Candles Flame On!
Vendors look beyond fragrance to light up candle sales in a competitive arena.
By Caroline Kennedy -- Gifts and Dec, 9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
The humble candle. Once just a practical means of illumination, is now big business — about $2 billion at retail annually according to the National Candle Association. So, if not needed for light, what role do candles serve in 21st-century homes and lifestyles?
Candles have evolved to serve a multitude of newer functions, accounting for their growth in popularity and sales. The National Candle Association notes, "Consumers are increasingly purchasing candles as a focal point for their home decor, and for aromatherapy-like relaxation and stress reduction."
Specialty stores and gift shops are among the principal retail outlets for candle purchases. And candles are an always welcomed, gender-neutral gift item that generates repeat sales and customer traffic.
The primary quality that drives candle sales is fragrance and manufacturers are constantly creating, blending and refining fragrances. The combining of different floral, fruit and spice elements create notes that enhance the atmosphere of the home, can help create different moods or induce relaxation to reduce stress.
Smelling Trends
Candle fragrances often follow food trends, with pomegranate and tea notes among current favorites. But move over food! Manufacturers are tapping into the cocktail culture for inspiration and channeling complementary fragrances to some of our favorite drinks including martinis, cosmos and wine.
However, in an increasingly crowded category with so many finely fragranced choices to tempt a customer, what else are manufacturers looking at to distinguish their offerings from the rest of the pack? There are four particular elements that seem to stand out: packaging, containers, eco-consciousness and runway fashion ties.
When it comes to gifting, presentation is a key element that elevates a simple purchase into something special. For the candle, presentation is a matter of two non-candle elements: the package and the container.
Packaging for Presentation
When a person receives a gift, it is the package that makes the first impression, and a special gift box can give a simple candle a more upscale, luxury appearance, even when the price point is moderate. So, while creating fine candle fragrances may be their primary consideration, some manufacturers are also focusing on gift packaging to make their candle look more like a luxury gift.
"Our box is completely hand-assembled, with satin lining the interior and the hinges. There isn't a candle packaged this way on the market at any price point, let alone at under $30 retail," observes JP Cambert of the Pierre Rousseau Collection.
Contained Without
With container candles being one of the most popular types with consumers, the decorative aspects of the container take on greater importance. Some vendors are approaching it as a decorative accessory in its own right. Therefore, fitting a home's decor is a consideration, especially for self purchases. When it comes to gifting, once the original candle has been burned, what is left is the container, and rather than just being tossed out, a decorative one becomes a lasting memento to be reused as a votive or tealight holder, a vase, a drinking vessel or storage container.
The Eco Edge
As it is elsewhere, being "green" has been of growing importance in the candle world. What began as a shift from petroleum-based paraffin to vegetable-based waxes has now moved to focus more on organic ingredients and reusable or recycled containers. Manufacturers are placing more emphasis on the reuse of the candle container once the candle has been used up, rather than it end up in the landfill. And some, such as the Maura Peters Organic Salvage line, take the eco edge a step further combining certified organic materials with other eco-friendly elements: containers of salvaged glass that have a reusable afterlife, packaging made of recycled materials and other processes that render a low carbon footprint.
From the Catwalk …
Although one would not necessarily think of candles as a fashion item, they are as much tied into fashion design trends as they are to other design and trend areas. With food and floral influences so dominant in candles, some manufacturers are looking to the catwalk for inspiration and freshness. Art M.H. Maruyama of Bluewick notes that fashion's fall/winter collections provided the inspiration for packaging design and patterns etched on the glass containers in Bluewick's new Plaid candle collection. And the updated Near East/Bohemian looks that are on trend in apparel, as well as home decor provided the fragrance and gift-packaging inspiration for Martyn Lawrence-Bullard's Moroccan-inspired candles.
With nearly 35 percent of all candle sales occurring during the Christmas/holiday season, gift retailers are well positioned to attract customers looking for the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for friend or relative. The humble candle generates sales through fashion-forward design, elegant packaging, reusable containers and eco-friendly ingredients.
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