Whether for a mood boost or masking odor from a home-cooked meal gone awry, home fragrance has become bigger part of the current American way of life—and the numbers show it.

For the 52 weeks ended July 12, 2020, candle sales rose 16.9% to $1.59 billion at US multi-outlets (grocery, drug, mass market, military and select club and dollar retailers) and home air freshener sales jumped 9.6% to $2.31 billion, according to data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). Further, there was a 7.3% gain in potpourri/sachet sales and another 7.5% rise in electronic fragrance dispensers.

These gains outpaced the successful numbers posted in 2019, when mass market home air fresheners rose 2.3%, candle sales ticked up 7.2% and sachets saw a 6.8% increase.

In the prestige end of the business, dollar sales of home scents grew 4% in the first quarter of the year—driven by candles (up 8%), diffusers (up 5%), and home ancillary gift sets (up 4%).

Why are Americans investing in home fragrance? For one, they are spending a lot more time at home. As the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 began to spread in the US, government officials implored residents to stay at home as much as possible, schools shuttered their doors and taught students online, and employers sent their staff home to work remotely. And it appears these trends may continue, as large corporations like Google have extended their work-from-home option well into 2021, and colleges and universities are going back online—some only days after re-opening their campuses to students.


Dwellings & Smelling

As Americans spent more time at home in Q1 and Q2, they took a hard look at their spaces, and took action to make their places more inviting. According to a survey conducted by OnePoll and Air Wick, 80% of Americans said they noticed things about their home that they would like to improve, and a recent US Census Bureau report found that home centers and hardware stores have realized a year-over-year sales increase of more than 22%. Paint color aside, maybe consumers didn’t like what they smelled either.

“With more time stuck inside, our home is no longer simply the place we come back to at the end of the day. It’s become our office, our daycare, our home gym, and our 24/7 diner. Not to mention that pet adoption has skyrocketed during the shutdown. With all of that comes more odors and more need to eliminate them, and because of this, we’re seeing air fresheners evolve from a nice-to-have into an essential need,” said Morgan Brashear, Febreze senior scientist.

This new normal has presented an opportunity for brands like Febreze to gain new customers.

“We’ve seen that consumers have recognized the need for air care products during the shutdown, trying products that they might not have used before and finding what scents and products work for them and their odor-elimination needs. We see air care usage continuing to grow as consumers develop a habit of usage and realize that they don’t have to simply live with odors in their homes, that there are products designed to eliminate those odors and provide the scent level they’re looking for,” noted Brashear, citing one of the newest SKUs in the Febreze range, Febreze Light.  The idea for Febreze Light came through consumer research that showed not everyone is a fan of heavy scents, said Brashear.

“We found current air freshening products in the market weren’t meeting the needs of a large portion of the population. Insights showed that 36% of people prefer a light scent and find most air fresheners to be too heavy or overwhelming. As a result, they often avoid using them, even when they experience odors. That’s why we released Febreze Light—which comes in three scents Sea Spray, Bamboo and Lavender—for those who still want powerful odor elimination with no heavy perfumes.

According to P&G, the Febreze Light collection cleans away odors without heavy perfumes, leaving behind a light, fresh scent. And it doesn’t just mask odors; Febreze Light formulations feature the same odor eliminating-technology as the rest of the Febreze range, said P&G. There are seven formats available, including air spay, plug-ins, candles and wax melts.


Mood Matters

Beyond eliminating the lingering odors of a five-onion casserole and the funk from Dad’s sweaty workout gear, home fragrances are known for their role in lifting one’s mood—and this has become especially important during the pandemic.

“Additionally, we’re seeing consumers use fragrance to create a more pleasant environment in an effort to help reduce the stress they might be experiencing right now. We’re also seeing consumers use fragrance to help provoke feelings of the vacations and trips they had to cancel,” noted Brashear.

Brooklyn Candle Studio has added room mists featuring the scents from its most-beloved candles—many of which were inspired by unique locals. These include Fern + Moss (a scent inspired by Fern Canyon in Northern California); Santorini (reminiscent of the fig trees and native currants from the famed Italian region) and Santa Fe, described as an earthy, calming scent of orchid cactus, wild sage, juniper and piñon that was inspired by a spontaneous winter trip, according to Founder Tamara Mayne.

