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Summary of our market study
Since 2020, the global candle market has seen significant growth, with particularly impressive figures reported in the UK. In 2021, the UK candle market experienced a remarkable surge. This jump contributed to an estimated market value of £3.11 billion, up from £1.9 billion. The UK market is characterized by a high demand for both scented and aesthetic candles, with the latter gaining traction on social media platforms. Despite the growth in demand, the UK market faces a trade deficit, importing a larger volume of candles than it exports, primarily from China, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
The pandemic appears to have influenced consumer behaviors, with an increase in home decoration and wellness trends driving candle sales, as reflected in a 29% rise in related product sales in October 2020. The market is fragmented with many independent retailers showing rapid growth, sales of these smaller players grew by 127%. Key market players include Yankee Candle, The White Company, and Jo Malone, with Yankee Candle reporting sales of £166.35 million in 2020. Regulation in the UK is guided by general safety directives rather than specific legislation for candles.
The UK Candle Market: A Blending of Aesthetics, Fragrance, and Functionality
In the dynamic UK candle market, consumers are increasingly gravitating towards candles, not just as sources of light but as essential elements of home decor and aroma enhancement. A rich variety of candle types, including tea lights, birthday candles, and cartridge varieties, embody this surge in demand, with men contributing significantly to the market's expansion. The growth trends in the UK market are impressive, with an average purchase of between five and seven candles annually per person, propelling the market value to an estimated between £1.5 and £2 billion in recent years. E-commerce has played a fundamental role in the proliferation of candle sales, alongside traditional brick-and-mortar establishments like specialized decoration stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets. Shoppers are drawn to the latter for their diverse and affordable offerings. Yet, despite this market diversification, influential players such as Yankee Candle Company, The White Company, and Jo Malone preside over the landscape, holding significant market presence. From an analytic standpoint, the growth of the UK candle market follows an upward trajectory, with an estimated annual increase of between 6% and 10%, before experiencing a staggering rise of nearly 50% in 2021.
This expansion symbolizes the market's robust health and the UK's position not just as a significant consumer of candles but also as an importer, creating a robust trade deficit in the candle market arena. A substantial portion of candle imports originate from China, while exports primarily flow to European neighbors such as Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany. The COVID-19 crisis introduced an interesting dynamic, where, despite its detrimental impact on different sectors, the candle market enjoyed a boost. The British people, confined to their homes during the pandemic, turned towards scented candles, potpourri, and essential oils, seeking comfort and a pleasant ambiance, leading to a near 30% rise in related sales during October 2020. E-commerce and the wellness trend are pivotal forces molding the candle market in the UK. As the nation has exhibited an affinity for online shopping, an increase in online retail sales has been observed, particularly during the onset of the pandemic, which coincided with a flourish in home renovation and redecoration projects. The production side of the market is equally compelling, with the British Candle Makers Federation documenting over 60 members responsible for more than half of domestic production.
Illuminating the Market: The Finest Wax Visionaries in the Candle Industry
In the world of warmth and fragrance, several luminaries stand out, brightening homes and hearts. These market players are not simply candle makers; they are creators of ambiance, purveyors of comfort, and artisans of scent. They have transformed what once was a simple source of light into an emblem of luxury, self-care, and home aesthetics. Let's take a closer look at these key players that define the candle market's essence.
- Yankee Candle Company : Known for its signature glass-jarred candles, Yankee Candle has become synonymous with the art of perfumed wax. Their vast assortment of over 200 fragrances, ranging from seasonal to timeless classics, appeals to a wide array of olfactory preferences. Yankee Candle's commitment to quality and creating memorable customer experiences has secured their place as a familiar and beloved name in countless homes.
- The White Company : Elegance and simplicity are the foundations of The White Company's ethos. Their line of candles, often presented in minimalist yet chic packaging, exudes a sense of refined taste that elevates any interior. With a focus on interior products, they have carved out a niche for customers who seek both sophistication and a cozy domestic charm.
- Jo Malone London : As a revered name in the perfumery world, Jo Malone London extends its expert nose for fragrance into the realm of candles, offering a collection of scents that are both complex and captivating. Each candle promises to transform the atmosphere, imbuing spaces with a luxurious and tailored scent identity.
