March 31st, 2021Most people do not give candles a second thought, but in fact, the candle market, particularly the wholesale candles market, is a huge business with far reaching prospects. The candle is always an item of need: religious ceremonies use candles frequently; pet shops buy candles to help mask odors; candles are perfect to mask cigarette odors; wedding companies make heavy use of candles and the aromatherapy candle is very popular for romantic evenings as well as a stellar Valentine’s Day gift.
Are you ready to tap into the candle business?
If you take a look at Google Trends, particularly in the recent few years, the search volume for ‘candle business’ is rising and doing so steadily.
The reasons are not 100 percent clear, although the pandemic could have something to do with it. People are staying indoors with much more regularity, and some may just be enjoying candles more in their homes. Home candle making is also a great hobby with a decent profit margin, so some are certainly turning their hobbies into income.
As an example, the search volume for ‘candle wicks’ rose with consistency in 2020.
Candle wicks are a necessity in candle making, and the upward trend in demand may point to the candle business is rapidly developing. Amazon has these wicks selling exceptionally well:
Additionally, shoppers are looking for related terms like ‘candle containers’.
While this growth trend may be making you want to start a candle containers wholesale business, Sourcing Nova urges caution. Candle containers are glass, and damage during transportation is quite common.
Should you wholesale candles?
The candle demand is on the increase, but before you jump into it, realize the candle business is in two parts: wholesale to retail and homemade candles. Which of the two is the best for you to start as a home business? That depends on the candle selected and your sales situation.
If you enjoy candle making as a hobby, are creative and want to expand on that, Cash Money Candles, for example, certainly the DIY route is a strong choice. Finding a supplier of Cash Money Candles may not be that feasible. Besides, your own candles have a unique quality to them, and you can tailor the candle to the customer’s desires. For example, putting a wedding ring in a candle as part of a proposal. The prices on specialty candles is high, but there is a considerable time investment and limited output on custom work.
If you, like so many others, consider candles and the candle business as a way to make profit, Sourcing Nova recommends wholesale reselling candles instead of custom designed candles.
Where can you purchase wholesale candles for resale?
Why China, of course.
China is the world leader in candle production and export. The primary raw material used in candle making, paraffin wax, is almost exclusively found in China. The U.S. has considerable oil reserves and oil production, but the paraffin produced is low. Large candle companies like Yankee Candle import paraffin wax for their candle lines.
The statistics do not lie: There are over 10,000 candle manufacturers in China boasting over 200,000 employees. 75 percent of candles made are exported as 45 percent of the total trade in the world, and the transaction value exceeds 30 percent – the highest in the world. If you want to wholesale candles, China can meet your requirements easily.
How do you choose the product for wholesale candles?
The number of candle types is enormous, and it is absolutely vital to do the market research before starting the wholesale candle business. Sourcing Nova has done some analysis on your behalf and believes the following candle products will be profitable for the remainder of 2021:
Candle jars wholesale
The Google Trends data confirms the demand has been and continues to rise.
The possibility of a new pandemic wave is high, and the demand for the jars is still there and rising.
The candle jars are primarily used for aromatherapy candles, a combination of soy or coconut wax and natural plant fragrances. Some of the more cheaply made candle jars use paraffin wax and chemical fragrances.
The candle jar often comes with a wooden lid, designed to cut off the oxygen supply and extinguish the candle flame. The more ordinary candles feature a single fragrance, which can be boring, verging on monotonous. The better candles feature three fragrances: Top notes, Middle notes and Bottom notes.
On Amazon, a 250-gram jar of scented candles made from soy wax retails for $11.99.
Bulk candles
The bulk candles available are often paraffin wax base with the color being a standard ivory white – the color of paraffin wax. Since China is the largest producer of paraffin wax, a natural by product of the petroleum industry, pricing on these candles is low. The candles come with a cotton wick, burns clean, has no scent and is smokeless.
Bulk candles are great for weddings, parties, romantic dinners and religious purposes. These are also invaluable in emergency situations when the power goes out. The bulk candles are often used with regularity and in high quantity. The bulk candle comes in a variety of sizes, and the basic candles include: Taper, Floating, Tealight, Pillar and Votive.
Bulk candles are traditional candles, and the supply and demand have been relatively stable.
While stable, bulk candles are not the best choice for wholesale. The paraffin wax candle export from China is a big business with an inexpensive price. This fact has hurt the candle manufacturing industry in other countries, and thus, Chinese candles are sanctioned under trade law. However, for daily candle use, bulk candles are available at supermarkets and large retailers like Wal-Mart, who have the leverage to negotiate prices. This leverage means profit margins for bulk candles is very slim. The Trump era tariff war taxed the the traditional candle, and this raised the import cost signficantly and sharply.
