for grounding. Top notes of Fir Needle and Jasmine, middle notes of Rose, Cardamom, and Black Pepper, base notes of Musk, Chinese Cedar, Turmeric, and Patchouli.
• Metal Eau de Parfum TCM-inspired fragrance balancing crisp citrus and pale woods for mental clarity. Top notes of Lime and Mandarin, middle notes of Bay Leaf, Pink Pepper, and Tobacco, base notes of Vetiver, Ho Wood, and Chinese Cedar.
• Water Eau de Parfum TCM-inspired fragrance with cool florals and soft aquatic notes for clarity and tranquility. Top notes of Bergamot, Neroli, and Petitgrain, middle notes of Rain, Lotus, Caraway, and Basil, base notes of Chinese Cedar, Sage, and Petrichor.
• Five Elements Discovery Set Sampler set featuring all five Eau de Parfums (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) in 5 x 2ml vials. Includes a £15 off voucher for purchasing any 50ml fragrance. Priced at $45.00 USD.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1% of all sales donated to environmental causes through 1% For The Planet membership

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FairecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFaire is a wholesale marketplace through which Homework distributes its products to retailers across Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Retailers can purchase Homework products directly through the Faire platform.
• PeebacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeeba is a wholesale platform through which Homework distributes to selected countries across Asia. Provides access to Asian retail markets.
• 1% For The PlanetcoreOthersHomework is a member of 1% For The Planet, a global network of businesses, individuals and environmental partners tackling the planet's most pressing environmental issues. Through this membership, Homework commits at least 1% of sales revenue to environmental and social causes.
• The Childhood TrustminorOthersThe Childhood Trust is a UK-based charity that Homework has supported through its 1% For The Planet commitment. Part of the environmental and social causes funded by Homework's sales revenue.
• charity: waterminorOtherscharity: water is a global clean water nonprofit that Homework has supported through its 1% For The Planet membership, funding global clean water projects. Supported in the past year alongside The Childhood Trust.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aesop: Australian premium wellness-led beauty and home brand with natural positioning and distinctive retail design. Comparable in premium positioning, wellness-led narrative, and reliance on curated stockist environments.
• Le Labo: Premium niche fragrance house with a cult candle range. Comparable in pricing tier, DTC-plus-flagship distribution model, and lifestyle-brand-led marketing targeting the same premium consumer.
• Cire Trudon: Heritage French luxury candle maker positioned at the very top of the premium candle segment. Comparable as a price-and-positioning anchor for ultra-premium home fragrance that Homework is benchmarked against.
• Jo Malone London: Global premium British fragrance and candle brand with a strong UK heritage. Highly comparable in market positioning, British origin, and category mix across candles and personal fragrance.
• Byredo: Swedish luxury fragrance house with candles and home fragrance. Comparable in premium positioning, minimalist aesthetic, and brand-led storytelling across candles and EDPs.
• Diptyque: Iconic French luxury fragrance and candle house. Comparable as the established benchmark in premium home fragrance against which Homework competes for premium stockist shelf space and consumer consideration.

Direct peers

• NEOM Organics: UK-based premium wellness brand selling scented candles, home fragrance, and body care positioned around wellbeing and sleep. Closest peer in geography, wellness-led positioning, and product mix (candles, bath, body).
• Otherland: Premium DTC candle brand with a strong subscription and gift-set model. Comparable in channel mix (DTC + stockists), premium price points, and brand-led marketing targeting design-conscious, wellness-oriented consumers.
• Boy Smells: US-based premium candle and fragrance brand built around distinctive cultural positioning and direct-to-consumer plus boutique wholesale. Highly comparable as a small, brand-led premium home fragrance company competing for the same customer wallet.

Emerging players

• Flamingo Estate: US premium wellness lifestyle brand selling candles, fragrance, and bath products built around natural ingredients and storytelling. Comparable as a smaller, brand-led wellness home fragrance player targeting overlapping consumers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/homework.store
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/homework_store
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/homework-store

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 homework