Yankee Candle facts for kids
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Consumer products |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Michael Kittredge |
| Headquarters |
,
U.S.
|
|
Number of locations
|
267 as of January 2022 |
| Revenue | US$ 844.2 million (2013) |
| Parent | Newell Brands (2015–present) |
Yankee Candle is a well-known American company that makes and sells scented candles. They also sell candle holders, accessories, and even some dinnerware. You can find their products in many gift shops, through catalogs, and online. They sell their items in almost 50 countries worldwide.
The company has over 260 stores in malls across 43 U.S. states and in Ontario, Canada. Yankee Candle is the biggest candle maker in the United States. Its main office is in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. In 2013, another company called Jarden bought Yankee Candle. Later, in 2015, Newell Rubbermaid bought Jarden, and Yankee Candle became part of a bigger company called Newell Brands.
Contents
How Yankee Candle Started
The Yankee Candle Company began in South Hadley, Massachusetts. A young man named Michael Kittredge started it in 1969. He made his first scented candle, called Christmas 1969, from melted crayons. It was a gift for his mother.
His neighbors liked the candle and wanted to buy some. So, Michael started making more. His high school friends, Donald MacIver and Susan Obremski, helped him. Donald used money from his part-time job to help fund the new business.
Susan's father helped by creating a "heated room" at their first factory in Holyoke. This allowed them to get liquid wax delivered, which saved money. Susan also invented a special turntable that helped them make twice as many candles. In 1975, she managed the very first Yankee Candle shop.
The company slowly grew and moved to South Deerfield, Massachusetts in 1983.
Growing the Business
In 1998, Michael Kittredge sold the company to a private equity company called Forstmann Little. This type of company invests in businesses to help them grow. They bought Yankee Candle for $500 million.
Forstmann Little then made Yankee Candle a public company in 1999. This means people could buy shares of the company. In 2001, Craig Rydin became the new CEO. He started big advertising campaigns. Yankee Candle products then began to be sold in large stores like Linens-N-Things and Bed Bath & Beyond. This helped sales reach their highest levels ever. Michael Kittredge remained involved as a special advisor.
In 2006, Yankee Candle bought Illuminations, another company that sold candles and home items. Even though they were similar, Illuminations was aimed at different customers. The Illuminations brand was eventually stopped in 2009.
In 2007, another private equity group, Madison Dearborn Partners, bought Yankee Candle for about $1.6 billion.
Michael Kittredge, the founder, later started a new candle company called Kringle Candle with his son, Michael (Mike). They focused on making high-quality candles again.
Recent Company Changes
In 2013, the company Jarden bought Yankee Candle. Then, in 2016, Jarden itself was bought by Newell Rubbermaid. Yankee Candle became part of this new, larger company, which is now called Newell Brands.
In 2017, Newell Brands also bought Smith Mountain Industries. This company makes Woodwick brand candles. Woodwick candles are now a special brand sold by Yankee Candle. They have a wooden wick that makes a crackling sound when it burns. They also use a mix of waxes to burn cleanly.
Exploring the Flagship Store
Yankee Candle's biggest and most famous store is in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. It opened in 1982. This store is a fun place to visit!
Inside, you can find every Yankee Candle scent available. There are also kitchen items, home decorations, and gifts. You can explore a toy shop and even a "Bavarian Christmas Village." This village is full of decorated Christmas trees and a toy train. The train runs through to Santa's Workshop, where animated elves work around Santa's desk.
Visitors can also try dipping their own candles in a special area. You can even make wax molds of your hands or create your own unique candle. The store also has a candle making museum and a cafe called Hillside Pizza.
A second large store opened in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2005. It was a popular spot for tourists. However, the Williamsburg store closed its doors in April 2021.
Outlet Stores
Yankee Candle has 55 outlet stores across the United States. These stores often offer special deals and discounts on their products.
What Products Does Yankee Candle Sell?
Yankee Candle Company sells many different products. Of course, they have candles in various scents and sizes. They also sell scented wax tarts, which you melt in a warmer. You can find candle accessories, small votive candles, and holders for them.
Other products include jar toppers for their large candles, reed diffusers that spread scent into a room, and electric plug-in air fresheners. They also sell car scents, room sprays, and products designed to make air smell fresh. Sometimes, they release special limited edition candles, like 'Chocolate Layer Cake'.
The Yankee Candle Index
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people noticed something interesting about Yankee Candle reviews online. Social media users saw that when more COVID-19 cases were reported, there were more negative reviews for Yankee Candle products.
These negative reviews often complained that the scented candles had no smell. However, reviews for unscented candles did not show this pattern. One of the symptoms of COVID-19 can be a loss of smell. This made people think that the increase in negative reviews for scented candles might be because more customers had lost their sense of smell due to the virus. This observation has been called the "Yankee Candle Index."
See also
- Yankee Candle Co. v. New England Candle Co.
