Lizzy Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 Yes, this happened. NG sold (out) to WSP. Plan accordingly especially with processing and shipping times. Prices went up again and people are being charged insane amounts for shipping...in some cases being charged twice! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 11 hours ago, Lizzy said: Yes, this happened. NG sold (out) to WSP. Plan accordingly especially with processing and shipping times. Prices went up again and people are being charged insane amounts for shipping...in some cases being charged twice! Wholesale Supplies Plus has priced itself out of my market. Besides, I have ordered from them multiple times in the past but my account says "no orders". Had problems logging into another fragrance website after they took that company over. Just venting a bit here. . . GoldieMN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 I could not find any press releases to say the investor group who holds WSP added more to their portfolio. Two sigma holds WSP and the other 4 bought out last round, but I could not find any mention of NG. The sites look similar in layout, but the locations are different. We’re they always in Ohio? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted November 1, 2022 Author Share Posted November 1, 2022 10 hours ago, TallTayl said: I could not find any press releases to say the investor group who holds WSP added more to their portfolio. Two sigma holds WSP and the other 4 bought out last round, but I could not find any mention of NG. The sites look similar in layout, but the locations are different. We’re they always in Ohio? Yup in Ohio. This is what someone posted in the NG Group. WSP is listed as the parent company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted November 1, 2022 Author Share Posted November 1, 2022 12 hours ago, GoldieMN said: Wholesale Supplies Plus has priced itself out of my market. Besides, I have ordered from them multiple times in the past but my account says "no orders". Had problems logging into another fragrance website after they took that company over. Just venting a bit here. . . GoldieMN Vent away...I get it. I dropped RE, JS and now probably NG too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franu61 Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 This makes me so sad. NG used to be one of my favorite suppliers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 So this email just came in....didn't even know TFC had sold out too. Damn. Hi. I’m Sue Buchta and I’m the CEO of IndiMade Brands, a company made up of a group of sponsors – including some of the founders of our family of brands – that owns Nature’s Garden, The Flaming Candle, Wholesale Supplies Plus and WSP’s own family of brands. It’s nice to meet you. I joined IndiMade as it was formed 7 months ago, and all these amazing brands have been part of the IndiMade family since before then. IndiMade was formed to provide new leadership, strategy and investment for our companies, all three of which are still operated at independent locations in Wellington, Ohio; Independence, Ohio and Hiram, Georgia. Each business maintains its own identity, brand promise and team of dedicated humans that love our industry and customers. I wanted to take this opportunity to clear up some misconceptions that we have seen on social media. 1. Each of the founders and past owners of the businesses now in the IndiMade family chose, for various personal reasons, to place their company in hands that would continue to support the industry and serve their customers for years to come. They felt this was a good way to see their company grow and thrive. There were no hostile takeovers and no forced sales. I personally have met and have an ongoing relationship with several of them and I know how lucky I am to have that. 2. I understand that over the last few years past ownership may not have done everything well or right. Perhaps you think they got a lot wrong. IndiMade and all our employees are working very hard to improve the business and invest to provide a better experience for our customers – no matter which brand is your go-to. We just launched a new website for Nature’s Garden that, when completely transitioned from the old one, will provide a faster, better shopping experience and we’re so excited for new features and benefits coming your way soon. IndiMade will continue to invest to provide better service, offer more products and do all we can to help your business grow. Your success is our success, and we’ll continue to be dedicated to helping you achieve your dreams 3. Like most companies we’ve experienced rising costs in our business this year. In some cases, we have had to adjust prices to keep offering the quality products you’ve grown to love. I can assure you that any price increases reflected recently are necessary to keeping our brands healthy, we are evaluating pricing across all brands, and we are always looking for ways to offset inflation within our business instead of passing it on to our customers. The fact is, we’ve recently decreased prices on some products. 4. With few exceptions, the same wonderful humans you have worked with over the years are still with IndiMade (yes, Melissa at Nature’s Garden!). While we’ve brought some new talented faces to the company, please know that we have amazing employees who are passionate about the industry and our customers. They are moms and dads, brothers and sisters, partners and siblings and wonderful human beings – just like you. 5. Sometimes, when it rains it pours, and we’re no exception. In these past weeks, we’ve had a power outage that impacted shipping at Nature’s Garden, a major transportation issue at The Flaming Candle and other unexpected challenges with new systems that impacted processing times and shipping costs. We are working diligently to fix these issues. It may seem like a lot of coincidence, but it was a series of unfortunate issues hitting us all at once. I know you have a choice – lots of choices in fact – when it comes to who you do business with. We sincerely want that to be us and will work to continue to earn your business and trust. I hope you stick with us as we make improvements. It won’t happen overnight but I promise we are working on making it better every single day. We are also committed to keeping the unique and wonderful personality and promise that each of our brands offer the same – if not better – and continue to bring you great product and great service from those brands. I would love to hear from you if you have feedback or ideas. Please email me directly at feedback@indimadebrands.com. I will personally read the emails and appreciate honesty and candor, though I ask you to be constructive and kind no matter how hard the feedback may be. Our industry is poised for great things in the future, and as we work hard on our own journey we look forward to being a part of yours! Sue Buchta CEO, IndiMade Brands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 Just saw that about Flaming Candle. I love the part about raising prices. