What is the consumer decision factor for consumers when they make their candle purchases…It’s all about the “fragrance”!  Fragrance is the top ranking characteristic impacting all candle purchases today. The candle surveys have discovered that three-fourths of candle buyers stated that fragrance and scent is “extremely important” or “very important” in their selection process.  These consumer reactions are consistent with the candle sales that result in  80% “scented” and 20% of the remaining candle sales are considered “non-scented”.

Food & Drink Inspiring New Scents

Foodies will be delighted to know that the food & drink categories are reaching the candle industry with inspiring new fragrances.  Key food dessert and home baked sweet flavors include salted caramel, banana walnut, and cranberry-pomegranate are examples of these calorie-free fragrance indulgences.  The spirits and wine categories are emerging and having influence on new fragrances.  The Moscow Mule, Mojitos are currently top selling cocktails and they also becoming favorite cocktail scented candles.  Males are enthusiastic to purchase beer scented and whisky scented candles for gifting and personal usage.   Let’s celebrate this trend with some beverage glass vessel solutions that would help create unique candles!

Vessels for Beer, Whiskey, & Mojito Scented Candles

Many candle retailers understand that the majority of candle purchasing is happening throughout the year during the non-seasonal time frame.  This non-seasonal consumer demand is estimated to be 65% of candle sales.  What is driving this type of activity…?  Consumers have strong interest levels in fashionable trends that reflect their personal style with interior design. A part of creating the feel good home environment has led to stylish decorators increasing purchasing candles to become focal points for home décor.  These are enthusiastic consumers are paying close attention to lifestyle publications, researching the internet for visuals, and keeping updated on the interior design trends from popular American television broadcasts.  In order for candle retailers to continue connecting with their candle consumers and remain relevant in the market, retail channels have an important need to stay highly engaged with current fashion and design trends in home décor.

Digital Tech

One of the global fashion and design trends emerging into home décor is can be described as “digital-tech” style.  This new decorative style is created by fusing together inspiration of futuristic technology innovation and retro styling of memorable experiences from the 1980’s.  How does this whimsy theme resonate into interior design…?  Stylish decorators can duplicate this exciting trend by concentrating on bold graphics, geometric patterns, and vibrant colors in order to achieve the modern appearance.

The 1980’s retro “liney” text effects inspired from the era’s architectural designs, wavy-curvy line patterns, and the famous Rubix cube geometric graphics is starting to enter living rooms again with a modern twist on interior design.  The ombre application technique of color decoration can be utilized on brighter hues to create radiant and energetic optical illusions.  This design trend can evoke fun emotion in every room of the home by simple placement of decoration accessories.  Additional ways of taking the digital-tech style to an ultimate level is to unite various bold textures with vivid colors.  Libbey can provide solutions with multiple glass candle containers to guide consumers into this futuristic style trend.

Libbey’s Retro Looks

Consumers are becoming more confident in the state of the economy and they are beginning to increase their spending.  This category is anticipating steady growth in the coming years for the market in 2018.  Candles provide a solution for consumers that desire value priced decorative products in homes because they are an inexpensive method to add in a splash of decoration to any room or backyard patio.  Candle buyers are looking for fashionable accents in home décor that will be a great expression of their personal style.  Color and texture have become highly important to decision factors for the candle segment as it relates to usage for design accents.  In a recent candle survey, 70% of consumers say an attractive container is important when they are buying in this category.  Candle research also demonstrates that the #2 ranking consumer decision factors is commonly determined with “color” selection.

The two following trends “Matte” and “Soft Ombre” are being combined together to establish serene and calming color tones and delicate textures to candle design.

Matte

Matte and powdery finishes help to transform hard materials into having a softer appearance.  A white matte powdery finish has the ability to emotionally connect with consumers to inspire purity and symbolize the elemental stillness of nature.

Consumers are seeking color tones that represent simplicity and natural.  It is not surprising to see candle design generating more interest into surfaces that resemble marble and cork. Ways to achieve the simple marble image is to merge grey and white colors together in a grey ombre application technique.

Soft Ombre

The Soft Ombre is a trend that emerges to guide candle color enhancements.  This approach of gradually blending  pastel colors has built interesting visual effects that change the most common looks of candle vessels to become unique differentiators in the market.

Libbey’s Offerings

We have candle shapes and decoration technique solutions that will help to achieve the Matte and Soft Ombre trend movement.