Before you decide where to sell, you need to have your production firmly under control. Making handcrafted candles calls for a few essentials, such as waxes, wicks, fragrances and containers, all of which Terre de Bougies can supply.
Selling offline: building relationships with your prospects and customers
Now that you know the candle market is a profitable and accessible business, building a physical presence lets you forge a genuine, lasting bond with your customers. It is also a very concrete way to bring your sensory world to life and spark impulse purchases, while raising your profile locally. Here are a few ideas to help your brand shine beyond the screen.
Local markets, craft fairs and pop-up shops: an affordable way to give your candle sales a boost
Local markets, craft fairs and pop-up shops are places you simply cannot miss, and an excellent way to grow your customer base and build a network. What is more, many of these events are affordable, depending on how big and how popular they are, so why not make the most of them? Choose busy periods (Christmas, Mother’s Day, autumn) and steer clear of summer heatwaves, which can be hard on your wax melts or even melt your candles.
Always give people a way to stay in touch (business card, QR code to your social media, website…) so that customers can easily find you again after the event. This helps you turn them into loyal customers and increases your chances of adding them to your database.
Local stockists: a presence without a shop of your own
Selling through stockists is another worthwhile channel, especially if you do not have a physical shop. It lets customers smell your creations in person and brings you new prospects who will later go on to order from your website. Build rewarding long-term partnerships: set your terms, find common ground and always put the terms you have agreed in writing.
Where can you display your scented candles? A few partnership ideas:
- Florists: bouquets enhanced with room mists, wax melts, candles and more.
- Concept stores: reach lovers of decorative objects with creations that match the shop’s style.
- Beauty salons, spas, hotels: offer a complete sensory experience and let customers take the feel-good moment home with them.
- Hair salons and wellness centres: a scented atmosphere enhances relaxation and strengthens attachment to the brand.
Make sure every collaboration is backed by a clear agreement on margins, consignment terms and the return of unsold stock, so that your partnership is properly protected.
Private sales: creating an exclusive experience
Treat your customers and prospects to a unique experience by inviting them somewhere friendly and relaxed: your home, a welcoming café, a sunny terrace, or even the home of hosts happy to welcome you for sensory workshops or private sales. In this warm atmosphere, your guests enjoy personalised advice and discover your latest creations. These special moments are ideal for encouraging impulse purchases while building a strong, lasting bond with your community.
A bricks-and-mortar shop: the crowning achievement… that needs careful planning
Who has never dreamt of opening their own candle shop? Many entrepreneurs see this step as the ultimate achievement. But it pays to stay realistic: fixed costs are high (rent, bills, shop fitting, payroll if you take on staff), which makes it the right option only once your business is already stable and here to stay.
The real strength of a shop? Face-to-face contact with your customers and the unique chance to let them discover your scents for themselves. The sensory experience becomes your best selling point.
Selling online: a powerful, accessible tool
Selling online has never been easier… or more strategic. Thanks to digital tools, even independent makers can now reach a wide audience, build a loyal community and grow their turnover without a physical shop. E-commerce website, social media, marketplaces or newsletters: each channel has its own features, advantages and opportunities. What matters is choosing the ones that best fit your world, your customers… and your goals.
E-commerce website: a powerful, accessible tool for selling your candles
With today’s digital tools, launching your own online shop is within everyone’s reach. Depending on your ambitions, you can opt for a simple shop or a more sophisticated website with advanced features. If you plan to handle this side of things on your own and have no technical experience of building websites, we recommend choosing a “turnkey” website builder. There are more and more of them available today.
| Solution | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify |
Up and running in no time: guided set-up, intuitive interface. 24/7 customer support: help by chat and email, plus extensive documentation. Scalability: suited to every stage of growth. Multichannel selling: stock synchronisation and tracking for each channel. |
Recurring cost: monthly subscription + commission on sales. Reliance on the Shopify ecosystem: the website’s infrastructure, source code, hosting and features remain under Shopify’s control. |
| Wix / Odoo / Hostinger |
Visual editor: easy to pick up, no technical knowledge needed. Rich template library and unlimited colour and font customisation. Built-in tools: SEO, marketing, GDPR, analytics and more. |
Limited for advanced e-commerce: hard to scale up for complex needs (cross-selling, multiple currencies, advanced stock management). Variable performance: websites can be slower and less well optimised technically. |
| WordPress + WooCommerce |
Open source & free: a flexible budget, as you only pay for hosting and whatever you add. Extreme flexibility: you can build virtually any feature with plugins or custom code. Popular tool: plenty of resources available and many tools that are easy to integrate. |
Technical maintenance required: updates, security and plugin compatibility to manage yourself or through a provider. Steeper learning curve: installation, customisation, hosting… everything has to be configured manually. |
Social media platforms have become genuine interactive shop windows, and even new sales platforms in their own right. This type of selling is known as social selling.
