pcbrook Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I am working on getting my products on a group wholesale website. My plan for fragrance samples was to send fragrance blotters on request. Now the people who are setting up the website suggest that I offer sample packs of smaller candles at cost. They seem to think I would get more sales with small samples. My dilemma is...I have tested tealights and to me they are not that great with scent throw because they are too small. I do make votives but I never seem to get that great of a throw with votive wax either. Not sure what I do wrong with them. I worry that if I send votives and the hot throw is not as great as the regular jars I make, they will not order. I make 10 oz apothecary jars with glass glow. For my votives and tarts I use feather palm. The tarts seem to do better than the votives. I have been working on testing 4 oz jelly jars as part of my line. Question is......would you offer palm wax tarts as samples for candles? Or just stick with the fragrance blotters so the buyers can get an idea of what the fragrance is like? I would really appreciate some opinons from everyone here. I did a search but did not really find much on it. At least not an answer to this question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin146 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 How about using a 2 oz tin. They make great sample candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcbrook Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Oh geeze! Tins never even dawned on me. My brain has been spinning so much I did not even see the obvious! It sure does help getting another perspective from others here to bring you back to earth and get grounded. I checked on Candle Science and they are not such a bad price either. I might just order some and see how they work out. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twoscentsworth Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 If you want to sell your 10 oz apothecaries wholesale then you need to send any legitimate wholesale buyers a 10 oz jar. As a buyer I would never order a candle product that I hadn't burned myself. Yes, you can offer them at cost BUT if you know the buyer is legitimate, having done your due diligence, then I would send one free. The potential far outweighs your cost. You say someone is "setting up" this website. I would be concerned about the web site ... how do they plan on marketing the web site? What is the cost to you to advertise there? I would just have a lot of questions about the web site itself. Hope you have all your ducks in a row (ability to supply large quantities, minimum order amounts, packaging, shipping etc.) and know how to find out if a wholesale buyer is legitimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcbrook Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Oh no, no worries! The people I am involved with and setting up the website are a great group of people. I have been involved with them for a couple years. We do wholesale shows together, retail shows and have a gift shop at a resort in Warrens, WI. Here is a link to the main site in case you are curious. www.thewisconsingroup.com They are working on a wholseale website because the wholesale shows have gone down so much in the past year or two so we are going to give this a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twoscentsworth Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 That's good.. I was hoping it wasn't another of those websites that make money only for themselves. these days you really have to work to get sales, wholesale or retail. I suggest you market to smaller shops/businesses. Many small wholesale suppliers have gone out of business. We have lost five of our main suppliers in the past few months.Wishing you great success ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysWondering Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) I'll probably get bashed for this but I say all they care about is the scent. Let's face it, you're not selling to candle makers! They (retailers buying from this wholesale group) wouldn't know a good melt pool from a hole in the wall. Do some? Yes. Do most? No. they just know what scents they like and their customers will buy. I'm starting on the positive note and assumption that your container candles are great candles. Think like a customer - they pick it up and sniff. Period. They want to know what your Apple Pie smells like, more cinnamon or more apple. Of course you want lots of repeat customers but again, I'm assuming you make great candles so that will take care of repeat customers. Right now, requesting samples, they are judging SCENT.Again, I am an optimist and believe you are a good person selling a good candle. Just send them the best possible representative scent item at the least cost to you. To me, I would think it would be a tart and you could probably make it in your container wax and a little palm to harden for safe travels. I doubt they will melt it, they just want to smell it. If the votive is not a good indicator of your great container candles, don't send it! They will sniff and decide, that simple and quick. Send the best sniffing sample. Edited June 25, 2011 by AlwaysWondering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 If you want to sell your 10 oz apothecaries wholesale then you need to send any legitimate wholesale buyers a 10 oz jar. As a buyer I would never order a candle product that I hadn't burned myself. Yes, you can offer them at cost BUT if you know the buyer is legitimate, having done your due diligence, then I would send one free. The potential far outweighs your cost. 100% Correct!I'll probably get bashed for this but I say all they care about is the scent. Let's face it, you're not selling to candle makers! They (retailers buying from this wholesale group) wouldn't know a good melt pool from a hole in the wall. Do some? Yes. Do most? No. they just know what scents they like and their customers will buy. 100% Incorrect!They want repeat business, just like you. They do NOT want complaints. They care a great deal about presentation and happy customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcbrook Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Wow! Everyone seems to have completely different opinions here. I guess I was hoping to have all the same answers so I would know which way is the normal way to go about this. LOL! I could offer sample packs of tins (which means more testing). Not sure that I would offer free candles. UGH! I think my head is gong to explode! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twoscentsworth Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Would hate for that to happen, it would be messy. ) Use your own common sense .. Retailers do INDEED care how a candle burns as Sliver of Wax has said. If your candle doesn't burn correctly customers will NOT re-buy and what retailers want are repeat customers. 80% of my business is from repeat customers. If I sell them a crappy candle they will not purchase another one.Also I want to see what I will be purchasing, I would not want a tin or a sniffy. I would not buy from you if you sent me one. But that is just me, who has been a buyer for stores, who owns a shop and buys wholesale all the time. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcbrook Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 I appreciate your help. My thoughts right now are that I will offer individual candles at cost. That way they can get a better idea of how my candles are and decide if they want to buy more. Thanks everyone for your opinions and help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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