With the first venture into shipping and ecommerce, candle businesses expand beyond their local markets and gain greater success. Whether shipping single orders to distant customers or bulk shipping to retail stores, it’s essential to implement effective packaging and shipping procedures. Keep reading and learn how to implement successful packaging and shipping strategies that will expand your candle business.
Prepare Shipping Supplies for Your Candle Business
Using the right shipping supplies is key to ensuring the safe delivery of your candles, whether selling wholesale or directly to customers. Listed below are some essential shipping items and their purposes:
- Boxes: Packing boxes are the most straightforward, yet necessary packaging for shipping candles. As a general best practice, choose sturdy and reliable boxes made of corrugated cardboard. While there are free options available from USPS and shipping companies, consider investing in higher-quality boxes for added protection.
- Packing Peanuts and Crinkled Paper: Candle businesses use these materials to fill the extra space in their box packaging, thus preventing damage during transit. Packing peanuts are traditionally unsustainable, but more eco-friendly options are becoming popular. To align your brand with the environment and practice sustainability, consider green options for your packaging space-fillers.
- Cardboard Wraps: Similar to packing peanuts and crinkled paper, cardboard wraps help secure your candles and prevent movement within the packaging, thereby reducing the risk of breakage.
- Packing Tape: Packing tape ensures the integrity of your shipping boxes. Use strong packing tape designed for shipping to secure your boxes properly and prevent package collapses.
Ensure the Safety of Your Candles
Candle businesses must prioritize the safety of their products during transit. Specifically, wax is susceptible to melting during the shipping process, especially during hot weather or extended transit times. To avoid this issue, ship your business’ candles on Monday or Tuesday if possible, thereby minimizing the risk of your candles staying in a hot warehouse over the weekend. Using faster shipping methods also alleviates this issue, as well as the inclusion of shipping-specialized ice packs inside the candle packages.
If you’re yet to ship to customers, we encourage you to conduct tests beforehand; practice shipping just a few boxes of products to ensure they safely withstand shipping. Make sure to test candle packages in different quantities so that your business is ready for a variety of orders
As you plan the optimal shipping methods with product safety in mind, it’s important to familiarize yourself with labeling requirements and safety regulations for candles. Ensure your packaging includes necessary information such as fragrance ingredients, allergen warnings, and fire hazard warnings. If shipping internationally, be aware of specific regulations governing candle shipment.
Select the Optimal Shipping Method
Choosing the right shipping method is essential for your candle business. At a smaller scale, many candlemakers ship directly with carriers such as USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Make sure to compare rates and services to find the best fit for your business.
As your candle business grows, consider shipping via applications like Shippo or various Shopify integrations. Most candle businesses leverage these platforms to streamline their shipping processes and access discounted shipping rates.
Calculate Shipping Costs
Accurately calculating the shipping costs of your candle business is crucial to ensure profitability. Naturally, the amount your business charges customers for shipping must relate to the shipping costs of your business. Some businesses charge customers the exact shipping cost that the business incrues for the specific order. Meanwhile, other candle businesses charge a flat shipping rate that is an estimated average of the business’ shipping costs per order.
While understanding your shipping costs is always important, many candle businesses benefit from offering free shipping to their customers. Consider enticing customers into larger orders by removing the shipping fee on minimum-purchases. As you think about the shipping deals that will work your business, make sure to calculate the potential impact on profit margins for any such strategy.
Prioritize the Customer Experience and Unboxing
While planning your candle business’ shipments, remember to prioritize the customer’s unboxing experience. Carefully select your packaging materials and design, from the exterior packaging to the candle holder.
Design your exterior packaging to be visually appealing and reflective of your brand; aesthetically pleasing packaging helps create a positive first impression. Inside the box, use protective materials to ensure your candles arrive in excellent condition — and consider adding personal touches like thank-you notes or samples. Beyond just the visual appeal, promotional materials and incentives also encourage customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
The Best Product Packaging for Candles
Glass packaging is the best option for candle packaging due to its elegant visual appeal and functional durability. With a wide range of glass candle containers available, it’s essential to choose the right ones that align with your brand image and candle sizes. To find the top choices in glass candle packaging, see the table below:
| NAME | CAPACITY | IMAGE |
| Round Candle Glass Container | 6 oz. |  |
| Apothecary Glass Jar | 8 oz. |  |
| Square Candle Glass Container | 8.5 oz. |  |
| Lexington Round Glass Container | 16 oz. |  |
| Calypso Wide Mouth Glass Jar | 16 oz. |  |
As you select the ideal packaging for your candles, make sure to invest in creating an appealing design that reflects your brand identity. Consider color schemes, logos, and labeling to make your candles stand out in the market.
Conclusion
By implementing effective packaging and shipping strategies, candle businesses expand beyond their local markets and reach a broader customer base. Take care to safeguard your candles in transit, and plan around the new shipping costs and procedures that face your business. For more tips to boost your candle business, read Glassnow’s guide to creating an annual scent calendar.
