Gifts Today Candle and Fragrance Supplement

Candle and fragrance Supplement March/April 2016

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Contents March/April 2016

Regulars 6

News

12

Grass Roots

Cover Story 16

Heart & Home Offering sumptuous fragrance-rich candles, Gifts Today went to find out how Heart & Home are keeping apace of such a changing and dynamic gifting category

Features 20 Candles We delve into the world of scented

P20 Candles

candles

40 Electronic Diffusers A relatively new home fragrance

Gifts Today team

category that already has the sweet smell of success

46 Wax Melts

Editor Penny Franks penny@lemapublishing.co.uk

What’s the general appeal of wax

Assistant Editor

melts? We take a closer look

Paul Donnelley pauld@lemapublishing.co.uk

49 Reed Diffusers

Advertisement Manager Mark Horsnell mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Fantastic flame free fragrances

P40 Electronic Diffusers

52 Bath & Body

Group Editor

Mind, body and soul - we take a

Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

sneaky peek

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

Specials

Publisher

18

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

The International Fragrance

Production Director

Association tells us why a sweet smell

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

makes the perfect gift

Managing Director

44 Science of Scent

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Media Solutions Manager

P46 Wax Melts

Ashleigh & Burwood takes us through the science behind the scent

Bradley Mason bradleymason@hotmail.co.uk

Interview

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

IFRA

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

38 Village Candle We caught up with Paul Aldrich, CEO of Village Candle to find out more

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

about the brand, its history and plans

Independently audited

for the future

ABC circulation of 7,098 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

P49 Reed Diffusers

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Message from the Editor www.gifts-today.co.uk Twitter: @giftstodaymag diffusers, which are being cleverly designed to fit many home décor tastes. All of this demonstrates that the home fragrance sector really is something to be reckoned with and not to be underestimated.

It would appear that consumers aren’t content anymore with the traditional plug in air freshener, they are savvier in their purchases and want items that suit their home décor for themselves or as a gift, often being chosen with scents that can evoke memories, coupled with their aesthetic appeal.

Wax Lyrical

“

More and more manufacturers and suppliers are looking at how they present their fragrance ranges, keeping in line with current trends and producing items that are aesthetically pleasing

“

W

elcome to this, our freshly launched fragrance supplement. We felt with the fragrance market being so buoyant it deserved a publication dedicated purely to this continually growing and developing sector.

We bring you a round-up of candles, reed diffusers, scented general home products, electronic scented diffusers and more, after all it’s a fragrant world.

Of course, it would be fair to state that scented candles spearhead and dominate the home fragrance sector but with technology continually moving on, we are seeing a wealth of products now entering the home fragrance sector and gaining in their momentum and popularity.

Candles will never lose their appeal, and the good news is that the selection available is vast from manufacturers and suppliers who all work hard to keep on trend with not only fragrance but also presentation – making them a perfect gifting solution as well as a popular purchase for yourself as well.

Reed diffusers are fast becoming a popular choice amongst the consumer, as these offer a flame-less alternative to scent our homes and have a good lifespan before either being replaced or topping up. In fact, we have also recently seen the launch of the first oil-infused reed diffuser in the form of Caption, which launched during Spring Fair. Another product that is gaining in momentum is the move toward electronic scented

Of course, even better is that these products are bought on a consumable basis, which leads to more sales. More and more manufacturers and suppliers are looking at how they present their ranges, keeping in line with current fragrance trends and producing items that are aesthetically pleasing.

Voluspa

The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

We felt that, as this is the first fragrance supplement, it only right that we speak to the International Fragrance Foundation to find out why there is such an increasing desire to fragrance our own personal space and how this category is generally performing.

Whether it’s candles, wax melts, diffusers, pillow mists, room fragrance, laundry scents or other household products — fragranced products are now more carefully chosen than ever before and they are in high demand. For this reason, fragranced goods make for perfect gifts and perfect gifts are, of course, great news for gift retailers. To read more, simply turn to page 18.

We also bring you an article where we try to make sense of scents. Fragrance is a language of its own, it can evoke memories, feelings of warmth, create a homely sense and is incredibly seasonal — but how do you unravel the more personal aspect of this, especially when we’re talking gifting products? Turn to page 44 to find out how.

NEWS

regular

Ashleigh & Burwood prepare for expansion With business buoyant at Ashleigh & Burwood and steady year on year growth, the company has finally outgrown the offices and warehousing it occupies in Walton-onThames, Surrey.

Chairman, John Nettleton and Managing Director, Andrew Nettleton, have undertaken a search for new premises that will accommodate the growing company as it stands today and will take into account future predicted growth.

Andrew Nettleton said: “We are both proud and excited to be taking this next step in the company’s development and looking forward to the benefits and opportunities the move will bring to the business as a whole”.

The company, who celebrate their 23rd year in business next month, has humble beginnings. John and his wife Louise, together with son Andrew began their home fragrance venture as a cottage industry, from their family home with grandmother Phyllis even taking on bottle filling duties from the comfort of the sofa.

A ‘family feel’ is something they are passionate about sustaining throughout the business, even with the company now employing around 45 people.

John said: “It is of the utmost importance to both Andrew and myself that the new offices remain within Surrey, in order that the full team are able to make the move.”

Web: www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk

Embracing home fragrance Enviroscent, known for its sustainable paper-based fragranced sticks received an overwhelming response to the introduction of Caption Fragrance Co. at Spring Fair 2016.

The brand new range provides the only pure home fragrance option available in the market through a patented format of sustainable paper sticks infused with pure fragranced oils.

A hit with Garden Centres and Florists alike, which made up 65% of all orders placed at the show, was Caption’s unique and entirely new way to discreetly scent a room by hiding green fragranced sticks in plants and florals. Following the success of the company’s Scentsicles product, designed to fragrance Christmas trees and garland, the Caption Range offers a year-round selection of products for the home and car, with the same high-quality ingredients and superior all-natural technology that enables a slow release of fragrance over a month or more.

To experience the Enviroscent way visit www.enviroscent.com.

6 gifts today

Evoking fragrant memories BFA Contemporary Gift’s new collection, Himalayan Candles, combines beautiful, eternal fragrances with vintage art and traditional artisan hand-making skills.

Each candle is poured by hand using a natural soy wax blended with high quality essential and fragrance oils, whilst cotton wicks ensure a clean and even burn. All containers are unique and handmade, and can be reused once the candle has burned away.

Amongst the delightful fragrances prepared for the Himalayan Candle launch collection are Peony, Anise & Black Pepper, Ancient Philosophy, Grapefruit Pine and Tobacco Bark - and each is a complex mix of layers designed to evoke memories of a particular time and place.

Containers vary from a Vintage Glass Collection including holders inspired by oldfashioned sweet jars, Victorian powder boxes, bubbled glass tumblers and etched and diamond cut glass, to hand painted tins decorated with intricate, henna-style designs.

Containers are also made by skilled artisans from tree bark, mango wood and terracotta and a variety of wooden, tin or glass lids complete each unique design.

Traditional hurricane lamp shapes, filled half way and containing double wicks and a burn time of 140 hours are also available.

Tel: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk

Natural fit A joint venture between Heaven Scent Incense Natural Candle Maker and The Eden Project has created a beautiful Natural Room Fragrance Range. Inspired by the plants grown at the Eden Project, twelve different fragrances have been selected to represent the Eden Project’s Mediterranean and Rain Forest Biome plants and the British plants that grow oustide and around the site. The range was beautifully designed by Artist Sarah Wilson who works for the Eden Project, she has created quirky images of each individual plant chosen for the range.

The Eden Project’s ethos of working with nature and helping to create a sustainable planet fits very well with Heaven Scents’ values and one of the aims of this joint venture is to create a beautiful gift which supports nature and sends a positive message to the consumer.

Web: www.heavenscent.co.uk

NEWS

regular

Destined for success Having recently announced their appointment as Hallmark’s UK licensee in the Home Fragrance category, Paper Island, part of the larger H&H group, were happy with the fantastic reception the new 2017 launches received at the recent NEC Spring Fair. Drawing on inspiration from the gorgeous Lucy Cromwell and Bellissima card ranges the company have designed a varied selection of impulse-buy fragranced gift products. With the instantly recognisable Hallmark branding, alongside a beautiful choice of gifts for key seasons and everyday, including Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and Wedding, the lines are destined to be best sellers.

Available on compact, eye-catching FSDUs, the displays offer the perfect solution to attain those all-important impulse-buy sales. To become part of this winning combination get in touch for more information.

Tel: 01709 730700 Email: sales@paper-island.com

New UK distributor for American candle brand The best things come in threes!

Spring 2016 sees some exciting new launches within the Colonial brand. A new shape of jar with a triple wick and a metal embossed lid made its debut at the Spring Fair receiving an amazingly warm reception from the hundreds of visitors to the Colonial stand. The candle retails at £14.99 offering 40 hours of delicious fragrance.

The triple fragrance glass jar is for those who just can’t make up their mind. The candle holds a real surprise – as the candle burns down the jar, the fragrances gradually morph from one to the next. Move seamlessly from Sugared lemon to Strawberry passing via Berry Vine – what could be better?

Web: www.widdop.co.uk

Melting your heart Price’s have launched for the very first time - Petali fragranced wax melts in eight different variants.

Each melt has been created with a special high quality wax formulated that is contained in a unique heart shaped pod. The fragranced wax never gets in contact with the actual ceramic warmer leaving it perfectly clean and and easy to swap from fragrance to fragrance. The thin wax layer has a high fragrance loading that has been developed for ideal diffusion, regular and intense, that lasts up to eight hours each!

Tel: 01234 264500 Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Web: www.prices-candles.co.uk

8 gifts today

Xystos, the home of flame and fragrance, has become the UK distributor for Candle-lite, which claims to have the best-selling line of candles in mass retail stores in the United States and to sell more candles in America than any other candle company or brand.

Xystos launched two Candle-lite Company ranges at Spring Fair, the Every Day Collection and Classic Royale.

Founded in Cincinnati in 1840, Candle-lite has been in continuous operation for 175 years. As America’s original candle maker, its history is filled with product and process innovation that delivered ever-higher quality candles to America’s homes.

Candle-lite has continued to innovate into the new millennium. In recent years its chemists developed proprietary wax blends using food grade paraffin, renewable wax materials and natural ingredients like soy, palm and corn.

It was first to market with a scented palm wax candle in the 1990s whose blends combine in a unique manner with natural fragrance oils, while its all-cotton composition, lead-free, innovative woven wicks deliver brighter, wider flames and superior fragrance throw.

Xystos director Tom Sykes says: “We are delighted to go into 2016 with such a high-profile brand in our portfolio. We are confident that UK consumers will fall in love with its true-to-life scents and the great burn performance of these candles.”

Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk www.xystostrade.co.uk

Ashleigh & Burwood celebrate National Fragrance Day Ashleigh & Burwood are passionate about fragrance and its power to connect, inspire and evoke emotion and it’s their desire that retailers of the brand and end consumers choose to share in this passion too. On 21st March, to celebrate the company’s fascination with fragrance, they took part in the promotion of National Fragrance Day. The Fragrance Foundation led the promotion to engage with consumers, encouraging them to delight in their sense of smell.

VILLAGE CANDLE

www.villagecandle.co.uk Tel: 01254 300268

Email: sales@villagecandle.co.uk

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1

03/03/2016

16:51

Grass Roots

We spoke to a number of independent retailers to get their thoughts on the home fragrance sector.

Sarah Hastings, Boudoir, St Leonard’s-on-Sea Home fragrance has grown immensely recently – how are you keeping up with trends?

I visit shows like Top Drawer to see what is around and I also spend a lot of time online to see all the different things that are available.

Is there a particular fragrance category that performs well for you?

I stock a lot of candles and I have to say that the ones that have gone extremely well are the floral ones. The sweet ones, the fruit ones are all still on our shelves. I don’t know why. The lavender, hydrangea and flowery ones have all gone but the ones that are still here are all fruit-based. My age range here is the over-35s. I used to have a

previous shop where lavender was exceptionally popular with all ages and it is certainly shifting here.

How important are seasonal scents in-store?

Yes, very. Christmas scents are very popular – cinnamon, apple spice. I did an East of India Christmas range and they went really well.

Do you feel that your suppliers refresh their ranges frequently and in keeping with consumer demand?

Yes there is always a new choice. When I did the East of India promotion, they were always adding new items to their range. I am using a new company Candle Bell who are based in Ireland.

Emma Keast,

Domini Berry,

Cranberries Gift Shop, Corringham

Salamandar, Yateley, Hampshire

Home fragrance has grown immensely recently – how are you keeping up with trends?

I go to a lot of trade shows and look around and choose what I like. I have a number of companies that I use – True Grace, Woodwick, Lilyflame and Millifiori are my main suppliers.

Is there a particular fragrance category that performs well for you?

Yes candles are my best-sellers followed by reed diffusers.

How important are seasonal scents instore?

I buy a number of Christmassy scents as they seem to be very popular. They sell very well.

Do you feel that your suppliers refresh their ranges frequently and in keeping with consumer demand?

Yes they are always adding new things.

Home fragrance has grown immensely recently – how are you keeping up with trends?

Primarily I get my information from trade magazines such as yours and online via social media. I make sure I regularly visit the trade shows. As a massive home fragrance fan myself I’m always testing new products at home for us to try in the shops.

Is there a particular fragrance category that performs well for you?

Geraldine Stuckey,

Salina Jeeawon-Freeman,

Finnegans Findz, Enniscorthy

La Maison, Bexhill-on-Sea

Is there a particular fragrance category that performs well for you?

We concentrate on oils and incense.

Anne Stokes items sell well for us. Plus there is lavender and patchouli, white musk and scents like those. I have always sold a fair amount of lavender product.

How important are seasonal scents in-store?

I get some seasonal Christmas scents but they don’t sell especially well for me.

Do you feel that your suppliers refresh their ranges frequently and in keeping with consumer demand?

Oh yes definitely. They are very good and are always happy to make sure we have what we need.

12 gifts today

We do a lot of oils for lamps. We sell a large selection of fragrance lamps and have many regular customers that come in to buy the oil refills as well as repeat sales.

How important are seasonal scents in-store?

For Christmas very, the customers always come in to see what Christmas scents we have, we always change the scents during the year to reflect the seasons and love having the new scents in.

Do you feel that your suppliers refresh their ranges frequently and in keeping with consumer demand?

Yes, pretty much. They bring out new fragrances every season and extra special ones at Christmas.

Home fragrance has grown immensely recently – how are you keeping up with trends?

We look at magazines, online and keep in touch with our reps.

Is there a particular fragrance category performs well for you?

Candles do very well for us especially Yankee Candle.

How important are seasonal scents in-store?

The winter does very well for us. It is then when customers tend to go for spicier fragrances.

Do you feel that your suppliers refresh their ranges frequently and in keeping with consumer demand?

We manage our own stock levels but yes we are happy with our suppliers.

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Heart & Home

Fragrances from the heart

Heart & Home oer a sumptuous selection of fragrance-rich candles, wax melts and votives all of which have been produced to fill any home with evocative scents and designed to look stylish anywhere. Gifts Today went to find out how they are keeping apace in such a changing and dynamic gifting category.

Competitive price points, a variety of display options and POS, along with top customer service support and regular sales and training catalogues, all help in making this a fragranced brand to stock and succeed with.

T

he very fact that Gifts Today has decided to dedicate a brand new supplement just to home fragrance proves that it is a truly buoyant market. Of course that does not mean that fragranced gift companies can sit back on their laurels. In fact it is perhaps even more important to create, innovate and listen to the target audience to succeed in a constantly 16 gifts today

changing marketplace. One such company that is doing just that and reaping the rewards is Heart & Home. “Having enjoyed strong sales over the last year and a thoroughly positive NEC Spring Fair, here at Heart & Home headquarters we are not only pleased with the reception our home fragranced products have received but also excited about everything we have in the pipeline just waiting to

launch!” said Jacquie Russo, Group Marketing Manager, H&H. “Those who currently stock and enjoy success with our collections will, I’m sure, already be familiar with the difference Heart & Home can make to sales and we’re keen to spread the word and encourage others to also become part of this success story.”

It’s obvious that this UK designed fragranced gift line is heading in the right direction, not only with the evergrowing range of carefully chosen scents but also with their unique soy wax blend which offers a beautiful clean burn - something which has proven extremely popular with the target demographic. Another key feature is the distinctive suction-style lid which is not only attractive, with imagery that truly reflects the gorgeous fragrances within, but has been a winner with retailers who have reported fewer breakages. Competitive price points, a variety of display options and POS, alongside top customer service support and regular sales and training catalogues, all help in making this a fragranced brand to stock and succeed with.

However, the fragrances are only part of the story – for those customers who also want something that goes some way to creating a look that fits into their idea of the perfect lifestyle feel, the company also offers a fantastic range of complementary home décor accessories. Everything from candle shades to a whole variety of stylish Wax Melt Warmers and new for this year,

For those customers who also want something that goes some way to creating a look that fits into their idea of the perfect lifestyle feel, the company also offers a fantastic range of complementary home décor accessories. their first electric Wax Melt Warmer.

“Wax Melts are one of our most successful lines so we wanted to offer another option for those users who wanted the same fabulous fragrance, style and warming glow but from an even more convenient and safer heat source,” said Jacquie. “We had a great response to these at the recent Spring Fair so are confident they will add to an already successful line.” Heart & Home’s wax melts not only have a high fragrance load, lower melt temperatures and great burn times but the original packaging means that the melts very easily pop out – very handy!

As we are all aware, it’s not only about creating an outstanding product, it’s also about making sure that product is recognised and sought out – and this is where building brand recognition is an integral part of the overall story. “It’s often about the bigger picture,” said Jacquie. “We are of course proud of all the work we’ve put into getting our unique soy wax blend just right and we never tire of creating fragrances we

feel our target audience will love… but we also know it’s about brand building – helping to strengthen those allimportant repeat sales. Social media, events, competitions, consumer press, informative videos all make a difference in keeping Heart & Home in the hearts – and homes of our ever-growing fan-base. Check out our latest Candle Tips video or our social media pages – bloggers have got behind the brand, celebrities have sung its praises – this all helps towards making Heart & Home an easier sell for you – the retailers.”

Taking so much time to get just the right mix of notes means that there are some truly scrumptious fragrances in the Everyday and upcoming ranges from the company. Jacquie has her own preferences: “My personal favourite is from our Autumn/Winter 2016 collection… so not too long to wait! Twilight features exotic bergamot and earthy patchouli and just spells out cosy nights in front of a warming fire but it’s not just the candles, I also love the accompanying accessories,

featuring beautiful inky colourways – perfect to create that misty moonlight glow.”

Although summer may seem a distant memory, it is in fact just on the horizon and there are some fantastically fruity fragrances about to make an appearance from Heart & Home – Pink Grapefruit & Cassis and Simply Mulberry reflect those lazy, hazy days in the sun – with mouth-watering notes of succulent fruits. Another good choice for summer is Reed Diffusers – flame-free, they are the perfect way to continuously and effortlessly fragrance the home. Heart & Home’s range in gorgeous apothecary style bottles are packaged in beautiful gift boxes featuring the same co-ordinating design style. Currently available in Sweet Pea, Fresh Linen, True Enchantment and Red Rose – there are plans to further expand this popular line.

An irresistible collection of truly indulgent aromas and tantalisingly tempting home décor accessories supplied on displays that are sure to make real retail impact on your shop floor.

Web: www.heartandhome.com

gifts today 17

International Fragrance Association

The sweet smell of the perfect gift There is an increasing desire to fragrance our personal space as well as ourselves, according to IFRA UK, the fragrance industry’s trade association.

IFRA UK is the trade association which guides perfumers and fragrance houses on the science to enable them to create fragrances that are safe for their intended use

W

Copyright attribution: Mama Mia Shutterstock

18 gifts today

hether it’s pillow mist, room fragrance, laundry scents or other household products, fragrance is now more carefully chosen than ever before. For this reason, fragranced goods make for perfect gifts and perfect gifts are, of course, great news for gift retailers.

It’s not just the array of fragrances that is impressive; methods of delivery are too as this issue of Gifts Today shows. The candle sector is a large and growing category but there are many other room fragrance options including reed diffusers, wax melts, oil lamps, electronic and aerosol diffusers, room sprays and sachets.

All this is before one even considers that other enormously important

scented gift category: personal care.

IFRA UK is the trade association which guides perfumers and fragrance houses on the science to enable them to create fragrances that are safe for their intended use.

Lisa Hipgrave, a perfumer by trade, is IFRA UK’s Director. She says: “Creators of fragrance for the home, as with fine fragrances and personal care products, must pay heed to fashions.

In the bathroom, for instance, if the trend is towards particular colours and designs, then fragranced goods are often selected to match the décor so the fragrances and packaging must be in harmony. Fragrance-conscious consumers may choose different scents for different rooms so the living room may have an invigorating scent while the bedroom may have a relaxing scent whereas open plan living

provides the opportunity for scentlayering, giving a unique fragrance.”

For the manufacturer, fragrance is an integral part of the brand. Lisa Hipgrave says: “It is often the leading aspect of the product, differentiating one brand or range from others. Fragrance is the invisible difference.”

