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Information from the National Candle Association: April 1, 2008 U.S. retail sales of candles are estimated at approximately $2 billion annually, excluding sales of candle accessories. Candles are used in 7 out of 10 U.S. households. Candles generally can be categorized into 11 basic types: tapers, votives, pillars, container (or jar) candles, tealights, liturgical candles, outdoor candles, floating candles, novelty candles, utility candles, and birthday candles. Manufacturer surveys show that more than 95% of all candles are purchased by women. Votives, container candles and pillars are currently the most popular types of candles with American consumers. Candle industry research indicates that the most important factors affecting candle sales are scent, color, cost and shape. The retail price of a candle generally ranges from approximately $1.50 for a votive to $75 for a large pillar candle. Highly unusual or embellished artisan candles can be $200 or more. Two-thirds of candle purchasers say they use candles once a week or more often. About the Industry There are more than 400 commercial, religious and institutional manufacturers of candles in the United States, in addition to scores of small craft producers for local, non-commercial use. Candles are principally sold in three types of retail outlets: specialty or gift shops; department and home décor stores; mass mechandisers (discount stores, drug store chains, grocery stores, etc.) Approximately 35% of candle sales occur during the Christmas/Holiday season. Non-seasonal business accounts for approximately 65% of candle sales. It is estimated that more than 10,000 different candle scents are available to U.S. consumers. Candle-User Preferences Consumers are increasingly purchasing candles as a focal point for their home décor, and for aromatherapy-like relaxation and stress reduction. Fragrance is by far the most important characteristic impacting candle purchases today, with three-fourths of candle buyers saying it is "extremely important" or "very important" in their selection of a candle. The majority of U.S. consumers use their candles within a week of purchase. Nine out of ten candle users say they use candles to make a room feel comfortable or cozy. Candle users say they most frequently burn candles in the living room (42%), followed by the kitchen (18%) and the bedroom (13%). Approximately one in five women say they use candles to decorate the yard, patio or other exterior areas, as well as the interior of their home. Both men and women consider candles to be an always-acceptable and highly appreciated gift for a wide variety of occasions. Candle purchasers say they view candles as an appropriate gift for the holidays (76%), as a house warming gift (74%), a hostess/dinner party gift (66%), a thank you (61%) and as adult birthday gifts (58%). Candles come in virtually every shape and size imaginable. The following terms are used to describe common candle styles. TAPER: A slender candle - typically 6 to 18 inches high and sometimes called a dinner candle - designed to be held securely upright by a candle holder. PILLAR: A free-standingcandle, usually having a diameter of 3 inches or more, and one or more wicks. Despite the name, pillars or column candles can be round, square, hexagonal, etc. Although they stand on their own, they must be burned on a heat-resistant candle holder. CONTAINER, JAR OR FILLED CANDLE: A candle that is poured when manufactured into a glass, metal or ceramic container specifically designed to hold the wax and withstand the heat of the burning candle. VOTIVE: A small cylindrical candle, usually about 1½ inches in diameter and 2 or 2½ inches high, designed to be placed in a "cup" or votive holder to hold the liquefied wax that results from burning. Votives were originally produced as white unscented candles for religious ceremonies; they are now available in many colors and scents. GEL CANDLE: A transparent-type candle made primarily from gelled mineral oils or gelled synthetic hydrocarbons. "Soft" or quasi-rigid gels are poured into a container to maintain the candle's shape. "Hard" gel candles have a consistency suitable for free-standing candles.Decorative wax items are frequently suspended within a gel candle to produce a special visual effect. TEALIGHT: A small, cylindrical, filled candle -- usually about 1 inch in diameter and 1½ inches high -- often poured into a metal holder. LUMINARIA: An outdoor candle made by placing a 15-hour votive in a light-diffusing container filled with sand. SPECIALTY CANDLE: An unusually shaped or sculpted free-standing candle, often depicting a three-dimensional object or designed to be viewed primarily as decorative artwork, and sometimes called a novelty candle .AND, OF COURSE, BIRTHDAY CANDLES!

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