Candles: Marcia Terstage, brand manager of Guild-House, a division of American Greetings, on the expanding candle category. (Nonfoods Handbook Advertorial).

Grocery Headquarters, August, 2002 by Marcia Terstage

How are candle sales now and what's happening in the marketplace?

Marcia Terstage: Candle sales started to decline in the market prior to the events of September 2001. Since that time, we have seen a turnaround with increased sales as demand for home decorating and fragrancing continues to rise. We do not expect to enjoy annual double-digit increases as we have over the last five years. Trends would indicate single-digit increases would he expected, topping out at $2.7 billion dollars in 2003 industry-wide.

Consumers don't think of candles when visiting their supermarket. What do suppliers and retailers need to do to increase visibility and create impulse sales?

The primary supermarket shopper visits at least twice a week and has purchased candles,...