IFRA UK plays a key role in reviewing fragrance materials and advising members on how to use these correctly. If you are buying fragranced goods for your store or retail group, it’s wise to ensure that the manufacturer is using an IFRA UK member to create the fragrance because this provides the guarantee that everything is safe as well as stable. “A fragrance that works in, say, a bath preparation, cannot be the same formula as one used in a candle,” explains Lisa. “The resulting aromas may smell the same, but the expertise of the perfumer is needed not just to create the fragrance notes but to adjust the formula depending on the application.”

She points out too that gift occasions are very important. “Whereas fine fragrances seek their sales peeking in the Autumn, other fragranced goods are important for a range of occasions in addition to Christmas.”

Selena Thomas of CPL Aromas, one of IFRA UK’s trend analysts, agrees with this. “The fragrances of gift products are often an evolution of the season’s trends or influenced by lifestyle trends,” she says. Selena points to trends that will translate well into gifts are bold tropical themes inspired by vibrant bright colours and cultures with tropical fruits such as guava, starfruit and mango are influential in 2016 as are fun cocktails.

Another playful trend is for quirky, foody inspired scents, mixing sweet and savoury and contrasting flavours.

“Luxury,” she observes, “is all about providing a sensory-led experience with products that utilise changing textures

and colour changing formulations and fragrances that are contemporary and inspired by high quality ingredients and even textiles.”

Selena’s prediction for 2016 is that gift stockists should note fragrance layering and personalisation. “This is becoming a big trend as consumers want fragrances that are a bit more special than the norm and so gift products that can be layered or personalised are big news.”

Rachel Thomas and Heidi Envis of Robertet UK, who are also part of IFRA UK’s panel of trend experts, agree that personalisation is a key trend. For homecare gifts, they are predicting ‘natural, herbal and wholesome’ themes underlying many home fragrance fashions.

“The earthen folk trend is very big,” says Rachel. “The notes are rustic, earthy, warming and may include the great escape – mushrooms, campfires and dried leaves – as well as homely or outdoors scents like wild flowers, orchards, soft grass, dried straw and homemade pie.”

Moving away from the comforts of the English countryside, Heidi says that, echoing that famed ‘man on the moon’ Christmas TV advertising and renewed interest in space travel, there is a futuristic trend with an ‘interstellar feel’. She says: “The fragrance notes may be influenced by molten magma, ice caverns, steel, weathered rock and raw earth.” Space science contrasts strongly with some of 2016’s less scientific trends. “Another trend is described as a Twisted Fairytale,” says Rachel. “Winter dew, honeycomb, crisp snow, lemon zest, dried eucalyptus, thistles and sea mist - with a touch of jasmine and champagne effervescence - all come into play.”

Other styles include ‘Gothica’ – created

by frankincense, tonka bean, burning sage, violets and opium poppies, and ‘Mexicana’ with pink pepper, coffee beans, dark chocolate and chillies.”

Some scented homeware gifts also have a more masculine focus, featuring notes of leather, vetiver, sandalwood, tobacco and root beer.

Wanderlust is also being pandered to. Once we leave our scented homes, travellers at London’s Heathrow Airport encounter a ‘scent globe’ that enables them to sniff the typical scent of a destination. It’s a fragrant world, and becoming ever more so.

For more information visit:

www.ifrauk.org

“A fragrance that works in, say, a bath preparation, cannot be the same formula as one used in a candle” Lisa Hipgrave

Copyright attribution: Africa Studio Shutterstock

gifts today 19

Candles

Scentimental What’s hot? Candles, of course. This is a product category that always holds its own with the consumer.

20 gifts today

I

t doesn’t appear that the appeal of a quality candle will cease in popularity with candles being a staple product for many retailers.

Their appeal continues to grow at great speed and the good news, as these are a consumable item, is that they often generate repeat sales.

As the sector continues to evolve, with many new entrants and also brands that are now recognised by the consumer, we wonder what really drives this sector? Susan Grant, Widdop & Co told us what she feels is currently pushing the candle category.

“The candle sector, like many other gifting sectors, is being driven largely by innovation. New fragrances and a combination of fragrances keep the range fresh as well as allowing the consumer to trial new fragrances.

Jar shapes and candle formats keep the range looking up to date.

Contemporary and packaging, particularly gift boxes, give the product versatility to act as either a self purchase or a special gift. Candle accessories often transfer to an additional purchase.”

Independent retailer, Susan Kerr of Harvey Willis knows the importance of candles for retailers. Susan told us: “About 40% of our shop is candles.

They are very important to us and it has to be the right type of candle, so the fragrance should be what is says it should be, for example, strawberry should smell like real strawberry, cinnamon should make you feel like cosying up by the fire and thinking of winter months.”

Tom Sykes, director, Xstos Flame & Fragrance feels that quality is a leading factor. “In our case, it’s quality

“Fruit and floral fragrances will be very on-trend, as will emotive fragrances rather than fragrancespecific scents” Tom Sykes, Xystos and innovation. Our best-selling WoodWick range from Virginia Gift Brands repeatedly demonstrates that its ‘wooden wick that crackles when it burns’ is a unique selling point – and you really do need a USP to be a top brand.

“But there’s more to it than that if you are to go on breaking sales records, as Xystos has done year after year, culminating in our best-ever trade show performance at Spring Fair in February.

“HearthWick has taken the market by storm, with repeat orders showing that it really is the retailers’ friend.

much choice available, we are now seeing a savvier consumer, who looks at the overall quality of the candle, coupled with burn times. It would appear that no longer are many happy to settle for the lesser quality candles that can be bought at low costs. This is a sector where compromise isn’t on the list of many.

Scent is also incredibly important, as more are looking toward these to create a more subtle way of fragrancing their homes.

Susan Grant told us: “There are many consumers of candles who are incredibly knowledgeable when

“The candle sector, like many other gifting sectors, is being driven largely by innovation. New fragrances and a combination of fragrances keep the range fresh as well as allowing the consumer to trial new fragrances” Susan Grant, Widdop & Co Its beautifully designed vessels are as stunning as the fragrances. The new HearthWick Ellipse Mercury Glass Candle is wonderfully original and absolutely gorgeous, while the WoodWick jar candles have a terrifically loyal audience and also continue to sell through.”

Many households purchase candles for everyday use in the home and perhaps use options which may not hold scent or long burn times, but it is now more evident that design led, quality candles are becoming a way of adding a touch of style to a home’s overall décor. With there being so

it comes to candle quality. Although burn times are important, the quality and consistency of the hot throw right through the entire burning process.

Consumers are wise to the brands that use a double pour process with a lesser amount of fragrance in the bottom of the jar compared with the top. Even a novice candle burner will expect a clean burn with no build up of soot around the jar as well as an even burn – tunnelling looks ugly and is a real turn off.”

And what of current trends, what are we experiencing? “Fruit and floral fragrances will be very on-trend, as

will emotive fragrances rather than fragrance-specific scents. And colour palettes for this year will be very pastel and soft,” says Tom. “Also, retailers and end-users are now much more adventurous, which is why our new releases include candles for lovers of retro and attractive and unusual candle shades.

“We are also finding that an increasing number of greeting card shops are taking more and more candles and we expect them to become a growth area for our brands this year.”

Susan Kerr has definitely noticed customers are more aware of quality candles. “Customers are more savvy when it comes to candles. Some come in asking for soya based wax having read that it is better for the environment. Others have watched TV shopping channels which spend ages describing the qualities of good wax and fragrance oils etc. Brand names are becoming more important, in fact, probably more important than what it smells like. Yankee has a huge name for itself and customers know about the product before they come in and smell the candles. Woodwick has the reputation of the wick making a crackling sound so we have people coming asking for the candles which crackle as they burn.”

It also has to be stated that presentation can be key to a range.

By adding additional appeal to a candle, whether through scent or glassware, an added value to the gift becomes obvious.

“Candles can sit just about anywhere in the gift sector – they look just as much at home in a Garden Centre as they do in a card shop or home accessory retailer,” said Susan Grant.

“They offer a wide range of price points incorporating just about any budget. The fragrance they give off in store is inviting to the consumer drawing the consumer’s attention to the product in a way that no other product does. The appeal of candles although largely aimed at women, covers all age-groups and acts as an affordable, well earned treat for the self-purchaser.”

Candles represent extremely good value for money, as not only do they have a function, but they are also now provided in glass vessels that give storage options for an array of items once the flame has gone out.

All the of the quality suppliers in this sector provide candles which have a superb burn rate, which is controlled by the wick and once the wax has been consumed the jars can then be re-used for a multitude of purposes – giving additional value for money.

Take a time to browse through the following pages where you can find an array of quality candles that are all available to order now. gifts today 21

Candles

Complex and layered fragrance Enesco Himalayan hand-made candles are hand poured in small batches and are made with a clean, long burning soy wax blend which melts away leaving behind a decorative container that can be reused time and time again. The soy wax contains over 80% American grown soy bean wax which has a dense creamy texture.

Fragrances are complex and layered with a high fragrance ratio to ensure a fragrant candle burn. They have cotton wicks that burn with a minimum of smoking and sooting. General Store Jars. Vintage silvered glass reminiscent of old fashioned candy jars. Finished with hand dyed silk ribbon. This item is available in Red Currant fragrance (apples, oranges, currants, herbaceous florals, forest pine and geranium petals). 60 hours burn time, 9oz/0.255kg. All candles come in a brown craft style box packaging.

Tel: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Web: www.enesco.co.uk

Odour eliminating Price’s Candles Throughout their 185-year history Price’s have been renowned for their quality and innovation. This is none truer than with their odour-eliminating candles and diffusers. Combining retro gift packaging and delightful fragrances with the ingenious use of Odourfoyl technology, Price’s Fresh Air range will rid homes of unwanted odours. The days of fetid fish and odorous onions are finally over! As the Odourfoyl is released into the air, it combines with the foul odour molecules to neutralising all unwanted household odours.

The range comprises of Chef’s kitchen candles with its unique blend of basil and patchouli. Open Window with its fresh clean linen fragrance combining lily, violet with orange flower. Anti Tobacco to rid smokey stale odours, infused with spiced clove and orange. And finally Household to dissapate pet odours using orange, lemon and thyme.

As well as the four all year round fragrances Price’s have also launched four seasonal limited edition candles. For winter choose from Mulled Wine and Spiced Vanilla with bursts of fruit and spices and for summer Brazillian Mango and Violet Garden blended with exotic fruits and flora.

Tel: 01234 264500 Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Web: www.prices-candles.co.uk

Sweet Grace Heart of the Country Bridgewater Candle Company’s top selling fragrance Sweet Grace has the must have fragrance for 2016. Combing sparkling tea notes with patchouli and fullbodied fruits and available in 18oz jar candle, 8oz jar candle, votive, reed diffuser, wax bar, fragrance oil and sachet. Sweet Grace is a fragrance that proves irresistible to anyone who smells it. If you haven’t experienced Sweet Grace email sales@HeartoftheCountryLtd.co.uk putting SWEET GRATIS in the subject as well

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as including your address and they will send you a sachet absolutely FREE!

