Expanding your line of products

[thinkr]

Happy New Year everyone!

 

For those of you that have been around awhile in what order did you add product sizes? I currently have an 8oz tin, 12oz glass jar, and tarts...oh, and also a 4oz jelly jar a use for party favors through special order. Nobody is really asking for another size so I'm not bent on adding anything any time soon but it seems likely that I should probably add a votive size candle and perhaps a 16-17oz (100 hour) candle at some point.

 

So, what order did you all add products in?

 

How long did you wait between product launches? Or did you even wait?

 

Thanks!

Adam

[amanda]

I feel like everyone's answer to this will be so different!

I started with 4 and 8oz jelly jars, and 16oz mason jars.

Then the 16oz mason jars got dropped at the end of my first year and became special order only. They never sold.

Then I added 12oz 3 layer candles halfway through my second year and then the 8oz stopped selling. So at the end of the second year, I dropped those.

Then at the end of the second year I decided I wanted to add a higher end line that I gear toward wholesale. I do those in the 12oz status jar. I started working on them at the end of last year and launched them this past July and they've been doing great.

So that leaves me with 4oz jelly jars, 12 three layer jars, and 12oz status jars. The jelly and canning jars I bring to shows and festivals and the status jars I reserve for wholesale and large multi-day shows and holiday events.

So it's kind of been ever evolving but I think I like where I'm at now.

[kandlekrazy]

I started with 15 oz and 7 oz tumbler type glass jars and 3 sizes of square tins and then all sorts of melts in shapes and clamshells.  Then I added specialty glass for special occasions like Valentines.  Now I also have evolved

and I use 1 status jar, 1 tumbler and no tins!  I mostly sell clamshell melts.  I expanded and found it was all too much both for me and the customers.  I'd rather have 25-30 scents with less glass options for them and they seem

to like that better as well.

[Guest OldGlory]

My business is all wholesale - and that's a very different business model. At the moment I have only one private label client and we had a crazy year in 2015. For some reason they were receptive to adding new skus, so I created lots of options for them.

 

We eliminated 4 skus (one fragrance which was a slow seller), and added 9 new skus in the form of 3 new fragrances in two sizes and one new product which is melts in clamshells. This year I am going to work on getting more melts in their line since that seems to be the trend.

 

I think the best tool you have in a retail business model is customer feedback. You can see what they're buying and hear what they're asking for.

 

Whether it's new styles of existing products, altogether new products, new fragrances, or new wholesale clients you have lots of options to grow your business.

[Candybee]

I sell primarily at craft shows and farmer's markets and am commonly asked to make more and new products. I can't do everything and have to figure my time and resources before adding any new product. So before I make something new I do a little research first. An easy way is to ask customers directly or keep track of suggestions for products or see what others are selling in your area. But keep in mind that to be competitive you have to offer something special or different from the other guy.

 

I think for starters you should go more simple and have just a small offering of products or products in different sizes. Its very important to see what sells, discard what doesn't, and pay attention to what your customers are asking for. Another size, another type, etc.

 

Once I decide to make another product I "debut" it for a period to see if it sells. If it is selling I keep it. If it sits on the shelf I quit making it. Same goes with new scents and all my current scents.

 

Every year I go over my sales and see what has been selling and what hasn't. I keep my product offerings fresh this way by keeping what sells and replacing what doesn't with something new. It could be a new product or simply a new FO, color, package, name, etc. Lots of variables there.

 

You also want to keep in mind that some FOs are in favor one year and not so much the next while others sell consistently and stay "classic" from year to year like Lavender or Cinnamon, etc. So I also debut new scents to see what is trending. Just another way to keep your products up to date and fresh.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Candybee