Your boutique opens in six weeks. You want candles on the shelves, but you haven’t seen which fragrances your customers will buy. Do you order an existing range or put your own name on the jar? The answer affects how much cash you tie up, what you need to approve and how easily you can reorder.
Start with the job the candles need to do. If you need a range to stock or test, ask for the wholesale catalogue. If your brand has to appear on the finished product, ask about private label. If the launch is close, send your required delivery date with the first message so the supplier can tell you what is realistic.
Jump to: compare the options · calculate unit cost · check a sample · copy a supplier brief
Decide in three questions
- Whose name must be on the candle? If the supplier’s range can go straight on your shelf, request wholesale terms. If it must carry your name or your client’s logo, request a private label quote.
- What is fixed for the first delivery? Write down your delivery date, the number of candles you need and the total amount you can commit. Ask which designs and branding options fit all three.
- What do you need to learn? If you are testing demand, choose a small number of distinct scents and track sales by scent. If customers already ask for your own product, start with a branded sample and a written reorder plan.
Wholesale vs private label at a glance
When you order a wholesale candle collection, you buy a design and specification the supplier already offers. It may be available from stock or produced to order, so check availability before planning a launch. With private label, you order candles that carry your own brand. The supplier may be able to use an existing jar and fragrance with your label, or quote a wider set of changes if you need them.
| Decision | Wholesale collection | Private label |
|---|---|---|
| Brand on the jar | Confirm how the range is supplied and whether it can be resold as supplied. | Approve your brand artwork and where it appears. |
| First order | Check quantities per scent and whether you can mix the range. | Check minimums per size, scent, print design and box. |
| Approvals | Review an existing finished sample. | Review the finished sample and artwork before production. |
| Reorders | Ask what happens if a bestseller runs out. | Ask which components and artwork can be repeated. |
When wholesale is a good first order
Choose an existing collection if your first question is which scents or sizes your customers will buy. For a concept store, a focused range makes it easier to see what sells and why.
Ask which fragrances can be ordered together, how the products arrive and which styles are likely to remain available for a reorder. Browse the Happahee Classic Line for a visual reference and ask separately about trade availability and terms.
When a private label order makes sense
Private label is a better fit if the candle is part of your own collection, needs to carry a client logo, or must match the rest of a gift set.
Decide what customers will notice first: the fragrance, the jar, the label or the box. If your priority is a recognisable label, an existing vessel and fragrance may meet the brief. If your retail concept depends on a specific finish, include a reference and check availability early.
Ask what the supplier means by custom
List what you expect to change. A quote for a standard candle with a sticker is different from a quote for a printed jar, custom fragrance or printed box. Ask for separate prices for the parts that matter so you can see which choices affect the budget and timeline.
Which option fits your business?
A boutique testing demand
A buyer wants a small opening range with a fresh scent, a floral and a woody option. Start by asking for existing fragrances that can be reordered, then check whether the supplier can quote a mixed range.
Set a review point after launch. If customers repeatedly choose the same scent family and ask for something exclusive to the shop, that is a reason to sample private label.
A gift agency preparing a client order
If the client needs their logo on every candle, brief it as private label even if you choose a standard jar and scent. Give the supplier the delivery date, the carton or gift box dimensions, and the exact number of finished gifts. If you need a second item in the box, see the candle and reed diffuser gift set guide for packaging and sample checks.
A hotel restocking a gift shop
Wholesale may suit a shop that rotates products from several brands. Private label may suit a hotel that wants a candle guests can recognise as part of its own collection.
In either case, ask how quickly your first three bestsellers can be replenished. For a private label range, also ask what happens if a jar, lid or fragrance becomes unavailable.
Build a first order you can actually manage
Start with the number of weeks you want to cover, then estimate sales for each scent. Include display testers if your shop needs them. Keep testers and stock for sale separate when you compare quotes.
Example: a boutique with three scents
Say your working estimate is five candles per week for each scent and you want four weeks of stock. That is 20 saleable candles per scent, or 60 in total. With one tester per scent, your brief calls for 63 candles. This is an inventory example. Ask the supplier what they can supply at that quantity and whether testers are priced separately.
If a supplier quotes a minimum of 100 per scent, three scents mean 300 units. A minimum of 100 per order with mixed scents gives you a different starting point. Ask for the minimum in writing before comparing unit prices.
Find out what can share one production run
For private label, ask whether different fragrances can share the same jar, print design and box. Then ask what changes if each scent needs a different printed jar or carton. Get the answer broken down by size, scent, branding and packaging so you can see which choice creates a new minimum.