- Neom Organics : Prioritizing wellness and self-care, Neom Organics emphasizes the therapeutic aspects of candle use. Their products are designed not just to smell wonderful but also to enhance the well-being of their users, through mood-boosting and stress-alleviating formulations made with essential oils and natural ingredients.
- Rituals Cosmetics : Fusing home fragrance with personal care, Rituals offers candles that complement their body and skincare products. Through this holistic approach, they invite customers to create rituals that nourish both the body and the ambiance of their surroundings.
- Penhaligon's : Steeped in history, Penhaligon's brings its storied heritage in perfumery to the candle market. Their scented candles tell olfactory tales that reflect the brand's rich past and dedication to craftsmanship, appealing to those who appreciate a narrative woven through their sensory experiences.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
A candle is a lighting device composed of a wick wrapped in wax which can serve two purposes : to decorate an apartment by generating a light source or to deodorize a living room. The candle market is seeing the emergence of electric candles and also digital candles alongside the traditional historical candles. However, there are other types of candles such as tea lights, birthday candles, cartridge candles, etc.
In Europe, the candle market is expected to grow at an annual rate of over 6%. Consumers are increasingly buying candles for home decoration. The ease of purchase as well as the availability of different types of candles across multiple distribution channels is encouraging more and more people to buy these products. [globenewswire]
The UK candle market is experiencing steady growth. Men are buying more and more candles, which is a growth driver. [ACW] In addition, Brits are buying an average of six candles a year. [LLB]
The distribution of candles is done in specialized decoration stores, which are seeing the development of supermarkets and hypermarkets, which benefit from reduced prices and varied offers that attract more and more buyers, while e-commerce has also contributed to the increase in candle sales.
The market is highly fragmented and includes many independent distributors; however, the most important companies are Yankee Candle Company, The White House and Jo Malone.
1.2 A growing global market
According to a study conducted by Zion Market Research, the global candle market was estimated at $*.* billion in ****. It is expected to grow at a relatively high rate of about *.*% on average each year through ****.
candle market development World, ****-****, US$ billion Source: ****
The most dynamic market over the period is expected to be the Asian market, which is estimated to grow at a CAGR of *.*% between **** and ****, thanks to the large number of festivities celebrated there throughout the year. Also according to the study, the European market, which is the largest in terms of value, is expected to grow by around *% between **** and ****.
The largest companies in the market are Yankee Candle (***) and The White Company.
1.3 The UK market
A study by the online retailer Vend estimated that British people bought an average of six candles a year at an average price of £*.**, giving an estimate of the UK candle market of £*.* billion in ****.
To estimate the market over a more recent period. It is possible to use the volume of imports available on UN Comtrade up to ****. Thus, by extrapolating the annual change in import volume to the value of sales in ****, we obtain an estimate of the UK candle market untill ****.
It is therefore inferred that the candle market in the UK has been following the increasing trend showed thereafter over the past few years with a growth of +**% from **** to ****, before showing an impressive growth of **.*% in ****.
Candle market in the United Kingdom United Kingdom, ****-****, GBP million Source: ****
1.4 The United Kingdom is an importer of candles
The United Kingdom has a fairly large trade deficit in candles. Indeed, the country's candle exports are relatively low compared to imports. However, both imports and exports show decreasing trends over the last few years. Thus, exports decreased by **% from **** to **** while imports experienced a sharp decrease of **% from **** to **** before a slight recovery of +**% over the following two years.
However, **** shows impressive growth in both imports and exports, with imports experiencing a +**.* % growth.
Evolution of UK candle exports and imports United Kingdom, ****-****, in million USD Source: ****
The majority of UK candle imports come from China at **.*% followed by the Czech Republic and Poland at similar levels. Belgium and Vietnam are the last two countries to stand out among the *.
Major beneficiaries of UK candle imports United Kingdom, ****, in percent Source: UN Comtrade Among the top importing countries for British candles are exclusively European countries, led by neighboring Ireland with **% of British exports. The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium follow at similar levels with a combined share of **.*%.
Major beneficiaries of British candle exports United Kingdom, ****, in percent Source: ****
1.5 Consequences of the health crisis
The following graph evaluates the impact of the health crisis on the decoration and interior design sector. It can be seen that a majority of the companies in the sector seem to have been weakened by the crisis.