“Most of us are spending so much time at home these days, and we are all looking for ways to lift our mood during this time. Room mists are an effortless means to enhance your space with the magic of scent. At home, I lightly mist our duvet with one of my favorites, Love Potion, and the scent always induces a wave of calm whenever it’s time to hit the hay,” said Mayne, who founded the firm in 2013.

An unlikely source contends it has a candle that can deliver a feeling of calm, too. Last month, fast-casual restaurant chain Zaxby’s offered candles that smelled like fried chicken and fries in a special promotion tied to National Relaxation Day (August 15).

Nicole Black, spa industry veteran and co-founder of a popular Santa Barbara-based bakery, has started The Spa Girl Life, which sells mini kits to help people relax and have a spa-like experience while at home. The kits pair 100% vegan, soy candles with healing stones, affirmation cards and guided meditations. The Spa Girl Life comes in six different fragrance and stone pairings that help create a customized, mind-body wellness experience.

Wellness seems to be on the mind of fragrance forecasters at Yankee Candle, too. The brand’s scent of the year for 2020 is Awaken, which is described as crystalline mineral fragrance with grounding notes of driftwood and amber.

“We’ve learned through our research for Scent of the Year that there is a significant cultural shift away from always wanting more: more options, more communication, more material clutter. Increasingly, people want to simplify their lives, unplug from the constant chatter of technology, and reconnect with themselves and with those they care about,” Anna Whitton, vice president of marketing, The Yankee Candle Company said when the scent was unveiled at the start of the year. “Consumers are seeking out meaningful experiences that bring them a greater sense of self.”

Lighting a wick or spritzing a spray is a simple way to lift one’s spirits. But home scenting options are also growing more high-tech as brands look to deliver a more sophisticated and personalized experience.
Reckitt Benckiser, for example, has rolled out Air Wick Essential Mist Smart Diffuser with Bluetooth Technology. This mass market device is programmable so it can deliver customized experiences around how and when users want their scent; they can create schedules, adjust intensity, set reminders to replenish refills, and even purchase refills directly from their smartphones.

The connected diffuser works with Air Wick Essential Mist Aroma products, which contain an exclusive blend of natural essential oil infused fragrance, said RB. The range is available in a variety of scents, including Sleep, Happiness and Unwind—another nod to the growing importance of wellness among consumers.


Lifestyle Choices

While home fragrances have historically been used to create the right ambiance for specific events—think a holiday gathering, date night, or whatnot—today’s brands are expanding their collections with concepts that are designed to pique the special interests of modern consumer lifestyles.

Village Candle has rolled out a new Gentlemen’s Collection. Housed in contemporary three-wick bowls with a black metal lid, the collection includes seven candles made with food-grade paraffin wax and lead-free, cotton wicks for a clean, even burn and fragrance release. The range Includes scents such as Moonlit Surf (notes of salty ocean spray, driftwood and sea moss); Leather & Musk Noir (white thyme, fresh bergamot, mineral water and Amalfi lemon); Spiced Tobac & Honey (tobacco leaves, spiced peppercorn and sweet spun honey); and Dark Berries & Cedar (patchouli, cedar, rich plum and dark berries) to name just a few. Each candle has a burn time of up to 50 hours, according to the Wells, ME-based company, which was acquired by Stonewall Kitchen earlier this year.

Following up on the acquisition of Village Candle, Stonewall Kitchen expanded its own stable with Stonewall Home, a new line of soy-blend candles that company officials contend takes the brand out of the kitchen and into every room in the home. Launched in July, Stonewall Home includes 12 year-round scents (Balsam Woods, Fresh Linen and Honey Vanilla, for example) and four seasonal fragrances (like Maple Pumpkin Butter). Each fragrance is available in large and medium apothecary jars, a medium three-wick bowl and candle melts.

“This launch is one of the most exciting for Stonewall Kitchen’s family of brands,” noted Janine Somers, VP-marketing and DTC sales. “Not only are we continuing to grow our food brands with exceptional flavor profiles and products, but we’re also expanding our footprint in the home goods category with the launch of Stonewall Home.”

While candles were once used to mask the tell-tale scent of marijuana (at least that’s what I’ve been told), there’s a new option that does just the opposite. CandleBudz, LLC has rolled out an inaugural set of branded cannabis terpene-infused candles that feature the precise aromas of the marijuana strains. While there are other cannabis candles on the market, CandleBudz are said to be the first to incorporate cannabis strain-specific terpenes.

