Wholesale

***WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING WHOLESALE APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME. IN THE EVENT WHOLESALE IS REOPENED, WE WILL REMOVE THIS NOTE.***

Let's start with why we offer wholesale... Are you familar with the wholesale process?  Basically, the business making the product takes the cost of that product and doubles or triples it, and sells it to a third party who then sells it at a profit.  The selling price is optional for the vendor, but generally, it is best to keep everything fairly in alignment with the suggested pricing from the maker (check what we have on the website). Right now, we do not triple our manufacturing costs, we basically double it and add a dollar or so. If a company is large, they often can buy their supplies in larger and larger quantities, so the actual cost to the maker is lower.  In our case, we are a very small maker, so although we do buy in the smallest bulk quantity required to order overseas, our costs are still pretty significant. We look forward to our growth and a future time when costs can come down. This being said, we are offering wholesale as a form of marketing and to increase exposure, as our profits are very very low. If we were to look at what we make on a typical order, sometimes what we profit comes out to less than $30 a day, because making candles correctly is labor intensive much more than the average person realizes. We still get excited about going into new stores, and just because the profit margin is temporarily smaller doesn't mean we don't appreciate our wholesale customers or don't want to offer wholesale.  To the contrary, we have formed relationships that are invaluable and treasured by us with our wholesale partners. I think of it as growing pains. It's simply a part of the business journey.

Why Do We Buy Our Vessels From Overseas?

After a lot of research, it turns out the amber glass we prefer to make our candles in is not manufactured here in the U.S.A. At least not to our knowledge.  When you see the vessels offered through U.S. suppliers, they are ordering the vessels from China to sell to the U.S. makers. So, it's not just a cost issue. There are only a few manufacturers in the U.S. of clear glass and clear glass has its issues in candle making, as well as U.S. manufacturers historically having supply shortages. In spite of this, we are working on developing products in clear glass so we can proudly say, made in the U.S.A.! However, then we have to look at where the wicks come from, etc., etc.  It goes on and on. Wouldn't it be great if the USA could get our manufacturing game up and running again? 

 

Here are a few things to consider when you contact us regarding wholesale ordering.

Application

There will be a few questions from us about your needs, your business, and where the business is located.  We will exercise our right to use discretion about whether or not we can enjoy a mutually beneficial business arrangement, and about the distance between each location and soft territories. We will ask you to sign off on the terms outlined below. We ship only to the continental U.S. and due to the many freight forwarding scams out there, we do not use customers' freight forwarders.

Display Requirements, Social Media & List of Locations

We do not get super involved in how you display our products, but, it goes without saying that great displays really get the customers' attention. If you are a new vendor, we are happy to help out with this as much as possible.  If you need and want help or advice - just ask! Please send us photos of your beautiful displays to feature on the website and social media. We love to help promote your business, and if appropriate, appreciate any links back to our website as well. As one of our wholesale vendors, you will be listed on the "Locations & Links" page of our website as a location where our product may be found. We will also from time to time repost some of your posts on our page to help promote your business.

QR Codes

 Our QR Codes will be placed on the back of each candle enabling the customer to scan the label with their smart phone. This QR code will lead them to the product page on our website which will answer any questions they may have regarding the materials the candles are made with and fragrance notes as well as give them access to safety instructions on our website. This label is mandatory because not only do we need the extra exposure to be successful as a business, but also, the customer having access to our safety instructions online is an extra layer of precaution.

Gift Boxes

We do not offer the black gift boxes we send out to our website customers with our wholesale orders.  So, if a customer asks about it, that is what they are referring to. If you would like gift boxes to go with your candles, please let us know and we will prepare a quote. Just be aware we do not always have enough of these in stock, so let us know well in advance if you need them, and we may require payment in advance since they are not a normal wholesale item.

MOQ's & Order Frequency

There is a 24-candle minimum order quantity if you are committing to order from us at least every four months for new accounts. You can cancel at any time. We have the option to cancel if you are not ordering at least every four months. 