Pillar Candles in Bulk
As you begin to look more closely at bulk candles, the pillar candle has the highest demand.
The pillar candle is a standard candle for weddings and churches, since its large size provides a long burn time. Churches often buy pillar candles in bulk, and some choose to use them for enhancing the atmosphere at parties after weddings.
The weight of pillar candles is significant. This means they are shipped via ocean transportation for lowest shipping costs. If you want to wholesale pillar candles from China, be expecting a considerable wait time. The pillar candle is not a dropship item.
Votive Candles in Bulk
The votive candle are short, often plain ivory white, with other colors for special occasions, black and orange for Halloween as an example. Votive candles are used in wedding planning, events mood lighting, atmosphere lighting, floral incense burners, restaurant tables, emergency lighting and travel.
Votive candles fall into two types: traditional candles with flames and Flameless Votive. Sourcing Nova finds the traditional candle with flames to be the preferred votive candle type.
The votive candle is often paraffin wax, with a selection of palm and soy wax for the environmentally conscious as well as some more expensive candles made of pure beeswax.
The majority of paraffin candles are made in China. Those paraffin votive candles made in the U.S. use paraffin imported from China. However, palm and soybean wax is not as plentiful, and candles with these waxes are often from Europe and the U.S.
The demand for Votive Candles has been relatively stable in recent years, with a slight increase in 2020.
Scented Candles in Bulk
June 2020 was a significant month for scented candles in bulk. The search reached its historical peak in this month.
Moreover, 100 percent of searches for scentend candles in bulk were from the United States, which is very rare.
Sourcing Nova does not have any idea behind the motivation for the U.S. to take such a sudden interest in ‘scented candles in bulk.’ Regardless, this may be a sign. The opportunity to start wholesale scented candles.
Bulk scented candles are generally small canned Tea Lights and votive candles, most of which are made of soy wax and natural plant fragrances. The less expensive and cheaper scented candles are paraffin wax with synthetic fragrance. The unnatural fragrances can cause headaches, allergic dizziness and respiratory issues.
If you are not sure if your candle is soy or paraffin, watch the burn time. Soybean wax will burn approximately 30 to 50 percent longer than paraffin wax. Soy wax waste is biodegradable; paraffin wax is not. This makes the soy wax much more attractive to the eco-conscious.
Floating Candles in Bulk
Floating candles do just that – float and burn. These candles are very popular for parties and outdoor activities. The pandemic has reduced the number of people who gather outdoors, and the demand for floating candles has slid downwards in the last two years.
The number one selling floating wax candle on Amazon has a paltry 1,399 views – considerably less than its candle counterparts.
Based on this information, Sourcing Nova feels this is not the best time to invest in wholesale floating wax candles. Perhaps as the pandemic begins to wain, there will be an increase in the floating wax candle due to retaliatory consumption. This is, however, pure speculation.
Candle Holders in Bulk
Candle holders in bulk is a peripheral product of the candle industry with a stable demand in recent years with seasons dictating the rise and fall of purchases.
There are multiple styles of candle holders, and the majority are made in China. Since these are always in demand, planning on wholesale candle holders is always a solid choice. Be forewarned: The years of development in the industry has cut the profit margin significantly. For example, this 3-piece set of candle holders is popular on Amazon and is priced at $25.87.
The wholesale price for these candle holders in China is about RMB 45 ($6.85). The profit is not very high. In addition, candlesticks are generally large in size and difficult to ship easily, so the logistics cost will be relatively high.
Soy candles wholesale
Soy candle is an abbreviation of soybean candles. These candles are usually used in aromatherapy. The candle consists of 95 percent natural soy wax and five percent essential oil for fragrance.
Palo Santo is a commonly burned candle aroma for a cleansing ritual, drives away negative energy and attracts blessings. The candle aroma is also thought to relieve stress and anxiety through purification and provide an energy boost. Others find burning pale, natural candles find light, love and positive energy.
2020 is certainly a year of negative energy, and it makes sense these candles are surging in demand.
2021 has not proven itself to be much easier than 2020. It would make sense the foreseeable future demand for these two soy candles will continue to be high and possibly increase.
2021 is still a difficult year for many countries. It is foreseeable that the demand for this product will increase to a certain extent.
