How to Get Your Candles Into Local Shops

The way in is a personal email to a shop owner, with your line sheet attached, followed by a sample or a short meeting. CandleScience says reaching out to shops directly "works well to establish partnerships," and that pitching is as plain as emailing an introduction of your brand. Local helps you: CandleScience notes that many independent retailers like to support makers from their own area. The work is mostly research and follow-up, not fancy selling.

What are the steps?

1. Know your numbers first. Work out your cost per candle and a wholesale price before anyone asks. CandleScience says retailers usually buy at 50 percent of retail, and that the shop's retail price should be at least twice the wholesale price. Our wholesale pricing guide has the math.
2. Build a line sheet. It is your price list for shops. It also holds your opening minimum, reorder minimum, terms and lead times. Our line sheet guide lists what goes on it.
3. Make a list of shops that fit. CandleScience names clothing boutiques, home decor shops, gift shops, salons, spas, bakeries, coffee shops and specialty grocers. It suggests searching sites such as Yelp or Foursquare with words like "gift shop + city name," looking at similar businesses on Instagram, and asking your followers, friends and customers for suggestions.
4. Research each shop. Look at what it sells and who shops there. CandleScience says an effective pitch shows why your candles suit that shop's customers.
5. Email the owner or buyer, one shop at a time. CandleScience says individual emails are more authentic and more likely to bring a reply, and to aim for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday because shops are often busiest on weekends. Say who you are, what is in it for their customers, and end with a clear next step, usually to look at the attached line sheet.
6. Offer samples or an appointment. CandleScience says to bring samples or full-size products to a meeting, and that showing up unannounced is inadvisable. Call or email to set a time.
7. Follow up. CandleScience says follow-up emails are crucial, and that retailers often need several touchpoints before they buy.
8. Deliver what you promised. CandleScience says meeting or beating deadlines "will wow them." In my view, a late first order makes a second one less likely.

What do local shops want to see?

CandleScience gives a few clues. Shops like a choice of price points, with options under $15, $20 and $30. It suggests offering between four and 10 fragrance options so a buyer is not overwhelmed. It also says year-round staples give a shop consistency, while seasonal launches give it a reason to reorder. One idea of my own, not from a source: bring one sample with its lid off, so the owner can smell it without opening a jar on the shelf.

Worked example: a first order

These prices are examples. Say your 8 oz (227 g) candle sells to shops at $12.00 and the shop's suggested retail is $24.00. Your cost with packaging is $6.00. Your opening minimum is $250.

A shop picks 4 scents and orders 6 of each:

• Candles: 4 x 6 = 24
• Order total: 24 x $12.00 = $288.00
• That clears the $250 minimum by $38.00.
• Your cost: 24 x $6.00 = $144.00
• Left after materials and packaging: $288.00 - $144.00 = $144.00

If the shop orders 20 candles instead, the total is 20 x $12.00 = $240.00, which is $10.00 short. A good reply is to offer a free sample or one more candle at the regular price, not a lower minimum. Pick the number once and keep it.

What about terms and contracts?

CandleScience says a formal contract is not industry standard for selling candles wholesale unless you work with a large chain, and that clear terms in your line sheet and online usually give the needed guidelines. Put your payment terms, lead times, cancellations, shipping, damages and returns on the line sheet. I am a candle maker, not a lawyer, so ask a professional if a shop sends you its own contract.

Common mistakes

• Pitching before you know your cost, then finding the wholesale price leaves nothing.
• Sending one mass email to every shop in town.
• Walking in unannounced during a busy Saturday.
• Leaving off the minimum, then filling a two-candle order at a loss.
• Giving up after one email.
• Promising a date you cannot meet.

Questions

Should I sell through a wholesale marketplace instead?

It is another route, and it has fees. As of November 4, 2026, CandleScience says platform commissions range from 15 to 25 percent of a wholesale order. That is a blog's figure, not a platform's own price page, and fees change, so read the platform's page before you count on it. Our local approach costs you no commission, but it costs time.

Do I need a license or insurance to sell to shops?

I did not find a source in this research that says what a shop will require. Ask each buyer. Rules about sales tax and permits differ by state, so check your state's Department of Revenue.

How many shops should I start with?

Start with a short list you can follow up on properly, maybe five to ten. That number is my suggestion, not a rule from a source.