Impact of the health crisis on the decoration and home textiles sector World, ****, in percent Source: ****
However, the candle market in particular has been less affected by the health crisis and successive lockdowns. Indeed, The Guardian reports that sales volume of scented candles, potpourri and essential oils for diffusers increased by **% in October ****. The sector has indeed benefited from the forced retreat of the British population to their homes with an accentuation of virtuous phenomena already in place before the onset of the pandemic.
2 Analysis of the demand
2.1 A varied demand
There are different kinds of candles that are used in different situations. Despite the lack of statistical data, it is possible to draw up a typology of supply according to these different demands
The supply is thus segmented into candles used for birthdays, candles intended as gifts, candles whose main function is lighting and finally candles whose main function is the diffusion of a pleasant smell (***). These four segments can sometimes merge and thus provide the market with a wide range of candles.
According to a Europe-wide survey conducted by the Association of European Candle Manufacturers (***) in ****, candles stand out from other scented products by their ability to create a "pleasant" atmosphere while "representing a good gift."
Birthdays
Birthday candles (***) represent an important part of the demand for candles, as they are commonly used for birthday celebrations with a cake.
There is a fairly high concentration of births in September in the UK. [***] This suggests that birthday candle demand is higher during this period.
Gifts
Some candles stand out for their quality, appearance and durability. The aesthetic appeal of the candle makes it a simple and ideal gift for all kinds of occasions. This segment includes scented candles and candles with ...
2.2 The importance of wellness at home amplified by the health crisis
The UK candle market is included in the more global market of interior decoration, which has undergone changes partly due to the health crisis.
Thus, by the end of ****, almost a year after the crisis began, the following trends were already observable and mainly related to the fact that the population as a whole was forced to isolate themselves within their homes.
First of all, consumers have increasingly turned to online sales. The British consumer has a strong taste for online shopping.
The following graph shows the evolution of the proportion of online sales in the overall UK retail industry. There has been a steady increase since **** with a sharp rise of **% in the first half of **** corresponding to the start of the health crisis. After a peak in the first half of ****, the share of online sales has been declining, probably due to the progressive reopening of physical stores.
Evolution of the online share of retail sales in the UK United Kingdom, ****-****, in percent Source: ****
The following graph represents the interest in the search "candles" on Google. The values are between * and **. While ** represents the time when the number of searches for this term was the highest, another value ...
2.3 A new aesthetic demand
The original luminous function of the candle has now been partly forgotten and replaced by a new generation of candle enthusiasts.
The candle market is thus driven by scented candles that meet a new demand. Indeed, the candle market pure player Yankee Candle currently offers more than *** different scents in its candle catalog.
However, there is still a significant demand for unscented candles that meet aesthetic preoccupations in the context of interior decoration. To get an idea of the importance of this phenomenon, look no further than the top Instagram posts with a candle hashtag which mostly showcase non-scented candles that offer striking visual elements instead, such as bright colors or uncommon shapes.
Thus, social media gives another dimension to the candle which, in addition to being consumed on the spot by the buyer, is shared through photos that are energized by objects with a striking visual character.
Twisted candles offered by several brands such as HAY are a good example of social media-led success with the buzz induced on the growing social network TikTok, on which a trend was to try to recreate the candle. [***]
3 Market structure
3.1 A fragmented production
British candle production is quite fragmented. Indeed, the British Candle Makers Federation has over ** members, which they claim account for over half of the national production.
The size distribution of the federation's member companies is shown below.
Size of British Candlemakers Federation producers United Kingdom, ****, in percent Source: ****
For those companies whose size we do know, the majority are "micro" in size with a turnover of less than £* million or less than ** employees. However, there are at least * small companies, with a turnover of between £* and £** million or between ** and ** employees.