The platforms people use most for buying are Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, with Facebook named as the number one platform by 46% of social shoppers, according to a study by Hostinger.
Social media: selling your creations by building a community
Facts and figures
According to a study by the Adyen platform, between 19% and 30% of French people said they had already bought something directly through social media in 2024. And the study goes even further: the overall influence of social media on the buying journey and purchase intent is greater still, potentially reaching 60-70% of consumers, driven in particular by influencer recommendations and targeted advertising.
As you can see, staying away from these channels would be a mistake. To get started, create an account and grow a community. Post regularly, run giveaways, take a genuine interest in your followers and interact with them.
Selling through newsletters: a profitable channel
Email is often underestimated, yet it is one of the most profitable sales channels. A well-crafted newsletter helps you build a lasting relationship with your customers, drive repeat sales and showcase your new products without depending on algorithms.
- Qualified audience: your subscribers are already interested in your world, since they signed up themselves.
- In-depth personalisation: segmentation by profile, recommendations based on previous purchases, birthday offers and more.
- Easy automation: emails sent after an order, abandoned cart reminders, a gentle nudge after several weeks of inactivity.
- Profitability: sending costs are low and the return on investment is often higher than on social media.
Tools such as Brevo, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Omnisend or Benchmark Email let you create visual, automated and effective email sequences without being a marketing expert. They are affordable too, which makes them perfect for getting started without stretching your budget.
Marketplaces: a launch pad to use strategically
If you want to test your products on a wide audience, including abroad and without any technical investment, marketplaces are your allies.
General marketplaces
| Solution | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
|
Etsy
An ideal platform for creative entrepreneurs who want to reach a global audience of millions of buyers. |
Targeted community: buyers come specifically for handmade, vintage or personalised items. The maker in the spotlight: shop page, storytelling, personalisation. Powerful built-in SEO: good visibility on both Google and Etsy. |
Multiple fees: 6.5% commission + processing fees + listing fees. Fierce competition between makers: you need to put work into your photos, descriptions and customer reviews. |
|
eBay
An accessible, international platform. Unlike Etsy, eBay does not focus solely on handcrafted creations. |
International platform: access to buyers all over the world. New or second-hand products: a broad range of buyers. |
A lingering “second-hand” image: less flattering for premium or handcrafted creations. Dated interface: less intuitive than other platforms. |
What about Amazon? It is a huge marketplace, potentially worthwhile once you have already built up a certain reputation, so that your products do not get lost among the competition. On top of that, commissions of up to 10% may apply.
Marketplaces specialising in home decor and crafts
| Solution | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
|
Ankorstore
A large marketplace dedicated exclusively to B2B, with more than 300,000 retailers. |
A powerful B2B marketplace: designed to connect brands with European retailers. International exposure: access to thousands of independent shops across Europe. Simplified process for professionals: deferred payment terms and grouped orders. |
Selective entry: not every brand is automatically accepted. Strong competition: visibility depends on your sales strategy and special offers. |
|
Un Grand Marché
A friendly marketplace created for amateur and professional makers. |
Specialised in French craftsmanship: ideal for reaching shoppers who value handmade and local products. Engaged community: customers looking for authenticity and one-of-a-kind pieces. Easy listing: accessible interface, few technical hurdles. |
Less suited to B2B: mainly B2C-oriented, with an average order value that is sometimes low. Selling fees: commission on every sale (on top of the subscription), which can eat into your margin. |
|
Faire
A B2B-only sales platform with more than 100,000 sellers. |
Positioning similar to Ankorstore: a B2B marketplace for makers, artisans and independent brands. Logistics and marketing support: visibility boosts, free shipping and easier returns for buyers. Access to a vast network of retailers: present in Europe and the United States. |
Complex pricing terms: commissions, mandatory promotions and sometimes imposed retail prices. Risk of brand dilution: listed alongside other similar, sometimes competing, brands. |
These platforms make it easier to get noticed, but bear in mind that commissions can be high and competition is fierce. Use them as a springboard while you build your own loyal customer base, but never as your only sales channel, especially in the early days.
I have chosen my sales channels: what next?
Now that you have chosen your sales channels, it is time to step up a gear and structure your sales strategy (offer, positioning, branding, value proposition, objectives). Because selling is not just about being everywhere… It is about selling with purpose and consistency.
