Wholesale handmade vs Commercial

[woolfswickery]

I had a local gift store open 2 months ago and they wanted my candles. I offered them my square masons and they bought about 50 from me. They are the only local place that has my candles. Anyway, today they left for market and told a customer they were opening a big space for a display of candles from a company that is a soy bean candle. She said she is not getting my candles out but wanted to try them.

I do not care one way or the other but wondered if those of you that do wholesale do these stores offer other candles perhaps by a commerical company?

[barncat]

Most stores carry 4-5 candle lines if not more

[Trish]

One of my wholesale accounts carries all the big name (Votivo, Archipelago, etc) so it was a concern to me. Seems the people that shop in that store are certainly buying the "name". My pillars do well in there though and she just started carrying my jars so we'll see how that goes....my jars are on a bottom shelf! :undecided

[woolfswickery]

Yep noticed today my candles are just sitting on a shelf against the wall along with some other stuff...not sure if they are just out of room or what...but you know I have been paid and if they do not want to sell them that is their business.

I do know that what kinda got off with me today was on the counter by the register was sitting 2 jelly jars. No name or label in the bottom was a warning label and a sticker with the scent. No name or number of who made them.

So I opened them wicks crooked, top of one candle was crumbling looking, one looked like parrafin I think. I know it was not soft wax like mine. One was love spell and colored purple on the bottom was purple spots where color was not mixed well. Scent was faint not as strong as what I am accustomed to. Anyway was not impressed with it.

Anyway whatever!

[KristinesShower]

I think that since you were in there first, you should go to them expressing to them that you would like to keep in the front (or at eye level or something like that) as opposed to these other candles so they don't end up getting shoved out of the way.

I wouldn't worry too much about sales though - I have many stores that carry my candles along with 5-7 other lines and they never hurt me in sales.

[cindym]

one of my wholesalers sell small amounts of other lines. Mine seem to be best sellers in their stores however. local sells

[prairieannie]

Exactly cindym! Local sells! I have two smaller wholesale accounts that carry several other lines of the big boys, my stuff does just fine in thee right beside them. I wouldn't worry about it unless they are not doing their part to help your candles to sell. If they have your stuff in a back corner, up against a wall or whatever, I would speak to them about that, even though you have been paid, you still would like your stuff to sell in that store so they reorder right?

[sockmonkey]

I would just be careful about how I approached it with them. I think I would start out by asking how your candles were selling. If they said "good," then ask if it's time to re-order. If they say "not well," then I would mention their placement as a possible concern, and also ask them if they are promoting them to customers as locally made, because your experience is that people are more likely to buy a candle, even if the brand is not be well known, if they know it's made locally.