Packing it in While renewable ingredients are important, true connoisseurs of earth-conscious goods become enflamed when otherwise green companies use wasteful containers, packaging and shipping methods. “We have a pretty strict set of guidelines for our product. I make sure that if I order a new candle line and the candle fits all of our criteria that it’s also not going to come in Styrofoam packing peanuts with each candle wrapped in a plastic bag,” says Kelsey Carlson, owner of Green Nest, an eco-friendly gift store in Culpeper, VA, which offers five candle lines. “Our products are green but so are our practices, and we try to make sure all of our manufacturers carry those practices through.” Elyce Rembos, owner of two Chicago-area The Green
Goddess Boutiques, which stock five to 10 candle brands in the $20 to $55 price range, notices a disparity in how the products are packed. “The bigger companies definitely aren’t as good about [using eco packaging] whereas smaller companies are more aware,” she says. But while going minimalist might seem like the best green solution, Rembos is quick to show support for packaging with a purpose. “Packaging drives people to the candles. And because they’re gift items, customers do want to have that beautiful box,” For Tiffany of Molly Muriel, the lack of packaging associated with her line has been a point of pride, but it has also held her back from getting into more shops. Currently, she uses recycled glass containers for her candles, which use soy wax and essential oils. A simple tag connected to an extra-long wick delivers her brand message and safety information. While that collection has been well received because of the unique containers, it makes
it difficult for retailers to order. So in August she launched a new line that uses uniform, square glass containers and is sold in recycled, postconsumer boxes. Similarly, Way Out Wax has yielded
to retailers’ requests for boxed items. Until recently, the company’s container candles, which come in reusable glass tumblers, were offered without boxes. Then it added tea lights in boxed sets and its Green Moon Aromatics collection.
The bonus? “We now have more space to tell our story,” states Barrett, who is quick to add that all Way Out Wax ensures all of its packaging has a completely green pedigree.
Sales sizzle When it comes to stoking sales in stores, vendors and retailers agree, scent sells. “If I burn the candles, that’s what sells them,” says Carlson of Green Nest. “Especially in a store as big as mine, if they can walk in and smell them right away, they say, ‘that’s the kind of candle I want for my house.’” Though the products’ aromatic properties are a sure sales
trigger, shoppers can also be enticed through other senses. DeLeon of Mixture believes in the power of color-coordinated vignettes and themed settings to awaken consumers’ imaginations and spur their willingness to recreate the look at home. “In the age of big-box stores, consumers want ideas for what can be done with products,” he says. While some stores have success with special candle sections or green groupings, Barrett thinks sprinkling them throughout
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