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Consumers seek affordable indulgences aimed to pamper
As consumers continue to carry the burden of financial worries, job insecurities, and overall malaise, giftware companies and retailers have quickly recognized the necessity of reaching out with products that offer stress relief. These days, items that help us to relax and unwind are more important than ever. It seems we all are seeking spa-like products that allow us to self-heal, self-reflect, and meditate. With some help from items such as aromatherapy candles and bath salts, we can let our uncertainties slowly slip away and restore our mindsets with positivity.
Quality Resources At Your (Moisturized & Polished) Fingertips
The summer edition of the New York International Gift Fair will again include Ex•Tracts, the show’s extensive beauty-and-wellness division conveniently located on Level 1 of New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Ex•Tracts runs Sunday, August 16 through Thursday, August 20 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (the division will close at 12 p.m. on Thursday). Here buyers will find approximately 100 exhibitors that offer a multitude of new items, including cosmetics, perfumes, skincare, bath-and-body products, beauty accessories, hair care, natural/organic products, apothecary gifts, well-being lines, candles, and home-spa items.
The Best New Product Awards for the Ex•Tracts division will be presented on Tuesday to companies that fall under five categories: Bath & Body, Beauty Accessories, Cosmetic & Fragrance, Natural/Organic, and Packaging. A Best Of Show award will also be presented.
Two special Ex•Tracts seminars will take place on Tuesday: “Extreme Spa Retailing,” in partnership with the Day Spa Association, and “Mainstream Green: New Directions in Organic Beauty,” in partnership with Organic Beauty magazine. For more information about special events and to see an exhibitor list and floor plan, visit www.nyigf.com.
Special Soaps
A bathroom staple, soaps in various shapes and scents can be placed near the sink for everyday use or nestled in a basket of fresh, white towels for guests. Many companies have transformed mundane bars of soap into works of art.
Perfect for children are Puzzle Soaps from Essential Journeys (828/350-0395 or www.essentialjourneys.com). Nine pieces of scented, translucent soap interlock to form each multicolored bar. Handcrafted in North Carolina, hypoallergenic Puzzle Soaps are made from glycerin and vegetable oils. Designer Kimberly Masters says kids will love pulling the pieces apart and putting the puzzle back together.
To add a beautiful decorative element to the bathroom, arrange a tray of soaps from Fringe Studio (760/753-8088 or www.fringestudio.com). The company’s Gypsy Paisley soaps are wrapped in textured paper in fashionable colors; they are also tied with a ribbon that features a keepsake crystal. The triple-milled soaps are a luxurious, moisture-rich mix of natural glycerin in a vegetable base.
Easy Gifts
Whether they buy them as gifts for friends or gifts for themselves, shoppers will appreciate the simplicity of these candles and bath collections.
For a truly all-in-one gift set, consider the offerings from SunFeather Natural Soap Co. (315/265-3648 or www.sunfeather.com). The company has a variety of sets that include candles, air-freshening sprays, and soaps that come packed in a rustic, handcrafted wooden crate.
Customers looking for a mood-lifting collection will be drawn to Illume’s (888/245-5863 or www.illumecandles.com) Happiology line, which comes in Bamboo & Agave, Sunshower, and Yuzu Mint. Illume markets the collection as “positive-energy infused body care and home fragrance.” The packaging is light and sophisticated, which echoes the fresh nature of the collection. Products include rollerball perfume, body butter, body wash, candles, and reed diffusers.
This fall, Upper Canada Soap & Candle Makers (800/548-4097 or www.uppercanadasoap.com) will introduce a fabulous hostess gift called Aroma Cocktails Personal Waterbead Diffuser. The set includes a shaker, glass, stirrer, and bottle of fragrance to be poured over waterbeads. Scents include Cosmopolitan, Blueberry Daiquiri, Appletini (shown), Champagne Mimosa, Pina Colada, or Pomegranate Martini.
A new concept from Wickman (800/892 1801 or www.wickmanproducts.com) packages a scented candle with a simple river stone carved with an inspirational word. The set is meant to encourage relaxation. Other inspirational candles are available from Quotable Cards (212/420-7552 or www.quotablecards.com). Quotable Candles are packaged in gift boxes and decorated with inspirational quotations, just like the company’s cards, calendars, and other products.
Licensed Designs
An exciting new licensed line from Seda France (800/474-0854 or www.sedafrance.com) is the Walt Disney Signature Collection. The hand-poured candles come in decorative boxes inspired by artwork from classic Disney films.
Summer Meadow, inspired by Bambi, features notes of foliage, lime, jasmine, water lily, bergamot, rhubarb, and amber. Also inspired by Bambi is Forest Breeze, scented with fig blossom, jasmine, muguet, bergamot, white lily, sandalwood, and orange flower.
The Pastoral Symphony from Fantasia is the inspiration behind Vanilla Iris, a blend of vanilla, coconut, iris, mandarin, sugared petals, and tonka. Thistle Berry, with jasmine, rose, orange, currant berries, green apple, bergamot, and musk, is inspired by the film’s Russian Dance. The final Fantasia candle is Fresh Pear, a mix of berries, pear, rhubarb, grapefruit, lemon, and amber.
Johnny Appleseed is the Disney film behind the Neroli Blossom candle. Inspired by the film’s orchard artwork, it is scented with neroli blossom, white lotus, yuzu, freesia, kumquat, white musk, and
sandalwood.
Candles In Home Décor
Adding candles and home fragrances to a room is a way to instantly alter its mood and décor. One company that creates trend-forward fragrance goods is Nomi (888/543-3267 www.nomihome.com). Reed diffusers, candles, fragrance mists, amber gems, and richly textured potpourri come in contemporary packaging that makes gifting a breeze. Scents include Black Amber, Aqua, Fresh, Lucky Bamboo, Noel, Passion, and Zest.
Swan Creek Candle Co. (800/626-4590 or www.swancreekwhoesale.com) targets popular styles with its Vintage Earthen Pottery line in a soothing palette of earth tones. Packed in rustic, glazed pottery, the candles are made of 100-percent American soybean wax. The 4” candles can be artfully arranged to create a zen-like ambiance in living rooms, dining rooms, and spa-themed bathrooms.
As for customers seeking candle alternatives, the new Contempo Candle Warmer Lamp from Candle Warmers (801/487-2128 or www.candlewarmers.com) is a great option. The lamp creates the ambiance of a burning candle while releasing fragrance, and it is available in multiple finishes and scents.
Provide your customers with a selection of fragrances, styles, and decorating ideas, and your candle and home fragrance sales will be a constant for your store.
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