NEW YORK — Seasons, a Little Rock, Ark.-based home fragrance firm, is letting its candles light the way to growth.
The 10-year-old company launched a line of botanically based candles in January and has since then has been enjoying an overall volume increase of 45 percent, according to Kip Crennan, executive vice president of sales and marketing.
“The candles are the reason for the gains,” said Crennan. “The candles have been our focus and have been growing the fastest of any of our lines.”
Seasons recently went so far as to purchase its own candle-making facility in Little Rock, Crennan added.
“They’re very labor-intensive,” he said of the recently launched candles, which contain actual flowers. “Each one is custom made, and the botanicals are placed by hand.”
With each candle sold, the company donates $3 to the Starlight Foundation, a nonprofit group that addresses the needs of seriously ill children.
“From a marketing standpoint, it gives us positive exposure,” said Crennan. “It’s also a worthwhile cause.”
Besides the botanically based and other types of candles, Seasons produces potpourris, room sprays and prearranged gift sets in decorative boxes. Wholesale prices range from $3.75 and $4.25 for the lower-priced potpourris to $12.50 for the top candles.
While potpourri still produces the biggest volume of the product categories, Crennan noted, the candles “are quickly catching up.”
According to industry estimates, Seasons could approach $15 million at wholesale this year.
The company’s products are sold nationwide in 600 department store doors, Crennan said, along with an additional 2,000 specialty stores and boutiques.
Seasons also has accounts in the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and Australia.
“One thing I’d like to clear up is that we’re not up for sale,” said Crennan, noting that rumors had been circulating to the contrary. “We just got a new investor.”
He declined to identify the man, whom he described as being “a billionaire.” Princeton Investment Partners owns the majority interest in Seasons.
“[The new investment] is another good sign for us,” said Crennan. “The company was in decline, but in 1993 we started the turnaround.”