yanavp Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hello, I am just wondering, how important the packaging is and how does it affect the price? I am looking for a perfect reatil packaging soultions for my candles and the cheap one piece box would cost me around $1.20 ( with all design, etc) and 2 piece nice box with inserts goes as high at $4!!!!Now I am wondering...how really important the packaging in candle business!?Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystical_angel1219 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 IMO, packaging will make or break you. Why? Because its the first thing your customer sees. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. A potential customer might love the smell of your candles. However, if your label is off center and the candle is shrink wrapped~ it appears to be as as high quality as a dollar store item. Even though it could be much more appealing. Next time you are out in a department store, go look at the high end candles. You won't see anything like that in the marketplace. Plus you can gather your own ideas.I would go with what you can comfortably put in your budget. Nice packaging need not cost you a mint. You want something that is eye catching and unique. The packaging should never cost you more than the candle materials itself. Play with some ideas, have fun with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glowlite Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 IMO Packing sells your product. The quality of your product brings them back for more. Since I just finished my taxes I can give an idea of what I spent in 05 for packaging. 951.08 just for packageing for my candles. Labels ink boxes paper shrinkwrap...and so on. Search around and buy in bulk to get the dicounted prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Thank you all,Glow,,,, you said you spent this amount for packaging...how many candles are you talking about? Most of the places start from 1000. I want to start with 500 and go up each month. Most prices I get are anything from $3-5 for 500 and goes down to $2.8 for 1000. It's hard to decide ...either spend $4 for high end premium box ...(which is insane I think) or go with the regular collaps. type of 1 piece colored box with logo and stamping, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Forgot to ask...what percent of the retail price should packaging be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glowlite Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 I keep my packageing low because I buy almost everything locally. Except votive and tealight boxes. I do all the printing myself so my main cost for my packing is labels and ink. I desing all my own labels. I shrink wrap pillars and place the sticker on the outside. I don't do boxes for those. Last year I sold about 1400 3x6 pillars and almost double that for 3x3. Like mystical said. Packaging will either make you or break you. Two years ago I spent over 4000 on packageing and learned my lesson. There was no way I was gonna make that mistake again! BTW This is only for my retail selling not my wholesale. My packing is much different for wholesale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glowlite Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Forgot to ask...what percent of the retail price should packaging be?If there is a percentage I don't know it. LOL My general rule of thumb is that if the package cost is more than it cost me to make candle I'll find a different way to package it. But for tealights that doesn't fit becuase I spend more packageing them but I sell quite of bit of em so I'll keep it going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Thank you! What I can find is that all of the offered packaging is way shorter than 6" and it goes as deep as 3"..so in my case when candles are 3"-6" tall it's really hard to find anything close. Also, if I get the boxes they offer then the candles would have to have some inserts in the box, to hold them ...another headache...and not too many offer inserts ...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! :mad: :mad: :embarasse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Just wondering where you have been looking for packaging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsyjen Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I believe it also depends on the customer base you want to market to. Most high end candles have custom imprinted boxes, jars, etc. Little or no stick-on type labels. In those cases you can pretty much guarantee they are spending more on packaging than on the candle manufacture. To compensate for the premium packaging, they ask a premium price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EMercier Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I think packaging makes a big difference. I mean I've gotten people stop for my colors, but also the way I've packaged stuff. It's the first impression on you and you business. I try to keep my costs down by doing it all myself. I need a laser printer and probably will invest in one with tax money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Tons of websites...anything from koolprints.com to retailpackaging.com...I checked at least 30 websites.