In 2017, I began my candle making journey on the kitchen counter, making candle favours for my bridal shower. I realize now that I was winging’ it, as I could have (unknowingly) been giving fire hazards to my pals. But live and learn. My friends and family were raving about my candles for months after.
I didn’t think much of this initial success, until a couple years down the road when needing inspiration while feeling miserable at my desk job.
I began researching waxes, wicks, and fragrances. I found inspiration for my branding (noir for life), my scents (one of our best sellers, Italian spritz, was inspired by my favourite cocktail the Aperol Spritz) and my business model. Market Candle Company was born.
After mastering my formula, I began pouring and had fun with my new creations. I gifted them to fam and friends for testing and feedback, and with their nod of approval, I was comfortable enough to officially launch to the public.
I started with local markets in 2019, and managed to keep my biz going over the pandemic, with porch pickups and a friendly neighbourhood UPS driver picking up an absurd number of packages from my garage door.
After nearly four years, we’ve managed to grow from a soft-launch opening day of $400 in sales to being available in more than 100 stores across Canada and the US. We now have a 2,600 square foot production and order fulfillment facility, with a small showroom for in-person shopping, and a team of five gals that help me run the day-to-day!
I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty of my business operations, but will share a few tidbits about why I’m so proud of my candles!
1) They’re made with a pure soy wax. I experimented with several wax brands and blends, but landed on a pure soy wax with no additives or botanicals – not knocking any other brands! These candles burn slow and low, and are soft and subtle on the scent. They are not meant to overwhelm your entire home. After all, would you really want to be inhaling all that fragrance?
2) We only use high quality, perfume-grade, fine fragrance oils. You get what you pay for. Our fragrances are paraben and phthalate free – two of the biggest culprits in the industry that may be responsible for your fragrance sensitivity symptoms: headaches, nausea, etc. One of the favourite comments I’ve received is, “my partner usually hates my scented candles, but they really like yours!”
3) Our vessels are made of glass and are reusable. Our wax is water soluble, so once you’ve finished enjoying your candle (or had an unfortunate spill – lol), you can remove the excess wax and wick, and wash with soap and hot water. The jar is great for food, spices, knick knacks, or whatever makes you happy. Pro Tip: they are also ideal for chia seed pudding or as an overnight oats container.
4) Our fragrance products are all handmade in-house, and in small batches (we make more than candles). We try to keep everything in stock, but occasionally run out – which is the nature of small enterprises like ours. I still hand sew our car diffuser balls on the couch while watching my baby. Haven’t found a way to streamline it yet, and that’s ok!
We have a lot planned for this year, and were finally able to host our first workshops after postponing the initial round in early 2020 – and we love our friends at Vince’s for hosting us. There are more to come, so stay tuned!
We’ll also be launching new scents, new loyalty programs and rewards, and we’ve kicked off our Candle of the Month program, which is doing so well.
I’m proud of how far a little wax and wick has taken me – in my community and in learning how to run a business. I’m also proud of the product quality, our team, the space I’ve built, and the village of amazingly loyal humans that continues to support my candle dreams every day.
And I’m exceptionally grateful to contribute to our local economy and create a high quality, handmade product, right here in Newmarket.
I can’t wait to share more with you soon, but now – on World Candle Day – go ahead, spark up your favourite boujie, put your feet up, and enjoy!
— Shabi
