With the rising popularity of scented candles, finding a reliable supplier for high-quality candles at competitive prices is key to running a successful candle business. Choosing the right supplier can impact everything from product quality and costs to order fulfillment and customer satisfaction. Follow these tips to find and vet scented candle suppliers:
Define Your Candle Specifications
Before reaching out to suppliers, be clear on your candle requirements. Consider details like:
- Candle shapes/sizes – Will you offer jar candles, pillars, tarts, votives? What dimensions? This impacts pricing and minimum order quantities.
- Wax type – Soy, paraffin, beeswax or blends? Suppliers often specialize in certain wax types.
- Fragrance – Essential oils, phthalate-free fragrances or natural extracts? Not all suppliers can accommodate custom scents.
- Wicks – Pre-tabbed, eco-friendly, self-trimming? Wick quality hugely impacts burn performance.
- Dyes/colorants – Ask about ingredient safety and color fastness.
- Additional inclusions like glitter or flower petals – Not all suppliers can embed decorative items evenly.
- Labeling – Will you use printed labels, hang tags, stickers? Define label size, ink colors and attachment method.
- Packaging – Jars, boxes, sleeves, gift bags? Get samples to gauge quality.
Define these specifications upfront so suppliers can accurately quote pricing and minimums based on your needs.
Search Candle Supplier
Target suppliers in major candle making hubs like China, the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia from google search. Chinese suppliers often offer very aggressive bulk pricing, while domestic suppliers can better accommodate small custom orders. Cast a wide net and evaluate multiple options.
Review Sample Products
When first contacting suppliers, request free product samples in your desired specifications. Most candle suppliers will provide samples to win new business. Inspect the quality firsthand and get feedback from others on factors like:
- Fragrance strength and scent throw
- Wax texture and color distribution
- Burn quality and wax pool consistency
- Jar/packaging quality
Testing samples yourself is the best way to assess a supplier’s capabilities and consistency.
Ask Detailed Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask potential suppliers detailed questions about their capabilities, processes and services. Key questions to ask include:
- What types of wax, fragrances and wicks do you offer?
- What is your current candle production capacity?
- Are your facilities FDA/EPA certified?
- Can you accommodate custom labeling, packaging and scent creation?
- Do you stock common candle jars and packaging or will I need to source my own?
- What are your minimum order quantities per product? Per order?
- What is your average production time from order to shipment?
- Do you assist with compliance labeling for candle products?
- What shipping methods and rates do you offer?
- Do you have references from past candle company clients I can contact?
Reputable suppliers will gladly answer questions and prove their reliability. Cloudy answers are a red flag.
Compare Pricing and MOQs
When quoting pricing, suppliers will factor in details like your candle size, wax and fragrance type, packaging method and order volume. Compare pricing across multiple suppliers and get quotes for both your initial order size and larger reorder volumes. This showcases potential cost savings from ongoing orders.
Also compare minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements. For small startup orders, suppliers with lower MOQs like 100-500 units may be a better option before scaling up. Deep discounts often require bulk MOQs of 1,000+ units.
Negotiate Deals
Don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially when ordering bulk candle volumes! Many wholesale candle suppliers are open to negotiating pricing for large orders. See if you can get a discount for:
- Ordering 5,000+ candle units
- Guaranteeing a certain order volume per month or quarter
- Placing repeat orders within 12 months
- Paying a deposit upfront
The more leverage you have as a bulk buyer, the more negotiating power you’ll have. Just remain professional and reasonable with suppliers.
Check Shipping Costs
A supplier offering candles at rock-bottom prices won’t be a good deal if their shipping costs are exorbitant. Ask for complete quotes including door-to-door shipping expenses. Ocean freight shipping from China takes over a month, so compare rates for faster air shipping if needed.
Domestic suppliers often have lower shipping rates for U.S. customers. Don’t assume global suppliers will be cheapest once you factor in shipping!
Start Small, Scale Up
When starting out, it’s smart to order small 100-500 unit test batches from one or two suppliers until you confirm quality. Once satisfied, you can shift to bulk orders of 1000+ units for better pricing.
Beginning with small orders allows you to validate supplier quality and reliability before investing huge volume. Then scale up with your proven partners while still diversifying suppliers to avoid over-reliance on one.
Get Everything in Writing
When preparing to order, get complete written documentation from your supplier confirming order details, production timeline, shipping method, associated costs and invoice payment terms. This paperwork protects both parties should disputes arise.
Finding reliable scented candle suppliers globally does require research and due diligence. But vetting suppliers properly lets you launch your candle business on a trusted supply chain – enabling stellar product quality at competitive pricing. Partner with suppliers ethically and you’ll establish fruitful long-term relationships.
