Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising Creative
- Abbreviations and terms
Executive Summary
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- Overview
- Insights and opportunities
- Competing with non-candle air care
- Insect-repelling candles can do more
- Marketing in a recession
- FDM brands have potential to expand into other retail channels
- Market sales hurt by souring economy, increasing materials costs, poor 2008 holiday season
- FDMx channels dwarfed by other channels, but hurt less in recession
- Candle sales down as home sales fall; trend for candles as air care can help
- New/existing home sales down
- Other air freshener products impinge potential for candles as air care
- SCJ leads FDMx market; Yankee tops sales through all other channels
- Brand qualities
- Candle décor
- Eco-candles
- Candles that aid relaxation
- Glade’s appeal to tightening household budgets
- The candle consumer
- Usage
- Frequency of use
- Candle spend
- Purchasing habits and trends
- Candle purchase locations
- Brands purchased
- Attitudes and motivations
- Race and Hispanic origin
Insights and Opportunities
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- Competing with sprays and plug-ins
- A candle to better handle pests
- Answering the call for more value in the face of recession
- FDM manufacturers should expand into other retail settings
Inspire Insights
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- Home of the Senses
- What's it about?
- What we've seen/what it means
- Implications
- Home as Chameleon
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Ongoing recession causes sales loss
- Crude oil prices impact materials costs
- Seasonal sales account for 35% of all sales
- Sales of candles
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales and forecast of candles, at current prices, 2004-14
- Figure 2: Total U.S. sales and forecast of candles, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2004-14
- Walmart sales
Competitive Context
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- Air care heats up, within and outside the market
- The new competitive front: green candles
- Ongoing recession hits the candle market
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- Figure 3: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, January 2008 and May-June 2009
Retail Channels—Overview
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- Key points
- Non-FDMx stores account for majority of the market
- FDMx channels and all other retailers sales of candles
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- Figure 4: U.S. sales of candles, segmented by channel, 2008-09
FDMx Retailers
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- Key points
- FDMx must find further merchandising opportunities
- Sales of candles through food, drug, and mass stores
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- Figure 5: Total U.S. sales and forecast of FDMx candles, at current prices, 2004-14
- Figure 6: Total U.S. sales and forecast of FDMx candles, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2004-14
All Other Retailers
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- Key points
- “Other” retailers comprise a wide range of channels
- Candle specialty stores
- Internet sellers
- Catalogs
- Direct-sellers
- Sales of candles through all other retailers
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- Figure 7: Total U.S. sales and forecast of all other retailers candles (non-FDMx), at current prices, 2004-14
- Figure 8: Total U.S. sales and forecast of all other retailers candles (non-FDMx), at inflation-adjusted prices, 2004-14
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- New/existing home sales, home building down, negatively impact the candles market
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- Figure 9: Sales of new single-family homes, 2006-09
- Figure 10: Sales of existing single-family homes, 2006-09
- Figure 11: Housing starts, 2006-09
- Rising unemployment also means less candle buying
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- Figure 12: U.S. unemployment rate, 2006-09
- Scented candles face competition from other types of air fresheners
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- Figure 13: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by gender, January 2008 and May-June 2009
- Women represent primary candle buyers, but men participate
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- Figure 14: Frequency of buying candles, by gender, 2005-09
Leading FDMx Companies
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- Key points
- SC Johnson still leads, but loses sales
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- Figure 15: FDMx sales of leading candle companies, 2008-09
Brand Share—FDMx Brands
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- Key points
- Leading brands feel the recessionary downturn
- SC Johnson
- Lancaster
- Procter & Gamble
- Reed
- Signature Brands
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- Figure 16: FDM brand sales of candles, 2008-09
Brand Share—Specialty Brands
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- Key points
- Overview
- Yankee Candle
- Hanna’s Candle Co.
- Chesapeake Bay Candle
- PartyLite
- Village Candle
- Aromatique, Inc.