If you are placing a one-time wholesale order, the minimum order is 100 candles. We really only want to offer wholesale pricing to businesses who order 24 or more candles on a repeated and regular basis, but understand that there might be a charity event, business event, etc. where we can help out. We're not really in the business of providing discounted candles what with a supply crisis going on and shipping increases. We want to preserve our vessels for our loyal customers unless it's a larger order. We hope you'll understand the challenges. If you have a very large order, as long as there is plenty of time, we should be able to accommodate. Keep in mind, we may need time for an overseas supply order.

Other Ordering Requirements

Right now, we are pouring in batches of 5 to 10 candles per pot (per fragrance).  We request that you order up to 5 or up to 10 candles per fragrance unless you really really need to order odd amounts. It seems as though right now, 6 of each fragrance is the average order. If you order 6, we are going to pour 10. We can find a home for the rest of the candles in the batch if you order that way. Some vendors just order four candles per fragrance, that is fine. We recommend four as a minimum for each fragrance, but you decide what works for your needs.  Your displays and space may dictate another number, so we leave minimum per fragrance open.

Wholesale Products

At the present time, our 7 oz. amber candles are the only product we offer for wholesale.  If the candle fragrance is on the website, it is available for wholesale unless it is limited edition or is discontinued by the supplier.  As to the other products, we would like to offer them in the future, and will announce it when the time comes.  

Ordering, Payment & Taxes for Small Businesses

Once we've agreed to proceed, we will provide the tax information you need (W-9) and you can e-mail or text us your order.  We will e-mail an invoice to you, which you can pay online, many forms of payment are offered, and we may be able to accept Shop Pay in the future on wholesale orders (checking on ways to do this and other things to make your life easier). 

Due to the wholesale discount you will be receiving, a handling fee equal to the amount of your debit/credit card fees will be added to your invoice to compensate us for the fees we are paying. So, we can discuss your method of payment and find out how much that will be ahead of time and let you know. This allows us to tailor the fee to you and your form of payment rather than just having to up the cost of the candle to the most expensive fee for everyone. For example, Venmo has a much lower fee than most other payment processors, and we do accept Venmo.

We also accept cash in person on deliveries and pick ups in which case no fee to cover payment processing would be required. All our earnings are reported to the IRS, but you are responsible for business tax reporting on your end. You will be provided a receipt for payment on each order regardless of payment method. With wholesale, we sell to you at a discount and do not charge you tax, because you are charging the end customer tax according to the applicable laws in your state and county tax rates.  There is no double taxation with sales tax, that is why we do not charge you tax. Please consult with your tax accountant or preparer. We are not responsible for any errors in your tax accounting. We'll need a copy of your tax certificate for our files with your EIN number on it. Without this, we will have to charge you tax on the order.

Other Small Business Payment Terms

Our terms for small businesses are C.O.D. via online payment. We ask that you pay any time up to but no later than the day of delivery on orders up to 36 candles.  On orders over 36 candles, payment will be due either at the time of ordering, or half when you submit the order and the remaining half on the day of delivery. For established vendors who have been with us a year or more, we will accept payment on up to 100 candles on the day of delivery. Over 100 candles, we ask for half up front from established vendors.

We sometimes accept checks on the day of delivery from established vendors. Due to the fact that we are a small business and cannot absorb losses easily, that option is not available until you've been a vendor with us for at least one year and is up to our discretion. As we grow, it is possible that NET 30 terms may be offered, but not at the present time.

Larger Business Entities Ordering & Payment

The process is pretty much the same.  We will provide our W-9 and submit an invoice which is due by check as soon as possible after the product is delivered.  We will discuss up front how long it takes your business to process payments and go from there. We do accept checks from larger reputable business entities. We do not accept NET 30 or more from large entities unless a prior arrangement has been made! If there is a problem with payment, the contact for the company must coordinate with their accounting department.  We are a very small business and time does not allow us to deal with these matters. We need our payments before the next delivery will be made.