Tel: 01543 481612 Email: sales@HeartoftheCountryLtd.co.uk Web: www.HeartoftheCountryLtd.co.uk

LONDON RD CUMBRIA TEL 01229 461 111 WEB WAXLYRICALTRADE.COM

Candles

Fragrant notes Heaven Scent has long believed in producing products that are kinder to the environment and people. They use natural derived ingredients to offer customers a beautiful fragrance experience. Using natural plant waxes and blends of high quality oils, a Heaven Scent Candle burns beautifully, throwing a scent into a room without the smoke and soot.

With over 75 different fragrances to choose Heaven Scent’s expertise at blending scents means there is a favourite fragrance for everyone, from a fresh floral note to a deep woody fragrance.

Tel: 01225 868788 Email: contact@heavenscent.co.uk Web: www.heavenscent.co.uk

Let’s get festive Xystos Being both decorative and useful, this Snowflake Ornament Candle from WoodWick would make a welcome addition to any home at Christmas. It has an RRP of £16.99. Xystos also has another new festive offering, the pretty Scenic Hourglass Candle, which carries pictures of a house, holly and snowflakes and bears the single word ‘Hope’. RRP: £19.99.

Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk

Travel the world Shearer Candles These scented candles are made with the finest of scents and the variety of original fragrances and scent combinations Shearer candles believes to be unrivalled.

Their scent portfolio will take you on an olfactory trip around the world and through the seasons. Combining both Spring and Winter fragrances to create the most satisfying collections in home fragrance, Shearer Candles mix of luxurious scents not only indulges in radiant colours but has an aroma to suit any room at any time.

Tel: 0141 445 1066 Web: www.shearer-candles.com

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Zesty lemon mixes with a blend of sparkling citrus and green notes for a true-to-life, clean lemon fragrance.

For more information please contact our Customer Service Team; Email: sales@xystos.co.uk or Tel: 0191 499 1570 www.xystostrade.co.uk

Candles

Time to fall in love Voluspa

Take a potter St Eval Candle Company With spring now upon them, St Eval Candle Company are celebrating with the launch of three new stunning collections for 2016. The Potting Shed Collection is inspired by nature and designed with a classic St Eval touch. This range is provokes thoughts of the Great British garden and greenhouse and is available in four herbal and earthy fragrances. Within this collection we also see the welcomed return of Tomato & Basil, the fresh scent of green tomatoes and sweet basil. Still using the traditional method of pouring, you can enjoy this stunning collection for up to 90 hours.

Tel: 01841 540850 Web: www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk

Voluspa introduces two new fragrances for 2016. Yashioka Garadenia and Nissho Soleil, part of the larger collection from the ever popular Japonica Limited Edition range.

Voluspa’s top-selling collection, Japonica, is characterised by brilliant colour patterns with metallic overlay and inspired by the fine art of Japanese paper making. This elegant pattern embossed glass chawan bowl candle (pictured), has a matching glass lid and a burn time of 100 hours.

Yashioka Garadenia.. with notes of Yashioka Gardenia, Tuberose, and Tunisian Clove and Nissho Soleil - Topped by notes of sun kissed pineapple and tangerine, Soleil is anchored by Voluspa’s signature creamy vanilla. A day at the beach in a bottle.

Re-use this elegant container for flowers or trinkets when the candle is gone. . All Voluspa home fragrances are made with no phthalates, no parabens, no sulfates, and no animal testing.

Tel: 01793 487 684 Web: WWW.VOLUSPA.CO.UK

Natures gift Stoneglow Candles These candles are a real show stopper, featuring real botanical items some sourced from exotic locations and others locally grown. Each piece is carefully positioned to create the stunning designs and contains a high fragrance natural wax inner to be burnt. The candles are presented in a simple, stylish white gift box with foiled print to offset the dramatic designs.

These candles are available in nine stunning options, and have been designed to complement their popular Natures Gift Reed Diffusers.

Tel: 0208 595 8878 Email: sales@stoneglowcandles.co.uk Web: www.stoneglowcandles.co.uk

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E XC LU S I VE LY AT

“Once customers buy it, they keep coming back for more” Gillian Newby, Cardcraft, Crook

“A quality product strong, consistent fragrance and an amazingly clean burn” Emma Gillett, Special Occasions, Castle Bromwich

N E W R E E D D I F F U S E R S I N B E ST S E L L I N G F R AG R A N C E S - N E W T R I - L AY E R JA R S N E W T R I -W I C K JA R S - N E W F R AG R A N C E S FO R S P R I N G/ S U M M E R To find out more about becoming a Colonial stockist contact us at : www.widdop.co.uk | Email: sales@widdop.co.uk WIDDOP AND Co, Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 9XE | Tel: 0161 688 1226 | Fax: 0161 682 6808

Candles

Décor collection for every occasion Yankee Candle The elegant Décor Collection by Yankee Candle is ideal for consumers looking to inject a splash of colour, or add sophistication to a table display.

Décor pillar candles feature peelable labels and are perfect for creating a modern look for any occasion - particularly weddings.

This growing range of large, medium and small candles boasts a wide range of stunning classic Yankee scents, with seven new fragrances added for 2016 Moroccan Argan Oil, Riviera Escape, Peony, Verbena, Aloe Water, White Tea and Vanilla.

Tel: 0117 316 1200 Web: www.yankeecandle.co.uk

WoodWick Hourglass Xystos This delightful Crackle Glass Hourglass offering is among the new autumn/ winter releases from WoodWick, the candle with the crackling wick. It has an RRP of £18.99. Two new ranges have been added, the Boudoir Collection, featuring six fragrances, and the Blue Arrow Collection of five scents in a distinctive HearthWick vessel. There are three other hourglass candles, too – Dancing, Plaid and Scenic – as well as a range of attractive WoodWick Candle shades. Available from Xystos, the home of flame and fragrance.

Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk

Fine fragrances Wax Lyrical Candles are becoming much more than just a home fragrance product - they’ve burst into the home décor and gifting industries due to products being more design-led such as Wax Lyrical’s Fired Earth decorative candle tins, which won Gift of the Year 2016. With gifting being so huge, they’ve created Spring/Summer gifting with Bloom, a selection of gift packs and reed diffusers, plus Christmas gift sets and some more unique items, such as their candle bauble.

It’s interesting to follow home fragrance trends – they’ve seen many fine fragrances coming through, such as rose which they have included in their SS16 RHS Fragrant Garden range, plus the coveted scent of oud for Autumn/Winter, which features in their Fragrant Escapes Christmas offering.

Having a range of candles is very important – some people prefer votives and others love the luxury of a large multi-wick candle – each serves a different purpose which is very important.

Tel: 01229 461140 Email: info@wax-lyrical.com Web: www.wax-lyrical.com 28 gifts today

Candles

Lovingly poured Melt Quality Fine Fragrance candle and Reed Diffuser makers Melt have been creating wonderful scents for the home for over 16 years.

Cheryl Hook, Managing Director says “At Melt we specialise in creating fine fragrances – the exquisite perfumes that you would choose to wear yourself and that we love to blend for you to use in your home.

“Some thought as to which fragrance goes where is a useful exercise, also of course, it depends on the ambience you are trying to create – relaxing, soothing, energising- as well as where in the home your fragrance is to be placed. A space as personal and feminine as a dressing room should have feminine luxurious fragrances. ‘Gingerbread cookies’ just would not work for most in that environment.”

Melts choice is always elegant, sophisticated, a tad refined, confident and slightly sexy!! Or as one splendid newspaper wrote ‘Recherche’ (thank you Weekend FT magazine).

As Candle and Reed Diffuser makers, Melt know it’s their job to ensure their exquisite fragrances add something extra to any home and beautifully scent surroundings.

All Melt products are elegantly gift boxed and ‘Lovingly hand poured in England’

Tel. 01200 443377 Email: info@themeltco.com Web www.themeltco.com

Price’s go large Price’s candles have released their long awaited large jar range of candles for 2016! A traditional design developed in 10 new stunning fragrances, this range is focussed on high quality fragrance, burn quality and value.

After extensive market research Price’s have collaborated with their fragrance houses to capture current and future trends, keeping the brand at the forefront of home fragrancing.

Each candle is presented in a popular glass lidded jar with bright coloured wax that can burn for up to a 150 hours!

Choose from fruity - Sicilian Orange, Sweet Pear and Black Cherry. Floral - Winter Jasmine, Damson Rose , Cotton Powder and Open Window.

Herbaceous - Lavender & Lemongrass. Spiced Sugar & Almond and Vanilla Cupcake. These candles will be sure to light up any home with a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

Tel: 01234 264500 Email: sales@prices-candles.co.uk Web: www.prices-candles.co.uk

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www.intelex.co.uk

Austrailian made fragrance Indulgent luxury for everyday

sales@intelex.co.uk Tel: 01933 679777

Candles

Pure Essence Yankee Candle

A complete solution Colonial Candles – Widdop & Co A firm favourite, Laundered Cotton’s fragrance is uplifting and refreshing - ideal for cleansing the senses. The Colonial Candle brand offers seven different product formats across a selection of 27 carefully selected fragrances: three different sizes of double wick glass jars, tea lights, simmer snaps, votives and glass votives. A range of co-ordinating accessories including candle holders and melt warmers complete the range. With five stand options, in store point of sale and branded hot foiled gift boxes, Colonial Candle offers the retailer the complete solution.

Three new seasonal fragrances have been added to Yankee Candle’s popular Pure Essence collection following overwhelming success of its launch last year.

This nature inspired indulgent range, originally intended to be available for a limited time only, allows consumers to create their own sanctuary of peace and relaxation.

Verbena, White Tea and Vanilla are available as a six-month seasonal collection in addition to the original Pure Essence scents launched in 2015.

Each new scent is available in all six classic Yankee Candle forms teamed with new and returning accessories, plus a range of gift sets.

Tel: 0117 316 1200 Web: www.yankeecandle.co.uk

Tel: 0161 688 1226 Email: sales@widdop.co.uk Web: www.widdop.co.uk

ScentCandles in Tin Can ScentChips Candles in Tin Cans have an amazing sense of style.

These scented candles with Cedarwood Wicks, and their simple vintage design are available in three sizes and eight delicious scents. From White Tea Ginger To Lavender & Rose; there’s a scent for everyone.

