Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - September/October 2020

102 seen their popularity rise over the past months as people send their loved ones a Home is where The Heart Is or Thank You or With Love. Completing this season’s range are our bestselling fragrances lovingly presented in a selection of Wax Melts, Reed Diffusers, Refill Oils and Glass Candles. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? The obvious thing is the rise of the popularity of candle tins. In the early 90’s they were very new and quirky and there was just us and two other companies making these candles, but now the market has grown considerably. More recently we were the first to create a range of cocktail fragranced candle tins. Week by week we could see how gin was becoming the next big thing, way before the media had recognised the trend. Needless to say, we quickly made our lovely G&T fragrance available throughout our candle ranges and it is still one of our best sellers, accompanied by a nice fruity Rhubarb Gin. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? I think you have to be both a trend setter, anticipating the next big thing, as well as being a follower of trends. Those trends are also very varied as candles are influenced by many social and cultural factors. Not only are we looking at the obvious trends in gifts, interiors, fashion, food and leisure but also the influence of issues such as the environment and the authenticity of brands. We do a lot of online research when designing new ranges or creating new fragrances but sometimes it just comes down to listening to your customers. Our Elements candles were created in response to requests from some of our retailers for a more decorative and embellished style. We started with a small candle but following their success this range is also now available in a large triple wick size. What sets you apart from your competitors? Pintail Candles is one of the UK’s market leaders in hand poured candle tins, creating new ranges and developing new fragrances rather than following what others are doing. With over 60 fragrances available, along with a vibrant palette of wax colours, retailers have a real choice in selecting the best combination of scents to suit their customers. Very importantly, and particularly in the current climate, we are able to offer a British made, hand poured fine fragranced candle at an affordable price including two ranges retailing at under £5. By designing and manufacturing candles in our own premises and by sourcing our ingredients as close to home as possible we can respond quickly to seasonal trends and market changes. It also means we can ensure quality control and of course offer a personalised customer service. How are you finding the current economic climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? Well it has been interesting, and we have had to be very flexible to try and help our customers as much as we can, as well as having to cope with reorganising our production to keep our staff safe. Early on we saw increased sales from our online retailers and more recently it has been from those in rural tourist locations. The demand seems to come in waves with different types of shops and areas of the country opening up at different times. So, we have had to roll with those changes to get stock out to retailers as quickly as possible. As we make our own candles and source our ingredients, including our candle tins from the UK, our supply chains have been less affected we have been able to provide a reliable service. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes, we are and it is very important. We receive daily alerts on what is trending on social media so that our candle ranges and fragrances remain relevant as well as using these alerts to generate our own social media content. We post to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter several times a week. However, we are very mindful that our priority is to support our independent high street retailers, so we repeat and share their content whenever we see it and also use social media to promote the Pintail Candles brand which we hope will increase sales for our stockists. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? I think the best tip is to listen to your customers and to provide them with a good service. Build a good relationship with your suppliers, as they often have very broad experience and extremely good advice in helping you to choose or develop your products. What can we expect in the future from Pintail Candles? In the coming months we have the return of our famous Christmas fragrances including Frankincense & Myrrh and Mistletoe & Wine. For those looking for more generic autumnal and wintery fragrances we have a great range of best-selling favourites featuring zesty Cinnamon & Orange, cosy Log Fire and fruity Fig & Wild Pear amongst others. We are also introducing a new Nutmeg & Cedar fragrance; an aroma of woodsy cedar wrapped in spicy notes of freshly ground nutmeg and crushed black pepper. Starting next week, we are planning our Spring and Summer collection so watch this space. PINTAIL CANDLES T: +44 (0)1539 559 007 E: info@pintailcandles.com www.pintailcandles.com

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