Homing In On Fragrance

more often in their homes to complement accent colours and to create ambience.”

With a history that dates back to 1870, Bolsius’ origins have allowed the company to become a global player selling into over 50 countries. “We have been very involved in take-overs, and 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,” explains national account manager Kam Badesha. “It’s unique in our business, with our aim always to make the very best candles. This objective remains unchanged, and we are very proud to be able to say Bolsius is still family owned today. With over 150 years of knowledge and craftsmanship, combined with testing the best recipes and using the best raw materials, we guarantee quality in our products. Plus, as the market

To this end, the company uses only natural extracts for its fragrances, transitioning its portfolio of products to using natural vegan wax, no palm oil, and as little plastic as possible, while continuing to innovate and focus on quality. “It’s the thread that has brought Bolsius to its current global success,” states Kam.

She highlights that one of the key effects of the pandemic has been a continuing focus on the home, with the home ambience category receiving a huge boost over the past three years. “Candles have hugely contributed to this in terms of entertaining, focusing on mental wellbeing through meditation, and for self-care and relaxation,” Kam continues. “We have therefore seen possibilities for converting new shoppers by increasing usage moments, together with support from our retailers. Following recent research, the findings reveal that inspiration is naturally very important when buying candles, which are often purchased in stores which offer a strong interiors collection. Another key driver is encouraging consumers to use candles

In 2020, the company launched Bolsius Rustic collection, a range of sustainable pillar and table candles, in best-selling sizes and contemporary colours. “They provide hours of soft light and can be mixed and matched, with a new Essentials collection launching in Autumn 2023,” highlights Kam. “We are committed to updating our ranges and are influenced by both trends in home ambience and our customers’ feedback. We follow the latest interior trends regarding seasonal coloursSpring/Summer and Autumn/Winter - with our mission to keep our market leader position, and to innovate on style and substance.”

On the retail front, the company engages in long-term relationships with retailers, based on insights and trends in the market. “We believe in a tight cooperation and offer an extensive toolkit to create impactful second placement and/or PoS material,” confirms Kam. “As an experienced partner and market leader, we understand how to grow this category and inspire our customers. We have a dedicated sales team at APAC, and account managers who are trained on Bolsius products. They’re an extension of the Bolsius team, communicating directly with retailers, helping them to choose the right collection for their stores, and also helping with PoS, planograms and merchandising. Plus, we have a stock holding in the UK allowing customers to order little and often - £300 MOQ - with smaller lead times.”

Summarises Kam: “These are the key ways we are looking to grow the candle segment in the UK, and, most importantly, in a sustainable way.”