Tel: 01259 751009 Email: service.uk@ worldofscentchips. com

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Set the bells ringing St Eval With the wedding season fast approaching it’s time to start thinking about centre pieces and decorations. Amongst their vast range, St Eval Candle Company produce handmade Pillars, Dinner Candles and Multiwick’s to suit every theme and colour scheme. Using the two traditional methods of Pouring and Drawing, they are able to achieve stunning finish and incredibly superior burn time. Using the method of Pouring, each large pillar candle and Multiwick is personally hand poured into moulds allowing us to have flexibility and quality control throughout.

With diameters from 3” Pillars to 8” Multiwick’s, their candles can be enjoyed throughout the entire day’s festivities. The process of Drawing involves great detail and craftsmanship. Using drawing machines they are able to produce candles with an elegant marbled finish still ensuring superior burn. They are also able to achieve the highest quality coloured dinner candles with vibrant colour throughout, a perfect edition to any wedding.

Tel: 01841 540850 Email: info@stevalcandlecompany.co.uk Web: stevalcandlecompany.co.uk

Inspired by nature

United Candles (Corporation) Ltd 13D Limewood Road, Leeds LS14 1LU Tel: +44 113 201 8828 email: sales@united-candles.co.uk

Candles

For retro lovers Xystos This striking and unusual Chevron Mosaic candle from Xystos may not be typical of the much-loved WoodWick range, but it demonstrates that its American manufacturer has something for all tastes.

This example is expected to appeal to retro lovers of all ages as the wonder of WoodWick enchants an ever-growing customer base following best-ever sales for the brand at Spring Fair. It has an RRP of £21.99.

Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk

Cherry anyone?

Heart & Home

Crush on you ScentCrush by ScentChips ScentCrush allows the consumer to create their own scented candle. All they need is their favourite ScentCrush fragrance, a ScentCrush holder and a wick. Simply place the Cedarwood wick into the holder, pour in the ScentCrush, trim the wick and light. The 12 fragrances can be mixed to create new, individual scents.

Tel: 01259 751009 Email: service.uk@worldofscentchips.com

These soy wax blend candles are as enticing as they are delectable, featuring fragrances for all moods, whether it be fresh and invigorating with Cotton Soft, the delightfully delectable Sweet Black Cherries or bringing the outside in with the Cottage Garden floral collection.

The soy wax blend offers a supremely clean burn and the selection of candles means that customers will never be short of choice, with everything from large and small jar candles, votives and wax melts to scented tealights.

Web: www.heartandhome.com

United Candles Ltd Not all candles are the same. Many are created from inferior ingredients and while less expensive they do not burn cleanly or have fragrance that is long lasting.

For over 60 years Langley Empire has stood for quality, value and reliability. All of their candles are poured in the USA and made with only the finest waxes and fragrances to burn clean and to provide a long lasting fragrance experience. These candles are fragrance filled to the core ensuring a rich and evocative experience every time.

Inspired by nature and the latest fashion, beauty and home trends and working with some of the world’s leading fragrance houses United Candles are continually creating best loved home fragrances together with more sophisticated mood combinations such as their Oud & Tonka and Fresh Aloe candles featured within their extensive Boulevard collection.

Whilst glass remains the dominant component for the jars and containers, the Boulevard collection embraces many other materials such as precious metals, faceted glass, ceramics and cork all making for more stylish, innovative and distinctive candles everywhere around the home.

Tel: 0113 2018828 Mobile: 07710 520509 Email: dennis@united-candles.co.uk 34 gifts today

Fine Fragrance Candles Lovingly Hand-Poured Made in England

www.themeltco.com “Look for a lovely thing and you will find it, - shining brightly.

It is not far...never far.”

“CANDLES BY MELT BOAST AN EXQUISITELY DISTRESSED PATINA AND RECHERCHÉ SCENTS” FT Weekend Magazine

email: info@themeltco.com 01200 443377

Candles

Irresistible aroma Heart & Home There’s no doubt that Heart & Home’s bespoke aromas are irresistible but add to this the fact that the soy wax blend not only creates a clean burn but is kinder to the environment means that customers can enjoy this lovely indulgence safe in the knowledge their choice has its heart in nature. With a varied selection of matching accessories and gift sets, competitive price points and the unique suction lids featuring gorgeous imagery that truly reflects the scent within – you really do have the perfect package!

Web: www.heartandhome.com

New tinned candles from Di Palomo Following the success of their Reed Diffusers and Home Fragrance Sprays, Di Palomo is launching a range of Tinned Candles in four fragrances: Wild Fig & Grape, White Grape, Orange Blossom and their new Black Cherry & Almond.

Hand poured using a blend of natural vegetable wax, olive oil and fine quality perfume; these candles will burn for approximately 35 hours to gently fragrance your home and create a warm, inviting ambience. RRP is £10.

Tel: 01803 612772 Email debbie@dipalomo.com

The rustic approach ScentChips Rustic Scented Candles, colourful fragrant pillar candles available in 4 sizes, 7.5, 10, 15 & 20cm. All are 7cm in diameter with burn times from 38 to 98 hours.

These exquisite candles are available in 12 carefully selected fragrances; Magnolia, Vanilla, Fresh Thinking, Sandalwood, Rose, Lavender, Cranberry, Apple & Cinnamon, Rain, Ocean, Pine, Musk.

Tel: 01259 751009 Email: service.uk@ worldofscentchips.com

HearthWick repeats itself HearthWick is the candle that keeps on giving – repeat business to retailers, that is! And it’s a trend that looks set to continue in 2016 following a record-breaking year for Xystos, its UK distributor.

WoodWick’s autumn/winter collection includes this gorgeous HearthWick Ellipse Mercury Glass candle – yet another example of the outstanding quality products from Virginia Gift Brands. It has an RRP of £24.99.

Tel: 0191 499 1570 Email: sales@xystos.co.uk Web: www.xystostrade.co.uk 36 gifts today

Sales Agents Malerifabrikken are Danish producers of modern art and genuine oil paintings designed and painted by their own team of artists to the highest of standards at affordable prices with a portfolio of over 300 images in the collection for everyone to enjoy.

The UK & Ireland are currently our fastest developing markets and it’s now important for us to appoint well-connected trading partners to help us to get to the next phase in our development plan.

We are currently looking for well-connected sales agents calling department stores, home accessory, furniture retailers, gift shops and galleries.

In return we offer exclusive territories, generous commission, UK-based customer service, advertising, marketing, administration and support.

Should this be of interest please contact: Brand Select (UK) Limited on 020 8953 7059 / 07834 771224 or by email brandselectuk@gmail.com 11 Redwood Rise Borehamwood Herts England, WD6 5LB

www.malerifabrikken.dk

Village Candles

Gifts Today were delighted to meet Paul Aldrich, CEO of Village Candles at Spring Fair to find out more about the brand, its history and future plans.

Village living Village Candle is known here in the UK as a maker of quality candles, can you tell us a little about the company history?

As a young man, I remember taking my mother’s leftover canning paraffin and pouring it into milk cartons to make candles. Fast forward to 1993, and whilst between jobs, I was spending a lot of free time at the local library researching career opportunities and coincidentally ended up researching the art of candle making instead. Very quickly, my boyhood hobby became a passion, and then a calling. I was making candles out of my kitchen on a two-burner stove.

From those humble beginnings creating candles on a two burner stove to hand crafting candles now from a 73,000 square foot premise is a huge achievement – what sort of problems did Village encounter along the way?

Our largest challenge continues to be keeping up with rapid sales growth. Our customers demand for 38 gifts today

new products and fragrances always continues to amaze me and keep us on our toes. The first official home of Village Candle Co. was in Yarmouth, Maine in 1996. We quickly outgrew that location and had to relocate to a larger facility in Brunswick and then from there to Topsham, Maine where we stayed for over 10 years. Today, we’ve consolidated all our operations into one building in Wells, Maine. As we continue to grow globally, where we call home for Village Candle Co. will continue to be an evolving story, but in our hearts we’ll always be from Maine.

You have four candle collections, Traditions Premium Round, Radiance, Décor Collection and Village Classics – are all of these available in the UK? All of our product selections are available around the world, however we learned each region has its own specific favourites. We’ve discovered the restorative role that home plays in our UK consumers’ lives. Home is the place that grounds them and makes them feel whole again. It brings them

back. All of our home fragrance lines are designed to do that for them.

Currently, our UK consumers love the Village Candle traditions collection and are anxiously awaiting our new Happi collections which will allow them to enhance fragrance layering throughout every room in their home.

What would you say make your candles stand out when compared to your competitors?

If I had to sum this up it is the emotional connection. We are reminded daily, by online testimonials from around the globe, of our customers’ love of Village Candle and the joy it brings. We deeply respect the emotional effect fragrance has on our customers’ well-being and that’s what drives all that we do. We believe our commitment to our consumer and quality is paramount. By design, we have kept Village Candle a privately held, family-owned company so that we can keep our customers central to all that we do. It’s what drives us to engineer the best candles and finest fragrances in the world.

You pride yourselves with the quality of not only your candles, but also the wicks you use – can you tell us a little more about these?

Okay, here is where I will sound like a candle geek, but there is a science to this art.

First, our dual wick technology offers many benefits to the consumer. The maximum fragrance experience will only be experienced when there is a clear wax pool layer on the top of the candle, with the dual wick this is reached sooner than a single wick.

Also it gives a much cleaner burn so that the candle burns at the same level throughout its lifetime and doesn’t leave any wax residue on the side of the glass ensuring it looks as good as it smells. No black soot marks, no uneven wax and optimum fragrance.

This is one of our brand’s unique selling points and reverts back to the quality of the ingredients.

Our wicks are made of natural fibres and we use nine different sizes depending on the fragrance to deliver the best experience. It is the attention to the detail for maximum results.

Okay, now I’ll take my lab coat off!

How do you support the brand to bring consumer awareness?

For example, how important is social media to you as a company?

We love social media because we personally hear from our consumers regularly. We believe it is an important tool to understand the demands and needs of our consumers. In today’s environment there is a lot of noise and distractions. Therefore, social media for us is our chance to hear and share with our consumers. Whether through our Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest or the others; all of us at Village Candle

love the feedback. We especially like to meet in the conference room and watch the Village Candle YouTube demonstrations for pure enjoyment.

It is awesome to see how passionate people are about our brand and listening to how our fragrances make them feel.

developed from the finest ingredients and natural plant extracts. To most people home equals happy. And with life getting more hectic and demanding than ever for people, we believe that there can’t be enough happy places.

With our Happi Home collection of home fragrance products, now every

All of our product selections are available around the world, however we learned each region has its own specific favourites.

We’ve discovered the restorative role that home plays in our UK consumers’ lives.

Do you work with any charities and if so, why are these important to you as a company?

Yes, it is a way of life and part of our business culture to give back and be grateful for our Village and the people in the community. Corporately, we work with “Make a Wish” and our hope is that each time a consumer blows out our candles they will join us in helping this wonderful organisation.

