Feature: Bolsius
Valuable growth Home Ambience
with Bolsius Bolsius boosts this growth with new candle products that increase the cozy atmosphere in the home. Gifts Today had the pleasure to question their UK National Account Manager Kam Badesha to find out more. As a family business Bolsius have been crafting candles for more than 150 years, how have you driven the business to be the global success it is today? The Bolsius brothers laid the foundations of the current company back in 1870 when Bolsius was founded. They processed beeswax into candles according to traditional methods. We are very proud of our heritage and the foundations laid from our origins enabling Bolsius to become a global player selling in more than 50 countries. We have been involved in various take-overs and have been successful in the setting up of a large-scale production in Eastern Europe with the capacity of having our own storage to house heated raw materials. This is unique in our business. Our aim has always been to make the very best candles. This aim remains unchanged, we are very proud to be able to say Bolsius is still familyowned today. With 150 years of knowledge and craftsmanship, continuously testing the best 20 Gifts Today
recipes and using the best raw materials we can guarantee quality in our products. As the market leader in Europe, we also feel a responsibility to offer our consumers a more sustainable alternative. We use natural extracts for our fragrances and are in the process of transitioning our portfolio of products to use natural vegan wax, no palm oil and as little plastic as possible, along with continuous innovation and attention to quality. That is the thread that has brought Bolsius to its current global success. As a heritage brand, you have seen many changes and developments with regards to production methods – what do you feel has been the largest change for you? We are very proud that Bolsius invented the pressed tea light in 1927. This is a unique moment in our history and is still one of the most popular candle products used in homes today across the world. Our small traditional family business has evolved into a multinational company, not only
producing tealights on mass but a huge portfolio of candle products. How do you operate the logistics of your business? In Jan 2020 we announced our partnership with APAC. APAC handle all of our UK Retail distribution in the UK. Along with a dedicated sales team we now have a stock holding in the UK allowing our customers to order little and often (£300 MOQ), with smaller lead times. A perfect solution for our UK customers. Did you experience any particular problems during the pandemic and if so, how did you manage these? Whilst we are all having to weather the storm of the pandemic one of the key effects has been the focus on the Home. Our homes for so many have become our children’s schools, our offices as well as our living and entertaining spaces. There have been lots of insights that focus on the role of the home and therefore The Home