Compare the cost per finished candle
Ask for the cost of the finished unit, then add any delivery, artwork and sample costs you will actually pay. Compare both quotes on the same tax basis and check whether the price includes the box, label and packing.
For retail, use the selling price you expect to receive after discounts.
Lumina candle prices for 300+ units per size
The published base price includes the jar, lid, soy wax, standard wick and one base fragrance. Prices are in AED and exclude VAT.
| Candle size | Base price per candle |
|---|---|
| 100 ml | AED 70 |
| 200 ml | AED 90 |
| 300 ml | AED 110 |
Worked example: 300 branded 200 ml candles
- 200 ml candle: AED 90
- Sticker label on the jar: AED 5
- Kraft box: AED 5
- Sticker on the box: AED 5
AED 105 per finished candle × 300 units = AED 31,500 excluding VAT.
If you choose a one-colour print on the jar and a printed box instead, the published price is AED 120 per candle, or AED 36,000 for 300 units excluding VAT. Confirm the final specification and any project-specific charges in your quote. See the Lumina private label price list for the full breakdown.
Calculate the first order and the reorder separately
A one-time artwork charge may disappear on a reorder, but freight or component prices can change. Ask the supplier for a repeat-order estimate. Also compare your total spend: 300 lower-priced candles can require more cash upfront than a smaller batch with a higher unit cost.
Put supplier quotes side by side
Send the same brief to each supplier. Ask them to itemise the order so you can tell why one quote is higher.
- Quantity: finished units per scent, per size and in total. Include any testers or spare units separately.
- Price: unit price and total, plus branding, samples, artwork, packaging, delivery and tax treatment.
- Timeline: sample date, artwork approval deadline, production start and arrival date. Ask which steps must happen before the delivery estimate applies.
- Reorders: repeat-order minimum, lead time and what happens if the original jar, box or fragrance is unavailable.
- Receiving: how cartons are marked and who to contact if a batch arrives damaged or differs from the approved sample.
Check a sample the way your customer will use it
- On the shelf: Can someone read the scent name and identify the size without lifting the jar?
- In the box: Does the lid stay in place and does the candle fit snugly enough for your normal handling and dispatch?
- During use: Follow the supplier’s instructions and assess whether the fragrance and appearance suit your audience. Ask which product specifications the sample represents.
- After approval: Save the product specification and approved artwork alongside the quote. Use them as a reference when the first batch arrives or you place a reorder.
Before you approve a branded order, compare the actual label or print with your artwork. Check the smallest type and test whether the packaging fits the display shelf or gift bag you already use.
Keep one record of what you approved
Save a photo of the approved sample and note the fragrance name, jar and lid, label version and box. For a retail order, check that the pack and case quantities match your stock system. For an agency project, share the approved reference with the person receiving and assembling the gifts.
Set a reorder point before the first delivery
If a candle sells at around 12 units per week and replenishment takes three weeks, you expect to sell about 36 while the next batch is on the way.
Reorder point: 12 units × 3 weeks + 12 spare units = 48 saleable units.
Adjust that number if the supplier has a minimum, demand changes or your launch is seasonal. Count by scent so a slow-moving fragrance doesn’t hide a bestseller running low.
Copy this brief when requesting prices
We are buying candles for [store, gifting project or hospitality business] in [emirate]. Please quote [existing wholesale collection / candles with our own label] for [total units and units per scent or size]. We prefer [fragrance direction], [jar size or finish] and [box or other packaging]. Our target cost per finished candle is [AED], and we need delivery to [location] by [date]. Please confirm availability, the minimum per design or scent, sample costs, what the quote includes, and the lead time for both the first order and a repeat order.
For an existing collection, request the Lumina wholesale catalogue. If your name needs to appear on the product, share your brief and artwork through our private label candle service in Dubai.
Frequently asked questions
Are wholesale candles always ready to ship?
No. A wholesale range may have standard designs but still be produced to order. Ask which scents are available, when the full quantity can be dispatched and whether you can reserve stock.
Can I add my logo to an existing candle design?
Ask whether the supplier offers a label or packaging option on an existing vessel and scent. Confirm minimum quantities and check the branded sample before committing.
Can I mix scents in my first order?
It depends on the range and branding method. Request a written breakdown of the minimums per scent, vessel and printed design, and confirm whether they can be combined.
How do I decide whether a custom box is worth it?
Compare the finished samples with and without a custom box. If the standard box fits your display or gift bag and has room for your branding, ask for both quotes and decide how much the extra packaging adds to the experience.
Can I start wholesale and switch to private label later?
Yes, you can use the first order to learn what customers buy, then brief a branded range. Treat the switch as a new order with its own minimums, sample approval and timeline.