In addition, locally every Thanksgiving we give turkeys and at Christmas we adopt families experiencing difficulties, to ensure they have gifts under their trees for their families. The Village Candle Family loves to give and help our neighbours. In fact, we started a year round sunshine fund to help employees and people in our community experiencing hardships.

You are known as a fragrance company – are there any exciting/expansion plans on the horizon that you would like to share with us?

room can make you happy. This new line includes kitchen, laundry, candles and pet care. From the everyday use of hand soap and hand lotion, to climbing into bed at the end of a long day and inhaling a clean and gently fragranced duvet, we want every aspect of a customers home experience to be as happy and restorative as possible.

Even beloved pets can become more beloved with the right fragrance. Our Happi pet products are designed with the same quality and understanding of our customers needs as all of Village products. Why shouldn’t pets be

allowed to smell wonderful?

Will you be looking to expand into other categories when it comes to fragrance for the home?

We love the emotional lift our customers get from fragrance. We want our consumers to be able to experience the Village fragrances they love across many other areas of the home throughout their everyday lives.

This year, in addition to the Happi Collections launch, we will be introducing sachets, scented drawliners and new auto air freshener products this autumn.

When will these products be available to the UK and how will they be distributed?

We will be launching in Q3/Q4 2016 but are happy to take enquiries or preorders now.

I hope that wasn’t too forward but I am so excited about what we are bringing to home fragrance lovers everywhere around the world. It’s so exciting to watch our beloved brand grow so much from that little company in Yarmouth, Maine. To become a Village Candle retailer or receive a free electronic version of our catalogue visit www.villagecandle.com and request it.

For further enquires please contact: Kim Biggs, President International Village Candle, Inc. Tel: 01254 300 268 Email: sales@villagecandle.co.uk Web: www.villagecandle.co.uk

Our latest news is our Happi collection

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Electronic Diffusers

Pic courtesy of Ashleigh & Burwood

Sweet smell of success It is no longer enough for a home to have a nice fragrance, now aesthetics and ambience play a part

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here are many ways to make a home smell sweet – air fresheners, reed diffusers and candles to name but three. Consumers want more than just the method that they have used for years. The up and coming way is the electronic fragrance.

As would be expected, there are a number of variances and methods for this category. But how do they actually work?

Deborah Bettinson from Ashleigh & Burwood said: “Our amora Scent Hubs use advanced ultrasonic technology to turn water into a fine mist, acting as a humidifier and ioniser. When a few drops of amora essential oils are added, the scent hub becomes an effective aroma diffuser, creating the ideal home ambience.”

Ben Stubbs from Heart of the Country told us: “Our capsule-driven system produces no mess as it requires no mixing of liquids or dripping of oils just the very straightforward changing of a capsule. The capsule can be stored and reused over and over again.”

Dharmesh Bhayani of Made By Zen explains his company’s product: “Our ultrasonic aroma diffusers use the latest ultrasonic technology to diffuse fragrance into your environment. High frequency vibration breaks down the water and fragrance oil into minute droplets, which are then released into the atmosphere as a cool, scented mist.”

Things have moved on from merely making a home smell nice as Ben points out: “No longer is a nice

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fragrance enough for the discerning home fragrance buyer. George and Sissi add both technology and personality to the home fragrance market.”

Debs Bettinson said: “The design of the ultrasonic diffuser on offer is evolving with aesthetics coming to the fore and interior styling being taken into account.”

So they are more aesthetically pleasing than ordinary plug-ins but what other benefits do they have?

Ben said: “Mr&Mrs Fragrance Diffusers are also a safer choice than a candle as there is no naked flame or heat produced by George and safer than a reed diffuser with no liquid which can be knocked over or consumed by youngsters or pets.

“Mr&Mrs Fragrance Diffusers are unique as the fragrances are provided by interchangeable capsules. Both George and Sissi work by cool air being blown through the diffuser and capsule thus producing fragranced air.

With different programs available to suit different lifestyles, an auto standby as well as a lithium battery, George and Sissi can follow you wherever you go.”

There could also be health benefits.

Debs Bettinson told us: “First and foremost, our amora oils are 100% pure and natural essential oils with nothing else added, and each is blended to deliver a specific aromatherapy benefit.

“For example with essential oils of lavender and geranium our Relax Me oil works to create a naturally soothing therapeutic experience. The amora Scent Hubs themselves have a

humidifying effect, increasing moisture levels in the air which can help to combat the drying effects of central heating that we experience.”

Ben Stubbs said: “The solid state fragrance method of passing cool air through a polymer is one of the safest ways to fragrance. No burning, no liquid diffusion just beautiful fragrances increasing the well being of all round them.”

to benefit with working with the brand.”

Ashwood and Burleigh’s Debs Bettinson takes a similar view: “Similar to the business model for our fragrance lamps, once the initial purchase is made of the lamp/ scent nub, customers return to store again and again to replenish the oils, bringing repeat business to the retailer.

The amora Scent Hubs are easy to demonstrate and, shown in action, the

“Our ultrasonic aroma diffusers use the latest ultrasonic technology to diffuse fragrance into your environment.”

Dharmesh Bhayani Dharmesh Bhayani of Made By Zen added: “madebyzen diffusers act as mini humidifiers; they can refresh the air around you and may hydrate your skin. This is especially great when the air has become dry from indoor heating or air-conditioning. Consumers are providing positive feedback on various health benefits.”

There are also benefits for retailers in stocking electronic fragrancers. Ben Stubbs said that once consumers buy into their product they can be locked in. “George and Sissi are only compatible with Mr&Mrs Capsules on Air. Once a customer buys into the Mr&Mrs Fragrance concept they are a potential customer for life. With RRPs offering 100% margin on the capsules and returning business of capsule replenishment ongoing retailers are sure

product naturally draws interest, with its cool scented mist, colour changing LED light and with harmonia and apollo models music played from the scent hub will naturally garner interest.”

“The ultrasonic diffusers are a growing retail phenomenon. They create a sense of theatre and drama within the store and can create a stunning retail display,” said Dharmesh Bhayani of Made By Zen. “With our range of scents, the retailer is able to significantly increase their sales. It has been proven that the sales of the peripherals – the scents is growing at an increasing rate. Consumers are selecting a larger number of scents due to the versatility of the diffusers and this is creating a good growth in sales for the retailer along with customer and brand loyalty. “

Electronic Diffusers

Future of home fragrance

It’s all about scent hubs Ashleigh & Burwood One of the leading home fragrance houses Ashleigh & Burwood recently unveiled two new miniature models, added to their increasingly popular amora Scent Hub collection. Their ultrasonic diffusers, which release a fine mist of water and essential oils without using heat, as well as emitting ambient mood lighting, have received increased media attention recently and have even featured on Channel 5’s The Gadget Show.

Now joining the current collection of six models, are orion and venus, two high-tech, compact models which can be plugged into a laptop using USB connection for a conveniently portable method of experiencing aromatherapy and home fragrance, at home or away. Their petite stature makes them ideal where space is limited, such as desktops or bedside tables and offer consumers a more discreet way to enhance their home ambience.

Tel: 01932 267060 Email: info@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk Web: www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk

Take customers into a dream world madebyzen has introduced its latest innovative aroma diffuser, the Marina to its exceptional product range.

The design for the dreamy Marina (RRP £49.99), was inspired by the ocean’s tides, to bring customers closer to nature with its visually stimulating mood lighting. The new transitional colour spectrum creates a delicate rainbow across the sky and gently moves through the colours. The sensual movement simulates the sea as the tide slowly drifts in and out. The Marina can be paused on a specific colour to suit the preference of every individual.

This versatile Aroma Diffuser can also be combined with a madebyzen seductive scents, and a drop of water to disperse a stunning mist into the air. There is also the choice of settings, either constant or intermittent so the amount of fragrance released can be controlled.

The mist the aroma diffuser disperses is heat free and once the water level gets too low the Marina will automatically shut off making it perfectly safe and family friendly so the mind can remain at ease.

Tel: 0161 257 3524 Web: www.madebyzen.com 42 gifts today

Introducing George, the future of home fragrance. George is an electronic fragrance diffuser designed by Italian designer Luca Trazzi. George works by blowing cool air through any of Mr&Mrs Fragrance capsules.

This innovative system is just about the safest way to produce fragrance, no flame, no heat, no liquid, no mess, just beautiful fragrances produced by this iconic diffuser.

George is powered by a lithium battery and can last up to eight hours on one charge, he has two separate one touch fragrance programmes and will always revert to standby thus saving fragrance and power. George is available in four soft touch colours and two metallic colours.

Tel: 01543 481612 Email: sales@HeartoftheCountryLtd.co.uk Web: www.HeartoftheCountryLtd.co.uk

Science of Scent

Making scents Fragrance is a language of its own. It can evoke memories, feelings of warmth, create a homely sense and is incredibly seasonal – but how do you unravel the more personal aspects of this, especially when we’re talking gifting products?

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he world of fragrance seems to possess a language of its own, with so many terms and phrases that we often use without truly understanding their meaning. It’s no surprise then that trying to recommend fragrances to others, or find the perfect scent for yourself, can be a challenging

can make discussing fragrance a whole lot easier!

First, like any language, it’s important to grasp the basics. When discussing a fragrance, we refer to its ‘notes’ to describe the different scents which have been blended to form it. These fragrance notes are separated into three ‘layers’: top notes, middle/heart notes and base notes. Unlike many

First, like any language, it’s important to grasp the basics.

When discussing a fragrance, we refer to its ‘notes’ to describe the different scents which have been blended to form it. task when you’re not a native speaker. Even once you’ve removed the matter of becoming fragrance fluent, describing a scent is no mean feat! We’re all used to expressing what we’ve seen, heard or touched, yet trying to communicate what we’ve smelt seems to be far more complicated. Getting to grips with the basics of this ‘language of fragrance’ and understanding the power of scent 44 gifts today

other sensory experiences, fragrance evaporates gradually, meaning that we don’t experience these three layers of scent all at once. Rather, we encounter the top notes initially, forming our first impression of a scent.

Top notes are typically the molecularly lightest notes in a composition, made up of fresh citruses such as bergamot and mandarin, though don’t get used to them because they

won’t hang around long. This initial punch of scent tends to linger for the initial 30 minutes of experiencing a fragrance, making way for the middle, or ‘heart’ notes, also known as the core of the fragrance. Middle notes make up the main body of a scent, and are usually comprised of florals, or herbal/’aromatic’ notes such as lavender. This core eventually gives way to the base notes, which are the last to develop. These are the molecularly heaviest notes of a fragrance, booming with deep, audacious tones, their purpose to provide depth and enhance the layers which precede them, rendering the fragrance detectable long after the top and middle have faded.