The following medium-sized producers are among the largest with a turnover between £** and £** million or a number of employees between ** and ***:
Wax Lyrical Ltd Arran Aromatics Ltd Candle Shack Ltd Contract Candles & Diffusers Ltd Hayes & Finch Ltd
The British Candle Makers Federation producers are supplied by the following companies:
AromaChimie Group European Flavours & Frarances Plc French Color & Fragrance Kerax Meade King Robinson Poth Hille & Co Ltd Safic Alcan UK Ltd The British Wax Refining Co Ltd
The producers also use the following laboratories and consultants for the manufacture of their candles:
Cera Consulting Ltd Satra Technology Center
3.2 Candle composition
Candles are all composed of the same raw materials, in different proportions (***). Wax and paraffin give the candle its hardness. These materials can be used pure or in combination with each other. Today, paraffin is by far the most used material for candle making. [***] Alongside the various waxes and paraffin, paraffin gel has made its appearance in recent years. This translucent material has the advantage of burning more slowly than wax and paraffin. The oil phase is composed of vegetable oils and / or butters to reduce the strength of the candles and facilitate their melting when heated. The pigments and dyes allow to color the candle thanks to plant-based powders or vegetable oils. Finally, the perfumes and the odorous solutions (***) make it possible to give the melting candle a pleasant odor. These must have a flash point higher than ** degrees. The national production is completed by household candles and tea lights.
3.3 Growth in the activity of independent sellers
Independent candle sellers are experiencing fairly significant growth. A study highlighted their **** to **** sales trends which are represented in the following table.
This means that the sales of independent candle market players have grown by more than ***% over these two years. The number of candle sellers on Vend also doubled from **** to ****.
Indeed, according to a national manager at online retailer Vend, there is a strong demand from the UK consumer for unique items as well as a memorable experience in a store. Independent stores are perfectly aligned with this demand, which explains their growth over this period. Furthermore, while the British consumer has no problem turning to large retail chains to buy everyday products, they would rather have a stronger investment in the process of buying items for which they intend on having a greater emotional investment.
4 Analysis of the offer
4.1 Typology of candles
There are two main families of candles.
First of all, scented candles allow to introduce a subdued atmosphere in a space while giving it a particular smell. They are often broken down into three levels. The surface level is composed of the first aromas to be felt when the candle is lit. The central part of the candle serves as the heart while the lowest level is composed of more dominant notes that develop over a longer period of time.
There is also a distinction to be made within this class between mood candles and massage candles (***).
The second type of candles is simply used for decoration. These candles come in a wide variety of shapes:
Pillar candles (***) Taper dinner candles (***) Votive candles (***) Tea lights (***)
The following materials are used for candle design:
Soy wax is obtained from soybeans. It is therefore natural, renewable and biodegradable. Paraffin wax produces more soot than other types of candles and is therefore used less in high-end candles. Beeswax has an odor close to honey and produces a particular luminous radiation when lit. It also has a higher melting temperature than other waxes and therefore drips less. It is also a preferable option for consumers ...
4.2 Pricing by type of candles
There is no statistical data on the price of candles in the UK. However, it is possible to identify the prices charged by retailers and major candle brands.
The table below shows the prices per unit on the websites of the brands.
Source: ****
These prices generally reflect the quality of the materials used in their manufacture but above all the reputation of the brand that markets them.
5 Regulation
5.1 Regulation of the sale of candles in the UK
There is no specific legislation governing the sale of candles in the UK.
However, candles must follow the safety recommendations of the General Safety Regulations **** and the Local Trading Standards Office.
The British Candlemakers Federation has published safety guidelines for the use of candles and their production on its website. Candle sellers should check the following points before placing their product on the UK market:
Each component must be present in the product data sheet. A choice must have been made on whether or not to hire a consultant. Products must be tested for flammability. The chemical composition of the products must have been studied (***). The product is safe for the consumer (***). The safety data sheet is available to the retailer. The label is in accordance with the Classification, Labeling and Packaging Regulation (***). The European safety standard NF EN ***** is present on the label. The candle must be traceable to its production unit by means of a label. The producer must be able to be contacted with elements present on the label. A technical information sheet must have been produced for each product. The sales websites must have the seller's information according to the directive ****/**/EC. The sales website must comply ...
6 Positioning of the actors
6.1 Segmentation
- The White Company
- Yankee Candle UK
- SC Johnson Ltd
- Jo Malone
- Neom Ltd
- Rituals Cosmetics UK
- Penhaligon's Ltd
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