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 Also i never had issue with Natures Garden, they were one of the fastest shipping companies. Me thinks they bit off more they can chew acquiring these companies. Additionally if you have that much buying power, prices should be cheaper not more expensive! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 I would definitely write a response to the company. I did. WSP prices are nuts. I rarely rarely order from them and the business model of “free shipping” and then handling fee is ridiculous. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 This is my que:"I know you have a choice – lots of choices in fact – when it comes to who you do business with." Time to look for replacements. Sadly. I never was a big TFC customer bc of shipping costs but I did order tons from NG. It's frustrating bc they think they have us in their pockets and we will put up with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 Not surprised about NG. Only surprised it took as long as it did. I've had a strong suspicion for a while now that Flaming had gone that route too, and the email confirms it. Crazy stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Lizzy said: This is my que:"I know you have a choice – lots of choices in fact – when it comes to who you do business with." Time to look for replacements. Sadly. I never was a big TFC customer bc of shipping costs but I did order tons from NG. It's frustrating bc they think they have us in their pockets and we will put up with it. This is part of the reason I struck out on my own a few years ago with some favorite fragrances. It’s not easy or inexpensive with all the duping work. It is comforting, though, to not have my favorites lost to closed shops or discontinued scents. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorelei Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 I personally attended the grand opening a few years back when NG got their new building. I friended Deborah so I could follow her family as I met her parents and wanted to keep tabs on them, how they are doing etc. Deborah hasn't posted on her personal FB since November 2021. I thought it was unusual but kept forgetting to message her to see what was up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 Hope this is ok for sharing a website and info on a business like this. I've started testing fragrances from Midwest Fragrance (https://midwestfragranceco.com/collections/frontpage) last year. Have found a number of oils that work with my C-1 soy in wide-mouth pints. Trying to stay with my Premier wicks so maybe their other fragrances that I passed on would work with another wick. But I'm also starting to test double wicking with Premier 725 wicks which may be the answer. It is run by a young couple who have their own candle company as well. Now they are slowly expanding into a few more items for chandlers. I like the fact that they have 2 oz. bottles for approximately $2/ounce. Free shipping on orders over $149. Once in awhile they have a free shipping deal as well. GoldieMN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 4 hours ago, TallTayl said: This is part of the reason I struck out on my own a few years ago with some favorite fragrances. It’s not easy or inexpensive with all the duping work. It is comforting, though, to not have my favorites lost to closed shops or discontinued scents. I just spent a couple of hrs going over my sales for scents from NG and it won't be as big a loss as I thought. So it's all good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross-stitch Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 I just got the info in my email today about NG. Kinda sad really, cause pretty much all my scents are from them. I'm not sure about the changes after all you have said... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testing123 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Oh no not TFC :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 So now I know why Flaming Candle stopped emailing for a long time and just started back up at during the last quarter of 2022. I understand it's a tough market for small business fragrance companies but it's killing the even smaller ones like us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross-stitch Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 I ordered some scents from NG this last month to replenish my stock. When I did it, there was a sale going on where I could get an additional rewards for orders. However, even after I placed my order and received the selection, they hadn't increased those rewards even for what I had bought. I contacted their customer service a time or two, NG apologized and said that they would take care of things. When I finally got my additional rewards a few weeks later after the contact with them, it was only increased by 17 even after all that trouble. Needless to say, I'm still not impressed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 14 hours ago, Cross-stitch said: I ordered some scents from NG this last month to replenish my stock. When I did it, there was a sale going on where I could get an additional rewards for orders. However, even after I placed my order and received the selection, they hadn't increased those rewards even for what I had bought. I contacted their customer service a time or two, NG apologized and said that they would take care of things. When I finally got my additional rewards a few weeks later after the contact with them, it was only increased by 17 even after all that trouble. Needless to say, I'm still not impressed... they need to get this rewards thing fixed. People are getting pissed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross-stitch Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I agree. It's sad because I really like their stuff and don't mind ordering from them. But, after what I delt with it's turned me off with them and am looking for another place to order from