Lantern Sales for All Seasons

Magical. Like fireflies floating in the garden," is the way Bobbi Pauline of The Companion Group describes lanterns, one of the fastest growing product niches in the ever-popular garden decor category. "Our lantern sales are going through the roof," confirms Christine Netznik of Design Ideas, while retailer Susan Winter of Arcade on Grove in Richmond, Virginia, attests, "Lanterns have always been strong. No matter what styles they come out with they're always strong."

Lanterns are a versatile decorative accessory that can be sold year-round. They can be hung outside in the garden during spring and summer, and brought inside in winter. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They are made from a wide range of materials including glass, metal, earthenware, volcanic stone, and wood, making it easy for you to select a style that suits your store's design aesthetic. And, of course, they can be displayed in many creative and attention-grabbing ways.

Lantern displays don't have to be large or take up a lot of space to make a statement. Arcade on Grove, for example, displays its lanterns in a small arbor in the corner of the store.

But hanging a lantern is the best way to show off its attributes. Retailer Elizabeth Iles of The Looking Glass in Clayton, California, displays her lanterns on a trellis. "Everything is hanging down from hooks and is also placed on steps on either side." Bobbi Pauline, who is the national sales coordinator of Oakland, California–based manufacturer, The Companion Group, says that at trade shows her company shows its lanterns in groups, and does "stories" with them to attract shoppers.

While Christine Netznik, director of sales and marketing at Springfield, Illinois–based Design Ideas, agrees that hanging lanterns shows them at their best, her company's products can also be stacked on a shelf or table when hanging them isn't an option.

You can't have lanterns without candles, which presents a golden opportunity for cross-merchandising. Many lanterns do not come with candles, and your customers will be disappointed to get home with a product they can't use immediately. Be sure your displays include tea lights, votives, and other candles, including citronella, which are increasing in popularity. Not only do they keep insects at bay, they provide a soft glow that enhances a lantern's appeal.

The natural inclination is to light the lantern candles in a display. If you choose to do so, however, you must take precautions. Many lantern models come with a glass container to hold the candle, and that works fine in the home. But shoppers often handle lanterns in a display, even turning them upside down. Lighted or not, the candle and its container can tumble out.

Christine Netznik advises retailers to remove loose candles and their containers from display lanterns. For use with its products, Design Ideas offers a battery-operated light that the retailer can place inside the lantern for display purposes.

Safety concerns have kept Arcade on Grove from lighting the lanterns in its displays. But it makes little difference, according to the store's buyer, Susan Winter, who says, "They don't have to be lit to sell."

Lanterns may be the ultimate garden and candle accessory, combining elements of two of America's most popular decor categories — candles and garden. Since neither shows any sign of waning popularity, the lantern phenomenon will probably be with us for some time. Whether consumers buy them on impulse or because of deliberate design choices, the hard sell isn't necessary. As Susan Winter says: "It seems like they sell themselves."