So whilst we know what actually forms a fragrance, what is it that makes scent so powerful? Another challenge in describing and understanding fragrance is that it is able to provoke so many different reactions and emotions in each individual. Our sense of smell is fully developed at birth whilst other senses, such as sight, develop gradually throughout the first year of a baby’s life. Considering that an adult takes around 8 million breaths a year, whilst an infant takes nearly double that amount, there’s ample opportunity to detect and memorise an abundance of different smells throughout our entire lifetime. But we’re not just detecting and memorising. We’re detecting, memorising and associating.

Smells are received by the olfactory receptors (which live in the roof of the nasal cavity), which, when stimulated, transmit impulses to the brain. The pathway these smells take are linked to the limbic system, the part of your brain which is closely associated with memory and emotion, often referred to as the “emotional brain”. Still with us? The direct link to your memories and emotion that your sense of smell possesses means that scent can conjure up powerful responses in an instant. This is why smells can be “a bit marmite”, rarely provoking neutral responses, but rather dividing people between ‘like’ and ‘dislike’. Your brain forges such a strong link between smell and memory that a familiar scent can elicit different moods, which is part of the reason why some people can’t stand the smells you love!

When we look at the retail aspect of home fragrance, it’s always wise to remember that a scent that one person adores, another may dislike, so it’s ideal to keep a varied selection of fragrances in-store, ensuring that you have each fragrance family covered and to keep ahead of current scent trends.

Of course, there are some fragrances which tend to have a broader appeal, such as Fresh Linen (although there will still be those who take a dislike!), so it’s always important to make testers available to customers, so they can try before they buy.

The direct link to your memories and emotion that your sense of smell possesses means that scent can conjure up powerful responses in an instant.

www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk

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Wax Melts

The house of wax Once upon a time it was candles, now the aroma business is expanding

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anufacturers are constantly coming up with new ideas to improve our homes and

sense of well-being.

Apart from some delicious and tasty food, many people would say that a nice smell around the house improves their mood.

A relative newcomer to the market is the wax melt. A block or tablet of wax is infused with a scent – there are dozens available – and then placed on a warmer.

As the warmer heats up the wax melts and emits the scent.

We spoke to a number of those involved in this sector to find out the latest details and information.

David Foss of Triple S Supplies explained: “ScentChips wax melts use high a quality wax and exclusive highly fragrant oils that release a wonderful and intense fragrance when melted in a ScentBurner.”

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Unlike, say, candles, wax melts are not restricted to one fragrance or one particular odour.

As David Foss said: “With ScentChips fragrant wax melts consumers can create their own fragrance rather than have their fragrance selected as with candles/tarts.

“We have ninety fragrances to choose from with another twelve coming on the market in 2016, the combinations [for different smells] are almost endless.

“ScentChips contain nine per cent fragrance, which makes them one of the strongest fragrant wax melts on the market.”

Retailer Alan Downey of The Gift Emporium from Bristol is a big fan of aromas. “I have started selling scented candles and my customers really like them. I stock quite a selection, including wax melts, and am always interested in new scents and new products.”

The aromas can be varied and this seems very popular in different seasons.

David Foss said: “The ScentChips wax melts collection includes floral, sweet, fruity, fresh, earthy and spicy so the

“ScentChips are of outstanding quality and that ensures high value sales and repeats” David Foss, Triple S Supplies

consumer can create their own seasonal scents.

“ScentChips offer consumers a fun and an interactive shopping experience for all ages. Offered with an abundance of choice in beautiful, stylish warmers, they are sure to find the perfect combination to suit their lifestyle.”

It seems that wax melts are extremely popular around the world but it would appear that the United Kingdom is only recently coming around to even becoming aware of the concept.

Wax melts are another way for retailers to make a good margin. David Foss said: “ScentChips are of outstanding quality and that ensures high value sales and repeats with excellent margins. In the right location a ScentChips table can return in excess of £10,000 a year.”

Can you just buy a melt and sniff away?

Not quite, there are a number of specially designed burners that consumers can buy. These are heated either with a tea light or an electric oil warmer. Consumers can buy from a large selection of traditional and modern oil warmers.

Fragranced Wax Melts

MIX YOUR OWN SCENT!

Bolsius速 Creations allows you to create endless fragrance combinations to reflect your mood.

- Choose from 31 fragrances - 20 Melt burners - Dedicated merchandising solutions

T +44 (0)800 169 5126 sales@uk.bolsius.com

www.bolsiusaromatic.com

Wax Melts

The original concept ScentChips The Original Create your own Fragrance Wax Melts began as a small family endeavour in San Antonio, Texas in 1979 and has now blossomed into a product in demand worldwide.

Their extremely high fragrance-wax-ratio makes ScentChips one of the strongest fragrant wax melts on the market.

The ScentChips ‘pick and mix’ concept offers consumers a fun and interactive shopping experience for all ages, they can select from up to 90 fragrances to create their own individual scents.

The range of display stands available suits any size of store, from 12 to the full 90 fragrances with POS to promote ScentChips to the consumer.

Tel: 01259 751009 Email: service.uk@worldofscentchips.com

It makes scents A collection of Traditional and Modern designs of Oil Warmer specially designed and manufactured to enhance the enjoyment of Fragrant Wax Melts.There are over 100 designs and colour combinations, the largest selection from one supplier.

ScentChips are constantly introducing new designs and the latest are their Metallic Gold, Silver and Copper finish available in Logo, Buddha Heads, Floral and Owls.

Tel: 01259 751009 Email: service.uk@worldofscentchips.com

Yankee introduces new colours Simple and stylish, the Scenterpiece Easy MeltCup Warmer from Yankee Candle launches four new colourways for spring.

The new designs; Rosa, Lucy, Elizabeth and Heather span across a pastel palette of soft pink and caramel, which complement other models in the collection including Weave in white and Robyn in grey-white.

Each Warmer features a flameless heater that melts the contained wax and distributes Yankee Candle true-to-life fragrances around the room for up to 24 hours (per Easy MeltCup.). Designed to be heat-resistant so it remains cool to the touch, the contemporary designs keep wax contained so that fragrances can be changed quickly and with ease.

Tel: 0117 316 1200 Web: www.yankeecandle.co.uk

Total flexibility Wax Lyrical Although seen as quite traditional, our wax melts still prove popular. The ease of this type of product is a huge advantage and there are tips which can help consumers get more out of their wax melts, such as using an unfragranced tealight in the oil burner to make sure the fragrance throw of the melt isn’t disrupted by another scent. The fact that it’s a product that can be used with an existing oil burner is a great advantage, as people don’t need to purchase another if they already have a burner at home.

Tel: 01229 461140 Email: info@wax-lyrical.com Web: www.wax-lyrical.com 48 gifts today

High fragrance load Heart & Home Covering all key fragrances, these specially formulated melts give your customers the opportunity to discover their very own Heart & Home favourite scent. Still soy wax based with all the associated advantages and with a high fragrance load, their melts burn at a lower melt temperature for an even safer scent experience. Their original packaging design means the melts pop out easily and with the same gorgeous imagery as the jar candles they create an eye-catching display.

Web: www.heartandhome.com

Reed Diffusers

Flame free fragrance xxxx

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eed diffusers have become a great home solution to produce a natural and longlasting way for many to fragrance their homes.

With no need for a flame, these slowly release their fragrance into a room which can last for months.

Due to their presentation, these are fast becoming a good gifting solution and as they are flame-less can also have appeal with all age groups.

scented solution that can become part of the décor.

But are consumers aware of these and how popular are they? Hazel Simmons of Stoneglow Candles told us: “The consumer is now familiar with reed diffusers, they can be found in most homes, although you can never replace the ambience of a lit candle, consumers love reed diffusers as they give them fragrance 24/7. I believe that they have now become a regular purchase for many consumers

“There is definitely widespread understanding among consumers of the product format, which naturally increases its desirability” Deborah Bettinson, Ashleigh & Burwood Covering a multitude of fragrances, these provide retailers with the ability to offer a quality alternative as a way to scent the home, whilst also providing a

and are seen as a must have around the home, as well as a wonderful gift.”

Deborah Bettinson from Ashleigh & Burwood would agree. “There is

Pic courtesy of Stoneglow Candles

As with all home fragrance products, reed diffusers are increasing in their use and popularity due to their effective, yet simplistic approach to fragrance any room.

definitely widespread understanding among consumers of the product format, which naturally increases its desirability. Consumers see the simplicity of the product as a plus – the product can be set up and left to work without any further intervention required. It has the bonus of being an attractive addition to the home.”

Due to their simplicity and ease of use, they are an incredibly popular way to add fragrance to any home. By placing the reeds in scented diffuser oil, which travels through the reeds, the result is a wonderful scent which gently drifts into the air. In fact, we are now also seeing the introduction of oilinfused reeds, giving again something different in this category, proving that manufacturers/suppliers stay on top of current trends and are innovative in their approach.

Unlike candles and many scented oil products, reed diffusers do not need heat or flame to work, making them safe in any location without the use of an outlet or creating soot and dust.

They can be used in offices, bedrooms, nursing homes and with children present and what’s more, they do not require any special maintenance,

simply flip the reeds every so often and dust like any other home accessory.

Diffusers have fantastic aesthetic appeal due to the variety of vessels and colours that they are produced in and therefore really add to any home décor, which also ensures they are a great gifting product.

But what makes these a stand out product for retailers at present? Deborah has the answer. “Over the past five to ten years reed diffusers have greatly grown in popularity and reed diffusers as a home fragrance technique are now widely accepted and understood by the consumer. Unlike some other home fragrance product formats, the reed diffuser now requires little explanation at point of sale, making for easy sales.

Reed diffusers have a life of around three months, meaning consumers return to store regularly to replenish or replace, which brings good business to the retailer.”

Hazel is in total agreement. “Reed diffusers are a great year round product for retailers, people will use them in their homes throughout the year, so it means that retailers can confidently stock a home fragrance brand 12 months a year.” gifts today 49

Reed Diffusers

Varied selection Heart & Home’s fragranced diffusers offer customers even more choice as to how they want to experience the gorgeous range of scents.

Currently available in Sweet Pea, Pearl Bouquet, Fresh Linen, True Enchantment and Red Rose — offering a varied selection. Flame-free, they are the perfect way to continuously and effortlessly fragrance the home as the aroma is slowly released through the natural reeds.

Shimmering apothecary-style bottles in a choice of colours sit in pretty gift packaging and feature the same distinctive lid style. The ideal gift for that special someone or a self-purchase treat as a gorgeous standalone decorative home décor piece.