next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeebean Posted June 30 Share Posted June 30 On 11/2/2022 at 12:37 PM, GoldieMN said: Hope this is ok for sharing a website and info on a business like this. I've started testing fragrances from Midwest Fragrance (https://midwestfragranceco.com/collections/frontpage) last year. Have found a number of oils that work with my C-1 soy in wide-mouth pints. Trying to stay with my Premier wicks so maybe their other fragrances that I passed on would work with another wick. But I'm also starting to test double wicking with Premier 725 wicks which may be the answer. It is run by a young couple who have their own candle company as well. Now they are slowly expanding into a few more items for chandlers. I like the fact that they have 2 oz. bottles for approximately $2/ounce. Free shipping on orders over $149. Once in awhile they have a free shipping deal as well. GoldieMN Hope I'm doing this right? I too started testing their oils in the last 3 month with C3. I'm having good results with many of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 @coffeebean In C1, I got an unbelievable throw with Midwest Fragrance's French Toast. I may have to blend with something as I'm not sure others would like it. Also good throw with their Cocoa Butter Cashmere, Cranberry & Clove, Strawbery Pound Cake, and Cotton Candy Dreams. The Cotton Candy was for a special order and now customer doesn't want it. If you want it, I will send it to you free. You just pay shipping. I have quiet a few samples I haven't put in wax yet. I did not like the smell of Sweater Weather and many others that were too much like a man's cologne. What have you found has a good hot throw? GoldieMN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbenimble Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 On 11/2/2022 at 7:37 AM, Lizzy said: So this email just came in....didn't even know TFC had sold out too. Damn. Hi. I’m Sue Buchta and I’m the CEO of IndiMade Brands, a company made up of a group of sponsors – including some of the founders of our family of brands – that owns Nature’s Garden, The Flaming Candle, Wholesale Supplies Plus and WSP’s own family of brands. It’s nice to meet you. I joined IndiMade as it was formed 7 months ago, and all these amazing brands have been part of the IndiMade family since before then. IndiMade was formed to provide new leadership, strategy and investment for our companies, all three of which are still operated at independent locations in Wellington, Ohio; Independence, Ohio and Hiram, Georgia. Each business maintains its own identity, brand promise and team of dedicated humans that love our industry and customers. I wanted to take this opportunity to clear up some misconceptions that we have seen on social media. 1. Each of the founders and past owners of the businesses now in the IndiMade family chose, for various personal reasons, to place their company in hands that would continue to support the industry and serve their customers for years to come. They felt this was a good way to see their company grow and thrive. There were no hostile takeovers and no forced sales. I personally have met and have an ongoing relationship with several of them and I know how lucky I am to have that. 2. I understand that over the last few years past ownership may not have done everything well or right. Perhaps you think they got a lot wrong. IndiMade and all our employees are working very hard to improve the business and invest to provide a better experience for our customers – no matter which brand is your go-to. We just launched a new website for Nature’s Garden that, when completely transitioned from the old one, will provide a faster, better shopping experience and we’re so excited for new features and benefits coming your way soon. IndiMade will continue to invest to provide better service, offer more products and do all we can to help your business grow. Your success is our success, and we’ll continue to be dedicated to helping you achieve your dreams 3. Like most companies we’ve experienced rising costs in our business this year. In some cases, we have had to adjust prices to keep offering the quality products you’ve grown to love. I can assure you that any price increases reflected recently are necessary to keeping our brands healthy, we are evaluating pricing across all brands, and we are always looking for ways to offset inflation within our business instead of passing it on to our customers. The fact is, we’ve recently decreased prices on some products. 4. With few exceptions, the same wonderful humans you have worked with over the years are still with IndiMade (yes, Melissa at Nature’s Garden!). While we’ve brought some new talented faces to the company, please know that we have amazing employees who are passionate about the industry and our customers. They are moms and dads, brothers and sisters, partners and siblings and wonderful human beings – just like you. 5. Sometimes, when it rains it pours, and we’re no exception. In these past weeks, we’ve had a power outage that impacted shipping at Nature’s Garden, a major transportation issue at The Flaming Candle and other unexpected challenges with new systems that impacted processing times and shipping costs. We are working diligently to fix these issues. It may seem like a lot of coincidence, but it was a series of unfortunate issues hitting us all at once. I know you have a choice – lots of choices in fact – when it comes to who you do business with. We sincerely want that to be us and will work to continue to earn your business and trust. I hope you stick with us as we make improvements. It won’t happen overnight but I promise we are working on making it better every single day. We are also committed to keeping the unique and wonderful personality and promise that each of our brands offer the same – if not better – and continue to bring you great product and great service from those brands. I would love to hear from you if you have feedback or ideas. Please email me directly at feedback@indimadebrands.com. I will personally read the emails and appreciate honesty and candor, though I ask you to be constructive and kind no matter how hard the feedback may be. Our industry is poised for great things in the future, and as we work hard on our own journey we look forward to being a part of yours! Sue Buchta CEO, IndiMade Brands They just bought Elements too! Wonder when they’ll purchase Candle Science LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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