Yankee Candle Closes Virginia Factory. Is It Going Out Of Business?

Employees at a Yankee Candle factory in Forest, Virginia, will be looking for new jobs in the new year. Newell Brands, parent company of the popular candle company, announced in early November that they were closing the plant that employs 187 people.

The Virginia factory primarily manufactures WoodWick candles, which are part of the Yankee Candle line of products. WoodWick candles have wooden wicks that crackle as they burn.

If you love filling your home with the scent of a Yankee Candle, there is no need to worry. The candle company isn’t going out of business. However, it is scaling back a bit. According to Newell Brands’ third quarter 2022 results, the company closed 42 Yankee Candle retail locations during the year's first nine months.

Newell Brands reported an operating loss of $88 million due to declining sales in its Home Fragrance and Food business units.

But things may turn around after the holidays. After all, Yankee Candle started during the holidays in 1969 when teenager Mike Kittredge created his first candle with melted crayons as a Christmas gift to his mother. He became a candle entrepreneur when a neighbor asked if he could make one for her.

Yankee Candle opened its flagship retail store in 1982 in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, and a second flagship store in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2005. The 45,000-square-foot Williamsburg store became a popular tourist destination, but its fame wasn’t enough to keep it open. The store closed in April 2021.

“No store closing decision is ever made lightly or without careful thought and consideration,” a Yankee Candle spokesperson told The Virginia Gazette. “We are grateful to our Williamsburg store employees who have consistently delivered an amazing guest experience to thousands of guests over the last 15 years.”

Yankee Candle became a publicly-traded company in 1999, and in 2013, the company was sold to Jarden Corporation for $1.75 billion. Two years later, it became part of Newell Brands when it bought Jarden for more than $15 billion.

Today, Yankee Candles are still sold in Yankee Candle retail stores as well as online and at large retailers such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Meijer, and Walmart.

Over the 2022 holiday season, the Yankee Candle Company opened six limited-time pop-up shops across the country. The stores were in Connecticut, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, and California.

According to the website CandleJunkies.com, the top ten best-selling Yankee Candle scents are:

1. Pink Sands

2. Macintosh

3. Autumn Wreath

4. Clean Cotton

5. Christmas Cookie

6. Lilac Blossoms

7. Sparkling Cinnamon

8. Midsummer’s Night

9. Sage & Citrus

10. Spiced Pumpkin

If you a looking to buy a Yankee Candle, now is the best time to get one. The candle brand’s Semi-Annual Sale started on Dec. 26 and runs through January. You can get 50 percent, 60 percent, or even 75 percent off on select candles, including WoodWick and Chesapeake Bay.