Element Brooklyn Projects $19M Sales With Luxury Fragrance
Bootstrapped brand Element Brooklyn is on track to more than double sales to $19 million this year. Its strategy centers on offering refills priced 70-80% below luxury candles and soaps from brands like Diptyque and Aesop.
Element Brooklyn is on pace to more than double its sales to $19 million this year, up from $9.5 million in 2025. The profitable, bootstrapped brand achieves this by selling refillable hand soaps and candles it compares to luxury products from Diptyque, Byredo, and Aesop at a fraction of the price.
Founder Andrew Nicol told reporters that a familiar reference helps first-time customers orient themselves. "You can’t smell a screen. A familiar reference gives a first-time customer a way to orient themselves and reduces uncertainty," he said. The brand's comparisons place its $20 candle refills against $70 Diptyque and $99 Byredo candles, and its $27 hand soap refill against $94 worth of Aesop hand wash.
| Product Type | Element Brooklyn Price | Luxury Comparison & Price | Price Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candle Refill | $20 | Diptyque ($70), Byredo ($99) | ~70-80% lower |
| Hand Soap Refill | $27 | Aesop Hand Wash ($94 worth) | ~70-80% lower |
The Dupe Debate and a 39% Repeat Rate
This comparison-led approach inserts Element Brooklyn into the ongoing conversation about fragrance dupes. Nicol notes that a small number of brands have asked the company to change or remove specific comparisons, requests it addresses with legal counsel. While brands like Oakcha, Dossier, and Fine'ry have built businesses on similar models, Nicol rejects the 'dupe' label for his company.
"A dupe brand is defined by what it imitates. Element Brooklyn is defined by what we are building," Nicol stated. He argues the core proposition of premium, low-waste, refill-first products would remain even if all comparisons vanished. The strategy appears to build loyalty, with the brand reporting a 39% repeat-purchase rate. Customers returning for a second purchase are twice as likely to subscribe as on their first order.
From Lawyer to Luxury Critic
Nicol's frustration with luxury pricing and single-use packaging inspired the brand's 2021 launch. A former corporate lawyer, he noticed expensive, non-refillable bottles in friends' homes and hotels. "These brands had been raising prices so consistently that I felt like they’d become completely untethered from what it costs to actually make the product," he explained. He cited Aesop's Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash, which has risen from $39 in 2020 to $49 today.
The early days were hands-on, with Nicol designing branding and packing orders himself. An initial mishap involving leaky soap pouches did not deter customers from reordering, providing early validation. The brand has since expanded from its original Mandarin Crush hand soap to include candles, diffusers, haircare, and home cleaning, claiming to have avoided over 500,000 single-use bottles.
B2B Growth and a Pop-Up Gallery
A business-to-business arm now serves more than 800 active accounts, including Gramercy Tavern and the Penny Williamsburg hotel. These clients use a closed-loop bulk system, returning empty gallon jugs for refills. Nicol says these accounts choose Element Brooklyn for performance, cost, and waste reduction, not for its fragrance comparisons. He views the B2B presence as a form of sampling for potential retail customers.
The company avoids many standard retail tactics. It does not sell on Amazon, offer list-signup discounts, or run frequent promotions, sending only one marketing message per month. "We don’t feel pressure to offer deals or do business with any companies we don’t feel aligned with," Nicol stated.
Building a Distinct Fragrance Identity
Looking ahead, Element Brooklyn aims to establish a fragrance identity less reliant on luxury references. Its Gallery of Scent pop-up at New York's South Street Seaport, extended through December 30, is part of this effort. The space features 30 touch-activated misters and has generated over 5,000 personalized scent portraits and 290 candle-workshop bookings.
The brand plans to bring this concept online via a fragrance quiz. It is also launching a $15 Discovery Set on October 1, containing ten 5-milliliter samples of hand soap scents like Mandarin Crush and Jardín Azteca. The set includes free shipping and a $10 voucher for a future purchase. Nicol sees comparative references as a useful translation tool but is building towards a future defined by its own catalog.