Returned Checks

Returned checks will be subject to the actual fee charged by the bank at the time and proper payment must be made immediately. The second time a vendor has a returned check, cash or a credit/debit card payment at the time of ordering will be required from that point onward. If there is ever a charge back then the wholesale relationship will be terminated, and the payment is still due.

Order Processing Time

Our turn around time for wholesale orders is up to 14 business days for up to 80 candles.  It does not matter if your order is 24 candles or 80 candles, we have 14 business days.  Depending on other factors, it may or may not take that long. Over 80 candles, and we will need to discuss and agree upon the turn around time. Right now, we are a one-person show (my husband sometimes can help with deliveries). Remember, we have website customers and several locations to service already.  That being said, if you have an emergency, always ask because we want to help, there's just a lot going on. We are working to find ways to speed up our production time, and would love to get it down to 2 business days, just not there yet! We realize you need your product, but please do not order in emergency mode, try to anticipate your needs and order well in advance.  You will not have to pay with most orders until delivery is made. We can sometimes make partial deliveries if it is a matter of keeping your store full if a part of the order is completed.

Delivery

We are very flexible about minimum order quantities with our established vendors, especially if you are picking up.   When delivery is required over 20 miles from 32082, there will be a flat $10 delivery fee plus .60 cents per mile on every mile over the 20 miles. If your store is located 20 miles or less from 32082, there is no delivery fee. When we deliver, the order count form must be signed off on by you or a trusted representative and checked for the correct quantity and number of fragrances at that time. Once the order is signed off on, no corrections will be made. If a problem is discovered at delivery, we will note it on the form and make the correction. Orders are triple checked before going out, but please make sure your employees are checking also.

Delivery Boxes

Our separated boxes that we deliver the candles in must be returned to us due to their recent price hike. You may borrow them (or not) to help with storage. If they are not being returned we will have to charge $3.96 per box. Each box holds 12 candles. If you want to pay extra for them and keep them, let us know and we'll add the cost to your invoice of $3.96 per box (this is our cost). The sign off sheet will note how many if any boxes were left. Due to a previous problem with the boxes, expect a charge on your next invoice of $3.96 per box if they are not returned. I don't know what to say about this other than profit margins on wholesale are very slim and it's either this or the prices have to go up.  We want to avoid this so please help out! They need to be delivered safely and this is the most secure transfer method for the candles. If you don't have room to store them, we will have to leave the candles wrapped individually at the drop off point (not as secure), or you will have to be available at the time of drop off to remove them and we will take the boxes away. This means I will have to be personally available to meet with you and we can't leave them somewhere like a receiving station or a reception desk, so delivery may take a little longer.

Shipping

The vendor/purchaser is responsible for paying all shipping fees. We can shop for the best rates, and discuss them with you, along with which shipping provider you prefer. Please note, we ship all candles from the 32082 zip code. We are not responsible for shipping carrier delays, but will help you to get to the bottom of where your package is. You will be responsible for filing insurance claims if needed. All shipments must have insurance and tracking. We will not make an exception on that, but don't worry, we do get some shipping discounts and will keep that expense as affordable as possible.

Refund Policy & Samples

We do not offer refunds on wholesale orders. That being said, please always come to us with issues. If there is a problem or an error, we will do our best to make it right. You can always order samples from the website (we will provide a discount code to confirmed vendors) or preferably, if possible, we can meet with you in person and bring full-sized candles of the fragrances you are interested in for you to open and experience the cold throw (not lit). This way you know in advance what to expect of the fragrances you order. If a candle isn't selling for whatever reason in your store, we will sometimes at your request and at our discretion (when local) swap out the candle for another fragrance. We want you to be successful and really appreciate your business. If you are one of our wholesale vendors, you are a valued partner! If you are a small business too, we know what you are going through and will do our best to work with you on different situations as needed.

Please message us if you have any questions that we have not covered here.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Get Started!

To get started, just e-mail us at wholesale@kinseyscandles.com, or fill out the form below.