Bringing Home Scented Soaps and Candles Selling Tips from Gift Stores

By June Allan Corrigan

Of all the human senses, the sense of smell is the one most likely to conjure up a memory or set a mood. No wonder people enjoy bringing scented soap products and candles into their homes. Who wouldn’t want to satisfy cleansing and lighting needs while breathing in their favorite scent? Four soap and/or candle stores in various parts of the country describe how they serve their customer base.

At The Bubble Bistro in Memphis, Tenn., all products are proprietary. “All of our products are hand-made from scratch right here. We do not carry any other brands, just our own exclusively,” said Owner Andrea Johnson . Hands down, she said, their top-selling soap is their Honey Cream Luxe Moisture bar. It’s made with Caribbean Rainforest honey, hemp, goat milk and shea butter. The 1,500-square-foot establishment also does a brisk business in solid shampoo bars. “There’s no liquid waste and no plastic bottle waste when you use a shampoo bar,” explained Johnson. Customers love how easy they are to use and of course, the quality of the shampoo itself – its plentiful lather, moisturizing benefits and the body it bestows.

The Bubble Bistro’s primary demographic is women age 35 and older. A woman might bring home one of their artisanal soaps and suddenly her husband, children and quite often visitors respond to it. Then it becomes a household favorite. The Bubble Bistro’s product of- ferings are pretty consistent but they’re always working on new natural scent formulations. “Every summer we release a Summer Jam Promotion Box and introduce anywhere from 16 to 20 scents at one time,” said Johnson, who started her business in the Virgin Islands before relocating it to Tennessee. “We have a very organic following. Our customer base started globally from tourists and we have customers from all over. Ultimately, we are targeting the customer who wants amazing luxury products at affordable prices.”

Brookfield Candle Company in Framingham, Mass., specializes in soy candles. They’re all made in-house and at last count, there was something like 247 fragrances on offer. “It’s hard to narrow it down to one best-seller. We have a lot of popular seasonal scents,” said Owner Karen Fintonis . In the fall, for example, apple and pumpkin scents are in demand. “Our best-sellers are kind of an even mix of a lot of different fragrances. Everyone’s nose is different.” Chances are the company has something to please even the most finicky customers and if they don’t, Fintonis is bound to formulate a new scent that will. “We have a lot of repeat customers who will just order the same fragrance over and over but then we have a lot of customers who like to switch it up and try new things.”

Traditionally, the bulk of Brookfield Candle Company’s sales are made in-person at farmer’s markets and craft fairs. They set up their well-planned 10-foot-by-10-foot vending space at large, often juried events which will sometimes see between 70,000-100,000 people come through. Of course, that was pre-pandemic. “Then everything was canceled so we went from 53 shows in 2019 to seven shows in 2020,” Fintonis said. Fortunately, the company has been able to concentrate on its wholesale and online business until they can begin to segue back into selling candles at in-person events.

For shoppers keen to create their own custom blended bath and body products, Bath Junkie in Carmel, Ind., is just the place. “Customers pick their products, design their own fragrance blend and then we make it exactly the way they want,” said Owner

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