Candle Currents
Today's trendiest candles feature design motifs and complicated fragrances, and raise the bar for what it means to be green
By Meredith Schwartz -- Gifts and Dec, 10/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
Years after the scented candle renaissance took the gift business by storm, candles are still going strong. While pillars, tapers and specialty shapes still have their place, fragranced containers still dominate the bulk of the market. But that doesn't mean there's nothing new in store for the category.
Trends from the broader gift industry are made manifest: black and white brings clean contrast to candle design and packaging while the silhouettes and nature trends converge in a veritable orchard of trees and branches. Meanwhile, increasing consumer sophistication about environmental impact has raised the bar for “green” candles far beyond just soy wax, and scents are moving away from single note simplicity to complex blends more reminiscent of fine fragrance.
EVER-GREENER
Green candles have been a presence in the market since soy came on the scene. But while soy is still a major player, and other plant waxes are growing, today's green candles are about more than just the wax. Every vendor we spoke to cited green as a growing and continuing trend. Brian Paulsen of Chanassen, MN-based Lightstone said, “It used to be that when we went to shows and talked about anything natural it fell on deaf ears, but now it is getting a lot of attention. One of the first things we hear from people is, is your product green?”
In addition to green wax, Lightstone and Soybeam both note 100 percent essential oil fragrances as part of their appeal, though they presented challenges. Sherri Jobelius of Lightstone explained, “When we first got interested in doing the line three years ago, we asked perfume companies 'do you have naturals?' and it was difficult to find or they would ask 'why would you want that?'. It wasn't the wave then that it is now.” And Alison Sherwood, co-founder of Soybeam, talks about why what surrounds the candle is just as important as what is inside. “Our glasses were bottles on their way to landfills that were turned into tumblers so nothing is wasted.” Recycled paper packaging and sustainable ink are also key differentiators.
Despite reports that consumers are cutting discretionary spending, the higher price point of green candles does not seem to be hindering their sales. “When we talk to storeowners about how it is a little bit more expensive we have not met much resistance there. They understand the difference in the quality. Sales are coming across pretty strong in spite of the economy.” Sherwood agrees, “Sometimes people don't understand the price point. It is definitely more expensive. But I have found at the shows and in the stores, the minute the buyer or the customer is told the story they understand. It doesn't really seem to be a problem.”
THEY'VE GOT THE LOOK
“Black is very hot right now. You're going to see it in the Vogues in November and December. We were right on trend with the black coming out this season,” Alexi Mintz, brand manager of Archipelago USA, Los Angeles, explained about the company's Black Forest collection. However if the company was tapped into the zeitgeist, it was unconscious — literally. The line was inspired by a dream of one of the company's owners.
The Black Forest line connects two of the season's trends, black and white packaging and trees and branches, evoked by the name and woodsy scents such as ebony and Douglas fir.
Chesapeake Bay Candle, Rockville, MD, introduced a signature collection which sports branching trees prominently on its packaging, “we wanted to go back to our roots,” Mareike Finck, assistant manager, public relations and marketing, punned. “It was inspired by the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, so nature was the singlemost influence on the packaging: the blossoming tree, the shades of sunset and dawn. We believe the nature trend is very strong and ties in with the green trend.”
SCENTS GET COMPLICATED
Chesapeake's signature collection's scents offer what Christelle Jourdan, product development and fragrance specialist, describes as “upscale, interesting mixes; complex fragrance.” Jourdan adds, “We still believe that the gourmet trend is very important for the consumer, but we have amber vanilla, more complex than just a single note.” Where the vast majority of candles in the marketplace were once single-named scents such as lavender or peach, now conceptual names embrace more complex blends. Similarly, despite its all-essential-oils content, Lightstone deliberately eschews the label 'aromatherapy.' Says Jobelius, “the difference between aromatherapy and natural perfumery is how many different notes. We have chosen to use over 10 different oils in our blends. It smells better.” Continuing this theme even further, this summer Joya, New York, introduced Mixology candles whose layers of different scented waxes produce an exotic cocktail.
WHAT'S NEXT
But of course the candle landscape, like the whole gift industry, never stands still. Looking ahead to the next big thing, Chesapeake gives a sneak peek at what's in store: “what we are developing for Spring right now is the wellness trend, pampering yourself,” says Finck. Meanwhile Mintz expects a black backlash. “What you're going to see going into Spring is colors are going to go more bright. With this economy people want what will make them happy. I call them Alice in Wonderland colors, pinks and purples, and you're going to see fragrances matching those home decor trends.”
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