Josh D, Sherbinskis and The Original Jack Herer are the first brands to partner with CandleBudz, which produced the candles in partnership with Abstrax, a company that specializes in botanically-derived and cannabis-inspired terpenes. Abstrax has reportedly mapped more than 400 terpene and aroma compounds to replicate the aromas and flavors of each brand’s cannabis strain.

Scentsy is tapping into a different pastime, watching football, with a new line of wax warmers featuring 32 NFL teams. According to Kevin Kirkpatrick, chief strategy officer, Scentsy consultants have been asking for NFL products for years. The new football-shaped warmers were available for pre-order this spring with delivery scheduled for this month. Scentsy, which was ranked No. 30 in Happi’s Top 50 Report this year, has also developed an exclusive NFL fragrance to complement the collection.

Lone Wicks

Indie brands continue to make their mark in the home scent sector, too.

Kline Group estimates that in 2020, indies will account for about 27% of the total US home fragrances market and that the growth of these brands will fall between 7.5-10% from 2019-2020. According to Kline’s Karen Doskow, director, consumer products, brands fueling growth include established indie players like Scentsy and Lafco as well new brands like Otherland and Homesick.

And there are many others, from Lafayette, IN-based Antique Candle Co.—which started as a hobby for Brittany Whitenack in 2014 and today employs 34 people—to those making candles as a side hustle‚ like Long Islander Justin Deravin of JD Candle Co.

“I always loved candles and the ambiance they would create but at times I would find myself battling a headache shortly after. So, it was at that moment that I ventured out to find out what were in the candles that were giving me such headaches,” he told Happi.

Deravin traced his issues to petroleum-based candles with lead wicks and “low grade” fragrance oils.

“Our candles are made with all natural soy wax excluding the use of petroleum wax or any dyes. Our wicks are cotton and contain no lead or zinc. The fragrances and essential oils we utilize in our scents are superior grade and phthalate free,” he insisted.

According to Deravin, his 8oz and 16oz mason jar candles in Seasalt & Orchid, Black Sea and White Tea can be found at local businesses in Suffolk County, NY and online at jdcandle.com.

Another new brand garnering attention is Cancelled Plans, which is making headlines for its clean candles and quirky spin on home fragrance. Run by a husband and wife team, the Seattle-based company offers candles such as I Miss High Fives (which has notes of sea salt, cotton blossom, lily of the valley, rhubarb, grapefruit, apple and light musk) and Student Loans (which has notes of coconut, vanilla, citrus, sea salt, plum, cardamom and dark musk) to name just two options from its current roster. The company uses a blend of coconut and apricot wax with a cotton wick for all of its products.

Pandemic Problems

While the pandemic presented opportunities for some, it has caused headaches for many. In the first half of the second quarter, Newell Brands, parent to Yankee Candle, said it experienced significant supply chain disruption. Of its 135 manufacturing and distribution facilities, nearly 20 were temporarily closed, including its South Deerfield, MA home fragrance plant.

Furthermore, while Newell Brands’ largest retail customers remained open and in fact experienced a surge in sales, a number of secondary customers—primarily in the specialty and department store channels—temporarily closed their brick and mortar stores toward the end of the first quarter, and Yankee Candle temporarily shuttered its own shops in North America, too. More recently, Yankee Candle said it was ending its fundraising program.

All tough blows for Newell, which had recently completed a significant project to bolster Yankee Candle’s R&D capabilities when it cut the ribbon on a new 20,300-sq.-ft. R&D lab in South Deerfield. The new space—which handles development for all of the firm’s candle brands (including WoodWick and Chesapeake Bay)—is nearly triple the size of Yankee Candle’s original R&D facility.

The project had been in the making since the fall of 2018, according to the firm.

With brick and mortar retail still reeling from the economic fallout of the pandemic, Yankee Candle has taken steps to generate a steady revenue stream. The firm has rolled out a subscription plan with the assistance of Ordergroove, a “relationship commerce” company that has worked with the likes of Walmart, The Honest Company, Home Depot and Coca-Cola, among others. The goal is to evolve with consumers’ shopping behaviors, according to Yankee Candle executives.

As we move into Q4 of this unprecedented year, it has become apparent that home fragrance brands will need to burn the candle at both ends to stay ahead of the game.