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 " If you package it right....we'll buy bologna"I, for one, love creative, detailed, unique packaging. I have always been a sucker for high end candles, and for the most part STILL believe them to be better. I have heard the ol' song and dance from people in the beauty business (for hair care or skin care) that say " We spend the bulk of our money for better quality ingredients and do not WASTE our money on a pretty package"...I have heard it so many times from people trying to get me to buy into their cheaply packaged products. Uhhh huh Right. And I am going to believe that they are a solid professional company with QUALITY ingredients and they don't believe enough in their line to invest in the best package? I don't think so. You do not wrap diamonds in a brown paper bag. The love affair with your product starts the second the EYE makes contact....it is either LOVE....or kinda like...or maybe it will do...or no, thanks! I know that there are all kinds of consumers out there. You just need to decide on who you want to target and go for it. There are a few people could care less about the "package". They even consider themselves to be "savvy" shoppers because they do not buy into the packaging "magic". That is how "generic" got started, I guess. It just seems like to me that I would rather do business in my store with a company that has 5 well designed, well packaged products, than a company that has 20 products that are thrown together and look cheap.There is a lot of "trust" ( even though ingredients are listed in some products) involved in how much a company has invested in ingredients. In packaging...the investment the company makes is obvious.My feeling is that the package has to be considered as part of the cost of the product, and it MATTERS..a LOT. There are several CT members that I think have a handle on nice packaging that are not Slatkin & CO, but they are professional and nice.It can be done within a budget.If I were to develop a line, I would want the package to look excellent. You have to start with the end in mind.What it all boils down to is who are you targeting?JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Imo opinion, packaging should be nice but not too fancy. I as a customer, and I know from my customers too, something eyecatching is great. But dont spend too much money on it because, that is not what you are selling. Customers don't want to pay 10 bucks for a votive with 8.00 packaging. All they care about is how the candle burns and smells. Analogy: When I got married, DH and I were going to do these fancy invitiations, but then my mom made a point. We were going to spend over 1500 on invitations all doll'd up, but those people are just going to throw them away. I mean who keeps them? Sure my parents and grandparents might for keepsakes, but friends and extended family are just going to chunk the clutter. Point is don't spend too much to make it look really nice, when that stuff is going to get trashed anyway. If you have plain packaging you can still get attention to your product by having a nice eye pleasing display. (Or a nice smelling candle)Michael I think you can answer your own question this. Remember in the swap there were a couple with nice fancy boxes and packaging? Where is that packagin now? Unfortunately mine is in the Nueces County dump somewhere. Not that the packaging was not nice, but I burned the candle already which was great. So I dont need the packaging anymore. HTH!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valleygrls98 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Get creative you can do a lot and not spend a lot !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agoodsaid Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 The question:"How much to spend on packaging?"Came the cryptic reply:"Just enough to get the job done ... and not a penny more"My thinking is that you play around with what looks/feels right to you ... see what sells best (even poll your customers ... they know what they like), then source the hell out of getting the lowest volume price you can.Price your candles *as-if* you were getting that lower packaging price already and enjoy the increased profit margin as your sales sky-rocket and you are able to order those volumes of packaging.And don't forget to figure in the cost per piece of shipping and/or humping around to go fetch them. hth,Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Thank you for all your replies. I agree it's all about target market. IF I sell them at the state fair, that would be a different story, but if I sell them at some upscale reatailer, that would be different and Yankee candle packaging probably won't work in there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 One way to decide would be this:Take out your $20.00 candle. Hold it up to this $20.00 candle. Ask anyone ( other than someone that knows you) which candle they would buy ( and you might want to ask someone that looks like they make purchases...not someone that window shops....or leaves most places without a bag in their hand....and get some feed back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Or take a look at this one:There are literally thousands of companies that are doing it well now because we are all very visual beings. The package sells the product. The product brings them back for more. IMHOBTW...all these candles are all 8.5 ounces of wax with a wick. They smell awesome...those three things are a given....you must have a good performing wax that smells great....so, no one gets any special consideration for having that. As I said, That is a given..a must!The packaging is a choice. It represents who you are and who your clients are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanavp Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 Beautiful candles, is it your product? I also noticed that the box is beautiful and noone can offer me the same one for that 3.5" or 6" tall canles. I just went to Saks and looked what they sell "on sale", they look horrible without box and poorely poored. The other kind with boxes at $18 were nice palm wax candles with satin inside and some ribbons around.....but after all, the wholesale is probably $8-9 for these...how can they budget $3 for the packaing....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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