If you are hesitant about wholesale soy candles, Sourcing Nova feels you should not be. Soy candles are normally in glass and small metal cans. If you can find soy candles in a novel container, like a ceramic cup with marble embossing, the results may be pleasing to you.
Beeswax candles wholesale
Despite the scientific data to the contrary, many people are under the belief buring paraffin will release toluene, a known irritant for skin, eyes and nose. This means many people choose candles of pure natural vegetable wax. Soy wax is harmless to the body, but some soy canldes will have fragrance added.
There are common volatile organic compounds, VOC, that are naturally occuring in flowers. These produce a sweet taste, and while pleasurable for some, these can exacerbate asthma and allergies. Sneezing, runny nose, sinus issues and bronchitis are all common. More severe reactions include acne and itching. Cloves may even cause miscarriages for pregnant women.
Those who have these health issues who would like candles should consider pure beeswax candles. Beeswax melts at a high point, so these candles burn for quite some time. Beeswax candles are ideal for emergency lighting during power outages. The beeswax burning can also purify the air. The burning emits negative ions that combine with air particles. Both fall to the ground, thus cleaning the air.
The demand for beeswax candles has been slowly increasing in recent years.
Sourcing Nova believes now is a good time to begin the wholesale beeswax candle business, provided you have a solid supply source. China is not an ideal source for beeswax candles, as the bee industry in China is not as developed as it is in other countries. The limited supply of beeswax is insufficient for domestic consumption in China. The beeswax candles sold on Amazon are likely made in the U.S.
Wood wick candles wholesale
Wood wick candles continue to grow in popularity with the growth trend slow but steady.
Wooden wick candles have considerable advantages. They burn more fully than others, have a large flame and conserve wax. These wooden wick candles are common in aromatherapy candles.
3 Wick candles wholesale
Most candles are bought and enjoyed throughout the year, but the three wick candle has a big upswing in interest around the winter holiday season with Christmas being the biggest peak of the sales year. However, Sourcing Nova has found the demand for the three wick candle has had a considerable surge in the last two years.
It is difficult to tell, but the Christmas 2019 season almost doubled sales from 2018 – an increase of 100 percent! Include to this the demand for three wick candles is higher in 2020 than in 2019.
You may be wondering – what is so great about three wick candles? Simple.
- The surface area of the candle is greater and gives off additional fragrance.
- There are additional light sources from the three wicks. This provides a much more aesthetic look for owners and guests.
The beauty and appeal of the three wick candle is not without a drawback. If used outside, it is important to be sure all three wicks are burning equally – wind could possibly extinguish one or more of the flames. This will cause tunneling and drastically reduce the lifespan of the candle. It is obvious, but the look and beauty of the candle will be reduced as well.
If you are interested and want to wholesale three wick candles, look for the candle jars with lids. Candles are great for any occasion, but some like to use candles for bathing and camping. The lids keep the candles from getting wet – humidity can swell wax and form bubbles. This increases the speed of the wick’s burn and shortens the life of the candle.
All of the better quality three wick candles avalable on Amazon are jar candles.
There are three wick candles in small tins, but the sales are mediocre at best.
Should you wholesale three wick candles? Sourcing Nova thinks the answer is an absolute yes. The demand has grown rapidly within the last two years. It is reasonable to think the demand’s momentum will continue in 2021 for the holiday season. Additionally, the three wick candles are more valuable as a single item because they are larger and have more volume. The bigger size means added lifetime of candle use – a boon to your customer base.
Wax melts wholesale
Aromatherapy is enjoyed by many, but open flames are not something they like. This is where the wax melt is the perfect substitute for a candle. There is no ignition or flame. All that is necessary is a heating element to melt a wax block for the perfect fragrance. Buyers who want the pleasant fragrance of a candle but not the dangers of open flame because of small children will appreciate and find the wax melts an excellent choice.
Sourcing Nova has learned the demand for wax melts has suprising growth in the past two years.
The price of melted wax blocks are not high. Four boxes are available on Amazon for less than $14.00.
These require a separate package for every six squares, and there is considerable cost spend on the packaging. If you select a simple bulk package in transparent PVC box, the cost is considerably lower.
It is 2021. Should you consider importing scented wax melts from China? If so, do you want private label or bulk sales? This is up to you and your particular business model. Sourcing Nova can help you with either decision you make.
Final thoughts
Sourcing Nova hopes you have learned something about starting in the wholesale candle business. As it stands now, which candle type do you think would bring you the most profits? What about the least profits? Let us know in the comment section below.