Brand Qualities
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- Companies vie for design-conscious consumers
- Eco-friendly candles are heating up competition
- Candles as stress relievers
- Glade appeals to the thrifty consumer
Innovation and Innovators
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- Seasonal candles still biggest trend; botanical, green candles on the rise
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- Figure 17: Trends in candle claims in new U.S. candle product launches, 2003-09
- Body care candles takes the pampering trend a step further
- Eco-friendly candles
- Specialty candles for fun, uniqueness
Advertising and Promotion
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- Overview
- Web marketing
- Yankee
- Glade
- Febreze
- TV spots—marketing Glade candles in a recession
- Glade
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- Figure 18: Glade Scented Oil Candles, 2008
- Figure 19: Glade Scented Oil Candles, 2008
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- Figure 20: Glade Scented Oil Candles, 2008
Usage
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- Key points
- Usage of candles as air fresheners slips more than other fresheners
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- Figure 21: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by gender, January 2008 and May-June 2009
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- Figure 22: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by age, May-June 2009
Frequency of Use
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- Key points
- Purchase frequency is down significantly
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- Figure 23: Frequency of buying candles and air fresheners, by gender, May-June 2009
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- Figure 24: Frequency of buying candles and air fresheners, by age, May-June 2009
Candle Spend
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- Key points
- Full-time employment, higher income, mean higher candle spending
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- Figure 25: Spending per purchase on candles, May-June 2009
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- Figure 26: Change from last year in spending on candles, May-June 2009
Purchasing Habits and Trends
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- Key points
- More people are not buying candles
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- Figure 27: Types of candles purchased in the last three months, by gender, January 2008 and May-June 2009
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- Figure 28: Types of candles purchased in the last three months, by age, May-June 2009
Candle Purchase Locations
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- Key points
- Mass stores most used, but all channels down from 2008
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- Figure 29: Typical retail location for candle purchases, by age, May-June 2009
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- Figure 30: Typical retail location for candle purchases, by household income, May-June 2009
Brands Purchased
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- Key points
- Leading brands continue as candles of choice
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- Figure 31: Candle brands purchased in past two years, January 2008 and May-June 2009
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- Figure 32: Candle brands purchased in past two years, by age, May-June 2009
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- Figure 33: Candle brands purchased in past two years, by household income, May-June 2009
Attitudes and Motivations
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- Key points
- Most still use candles for air care; interest in soy candles grows
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- Figure 34: Attitudes towards candle products, January 2008 and May-June 2009
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- Figure 35: Attitudes towards candle products, by age, May-June 2009
Race and Ethnicity
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- Key points
- Blacks most likely to use non-candle air care products
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- Figure 36: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
- Whites report fewer purchases of most types of candles
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- Figure 37: Types of candles purchased in the last three months, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
- All races buy non-candle air fresheners more than candle air fresheners
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- Figure 38: Frequency of buying candles and air fresheners, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
- Ethnicities follow the norm for brand preference
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- Figure 39: Candle brands purchased in past two years, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
- Blacks buy at dollar stores much more than other ethnicities; Asians prefer department stores
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- Figure 40: Typical retail location for candle purchases, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
- Whites appear less engaged in the candle market than other ethnicities
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- Figure 41: Attitudes towards candle products, by race/ethnicity, May-June 2009
Cluster Analysis
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- Candle Lovers
- Opportunity
- Wax-waners
- Opportunity
- Utilitarians
- Opportunity
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- Figure 42: Candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
- Figure 43: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
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- Figure 44: Spending on candles, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
- Figure 45: Spending on candles compared to a year ago, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
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- Figure 46: Types of candles bought in the past three months, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
- Figure 47: Typical retail location for candle purchases, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
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- Figure 48: Candles bought for self or as a gift, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
- Figure 49: Attitudes towards candle products, by candle and air-freshener clusters, June 2009
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- Figure 50: Candle and air-freshener clusters, by gender, June 2009
- Figure 51: Candle and air-freshener clusters, by age, June 2009
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- Figure 52: Candle and air-freshener clusters, by household income, June 2009
- Figure 53: Candle and air-freshener clusters, by race/ethnicity, June 2009
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- Figure 54: Candle and air-freshener clusters by Hispanic origin, June 2009
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- The number of HHs with kids declines
- Households with kids buy more candles/air fresheners
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- Figure 55: Types of air fresheners used, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
- Presence of children is linked to frequent candle purchases
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- Figure 56: Frequency of buying candles and home air fresheners, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
- Presence of children means more spending on candles
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- Figure 57: Spending on candles, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
- HHs with kids buy more of all types of candles
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- Figure 58: Types of candles bought in the past three months, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
- HHs with kids buy more of all brands
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- Figure 59: Candle brands bought in the past two years, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
- Attitudes and motivations among HHs with kids
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- Figure 60: Attitudes towards candle products, by presence of children in the HH, May-June 2009
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Usage
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- Figure 61: Usage of candles compared to other types of air fresheners, by household income, May-June 2009
- Frequency of use
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- Figure 62: Frequency of buying candles and air fresheners, by household income, May-June 2009
- Candle spend
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- Figure 63: Spending on candles compared to a year ago, by gender, age hh income, race/ethnicity, employment, religion, May-June 2009
- Purchasing habits and trends
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- Figure 64: Types of candles purchased in the last three months, by hh income, May-June 2009
- Attitudes and motivations
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- Figure 65: Attitudes towards candle products, by hh income, May-June 2009
Appendix: Trade Associations
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