The candle market - United Kingdom

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

6.1 Segmentation

• The White Company
• Yankee Candle UK
• SC Johnson Ltd
• Jo Malone
• Neom Ltd
• Rituals Cosmetics UK
• Penhaligon's Ltd