Web: www.heartandhome.co.uk

Long lasting fragrance Shearer Candles A fashionable must-have for style-conscious consumers, Shearer scented diffusers are a modern, safe and practical way to fragrance any room. Use diffusers and candles in unison, as a fragrance boost. Long after the candle has been snuffed a diffuser will effortlessly and continuously fragrance your home. Delight in 24 Shearer diffusers across five beautiful home fragrance collections and experience these wonderful, synthetic diffuser sticks to ensure maximum scent throw and long lasting fragrance.

Tel: 0141 445 1066 Web: www.shearer-candles.com

Hand poured for high quality St Eval Since launching their Reed Diffuser Collection in 2014 it has quickly become one of their best-selling lines. Now with nine fragrances available, you can enjoy their stunning scents in a whole new way. Hand poured with the highest quality materials and no alcohol, each diffuser will last twice as long filling your home with your favourite fragrance. This spring also sees the launch of St Eval Candle Company’s new fragrance, Tuberose. It will evoke thoughts of an evening walk in a fragrant rose garden full of decadent scents, a truly beautiful fragrance and is now available to order in their Reed Diffuser Collection. Each diffuser is packaged with 150ml fragranced oil, natural cream diffuser bottle to fit every interior and 10 rattan reeds along with extra refills available.

Tel: 01841 540850 Web: www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk

Limited edition Voluspa Home fragrance at its best with these new reed diffusers in the Japonica Limited Edition collection, uniquely designed with 18 fine gauge rattan reeds to increase the fragrance distribution. More reeds means more fragrance. The home fragrance will last for four to six months. Japonica’s reed diffusers are in a custom pattern embossed glass bottle filled with 100ml of concentrated fragrance and essential oils, perfume quality. All Voluspa reed diffusers are made with no phthalates, no parabens, no sulphates, and no animal testing.

Tel: 01793 487684 Web: www.voluspa.co.uk

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Larger options available Wax Lyrical

Modern Classics, Sea Salt & Oakmoss, a beautiful new fragrance/colourway to add to this best-selling home fragrance collection. The simple classic styling, high fragrance levels and unusual bottle shapes make this range a very popular choice. The new blue colour option is bang on trend, as is the wonderful salty, oceanic fragrance.

The range offers a wide selection of products such as 140ml Reed diffuser, as well as a 40-hour candle, a five-hour candle and room spray and gift set options across nine different colourways/fragrances, all selected for their impressive fragrance throw and individuality.

Being one of the first companies to introduce reed diffusers to the UK, they know how huge this market is and it just keeps growing. The fact they’re flame-free makes them suitable for households where naked flames aren’t welcome and provides a way to fragrance a home without needing supervision. The ease of diffusers makes them hugely popular, as does the varying designs. Their RHS Fragrant Garden range feature new 200ml diffusers and the Fired Earth range has introduced two 500ml diffuser for this year, as the demand for bigger and better is huge.

Tel: 0208 595 8878 Email: sales@stoneglowcandles.co.uk Web: www.stoneglowcandles.co.uk

Tel: 01229 461140 Email: info@wax-lyrical.com Web: www.wax-lyrical.com

Sea Salt & Oakmoss Stoneglow Candles

Infused with pure essential oils

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nviroscent is a new type of home fragrance company using only natural, biogradeable, recyclable, compostable, sustainably managed paper products.

This is infused with pure essential oils and other solvents – free responsibly selected ingredients giving consumers the ultimate in natural fragrance experience.

First seen at Spring Fair, the Caption Fragrance Company has a mission to offer quality, pure fragrance the way nature intended.

The Caption range is discreet in its appearance with three types of fragranced sticks in the collection each designed with a specific use.

Fragranced Sticks for florals are the largest of the range and are designed to sit in a plant or artificial flowers.

The sticks are planted amongst the display and are mostly camouflaged with the dark green colouring to sit amongst the stems.

The sticks will emit fragrance for up to 30 days at a time. Fragranced Sticks for cars are much smaller and designed to sit discretely in a car.

At just 8cm long and offering 60 days plus of fragrance, they can be placed just about anywhere in your vehicle without being seen, alternatively there is a car ventilation clip to circulate the fragrance.

The Home range are long fragranced sticks in a neutral tone with a birch pattern that look slick and contemporary placed within the simple white ceramic décor vase designed to hold three of the fragranced sticks.

The range has seven fragrances, each chosen following extensive research by UK consumers and more fragrances are due to launch in the autumn of 2016.

Enviroscent is paving the way for a cleaner, purer, solvent free, natural fragrance experience bringing a whole new category and a pure natural option to the extensive world of home fragrance.

Email: uksales@enviroscent.com Web: www.captionfragrance.com gifts today 51

Bath & Body

Bubbles and more As its audience becomes more demanding and more sophisticated, the bath industry is moving with the times

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he days are busy and getting busier and showers have become the norm but there are times when you just can’t beat relaxing in a hot bath.

How is the industry coping? What new trends are being observed and what new products are available? What can we expect to see and is the sector evolving to keep up with other personal care items?

We decided to find out and so we spoke to those who know best, the ones who work in the industry.

For years the bath was coloured and scented with bath salts and although they are still around they have been replaced in most bathrooms by gels and lotions.

A relatively recent invention was the bath bomb – literally, a hard-packed mixture of dry ingredients which fizzes when wet. They are used to add essential oils, scent and colour to bathwater.

Bath bombs’ primary ingredients are a weak acid and a bicarbonate base.

These do not react when dry, but react vigorously when dissolved in water to produce their characteristic fizzing over a period of several minutes.

Retailer Sarah Haydon from Bicester Bazaar said of bath bombs: “My customers still come in for them and 52 gifts today

they sell throughout the year but people are more aware that different products are out there.

“There are shower gels in tubs and shampoo bars, not just the liquid version you are used to. I wouldn’t say people are moving away from baths but I have always felt that baths tend to be an autumn/winter trend.”

A new addition is the bath melt, which is perhaps a more sophisticated method of scenting bath water: dinky bath fancies that slowly soften and sparkle in the bath, releasing shea and cocoa butters to moisturise and delicately scent the skin. Each bath melt is finished with a pretty flower.

Steve Davies from Joe Davies said: “The main trend that we are seeing is that bath products are a lot more gifty than they used to be.

“The packaging and display makes it perfect for gift shops. The packaging is getting prettier and prettier. We have a range called Rose & Co, which is a good impulse buy because the prices of our stuff is very good too. It is eye-catching and a whole new product category.

“If retailers order a certain amount, they get free POS material, which looks a million dollars in the store. Unless the box is black with silver writing, the purchasers are one hundred per cent women. Quality is also very important, too. People demand higher quality and natural ingredients.”

“Fresh fruity fragrances will be everywhere this summer – lemon, strawberry, orange” Steve Davies, Joe Davies

Retailer Sarah echoes this view.

“People come in and buy gift packs at Christmas but if the individual product is nicely packaged, they purchase throughout the year.

“Shower bars are very popular – they are a sponge soaked with the soap and you can use them in the bath or shower.

We sell body scrubs and gels – it’s all about getting your body beach ready!

“The advantage of stocking bath products is that when people come in they can buy a selection of gifts and I think that they would rather support an independent retailer than one of the supermarket chains.”

In the days of old, customers were restricted in the scents available for their bath time. Now, with new discoveries and inventions, that has opened up allowing all sorts of novel fragrances can be used in “smellies” to make bath time even more exotic.

“Fresh fruity fragrances will be everywhere this summer – lemon, strawberry, orange – we are getting a big demand for that,” said Steve Davies.

“One of our biggest scents is parma violet.

“Our Rose & Co products are made in the UK, which seems to be a good selling point too. The pampering products are becoming very popular.”

So it seems that the bath sector is a growing one and with the right products retailers and wholesalers can clean up.

Bath & Shower Crème

NEW TO THE RANGE

Discover The Full Range

9OU CAN kND THIS AND THE COMPLETE 2OSE #O RANGE OF BATH AND BODY TREATS AT WWW JOEDAVIES CO UK Joe Davies in partnership with Rose & CoÂŽ in the UK Tel: 0161 975 6300 Fax: 0161 975 6301 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk www.facebook.com/joedaviesgiftware

Bath & Body

Proving popular St Eval Candle Company

Totally divine Rose & Co Joe Davies are proud partners with Rose & Co. in the UK and Ireland. This truly special range of soaps, bath melts, bath bombs, hand creams and the latest addition of shower creams are all from the Patisserie De Bain and No. 84 collections. Carefully chosen ingredients, amazing fragrances and the eye-catching packaging combine to make Rose & Co. bath and body treats a pleasure for both giving and receiving. Everything is hand crafted and made in the UK. This truly special British brand is so aesthetically pleasing, that it’s very hard to resist its bath tartelettes, lip balms, aromatic bath fancies and gift collections with delicious sounding names that include Sugared Violet, Strawberry Cupcake and Lemon Bon-Bon. Rose & Co. is supplied throughout the UK using Joe Davies’ trademark ‘Little & Often’ ordering system with a minimum order of just £100 and free delivery.

Tel: 0161 975 6300 Email: sales@joedavies.co.uk Web: www.jodavies.co.uk

The new St Eval Soap Collection was only launched in July last year but they have already seen huge popularity within the range. Initially starting with three fragrances they have since introduced two more to the stunning collection. Each 100g bar has been handmade in Cornwall with pure essential oils, finest natural ingredients and organic African Shea Butter. At Spring Fair this year, they proudly launched their newest edition, Cornish Seaweed. This natural soap has a rich moisturising lather and is made with Cornish seaweed and natural Cornish Clay. Perfect for bringing a piece of your coastal holiday home. Within the rest of this range you can find notes of your favourite fragrances from St Eval Candle Company including rosemary, lavender, sage and citrusy tones with orange & cinnamon.

This collection is 100% natural and quintessentially St Eval Candle Company.

Tel: 01841 540850 Web: www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk

Get in a lather Shearer Candles What’s the mark of a brilliant bathroom? There’s nothing like popping to the bathroom and spotting some well-chosen soap and hand lotion by the sink, making us feel like we’ve wondered into a luxury hotel. Let the spa experience come to you. Recreate the luxury of a five-star retreat in the comfort of your own home with Shearer Candles exclusive Spa Collection of natural wax scented candles, diffusers, hand wash and body lotions, specially created to help you relax and revitalise.

Tel: 0141 445 1066 Web: www.shearer-candles.com

54 gifts today

New Range Launching April 2016

Inspired by Italy Made in England

In a tranquil Tuscan piazza, under the dappled shade of almond trees, we relish the warmth of late afternoon sun. Delicious aromas of ripening fruit are carried on the warm breeze, creating a memory we will cherish forever…

Top Notes Black Cherry, Rosehip & Bergamot

Middle Notes Almond, Freesia & Pink Pepper

Base Notes Sandalwood, Amber Vanilla & Musk

T: 01803 612772 E: debbie@dipalomo.com W: www.dipalomo.com

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