Many product-based business owners unintentionally limit their growth because they are pricing their products for online retail only. When wholesale, private label, and white-label opportunities aren’t considered from the beginning, entire revenue streams are left on the table.

This happens most often when business owners focus on maximizing margin per item and, in some cases, overprice their products. As a result, retailer-friendly and wholesale pricing never enter the conversation.

Because products are priced at higher price points—and ingredients, supplies, and equipment are not sourced strategically—many brands find themselves unable to offer attractive wholesale pricing to retailers and boutique owners.

I see this frequently with candle companies. Owners often want to sell candles for $25, $30, $40, $50, or more. There is nothing wrong with those prices if you are truly operating in the luxury or high-end premium market or if you plan to sell to luxury retailers. However, most candle business owners are selling to small boutiques whose customers are not shopping for luxury-priced candles.

A Quick Reality Check About “Luxury”

Here’s an important tip: just because you say your product is luxury doesn’t mean it actually is.

Many business owners present basic products, images, descriptions, packaging, and customer experiences while calling their brand “luxury.” What’s often missing are the refined packaging details, polished branding and marketing materials, and the elevated, timeless aesthetic that true luxury brands consistently deliver.

If you genuinely want to build a luxury candle brand, study luxury car, watch, hotel, and fashion or accessory brands. Use their visual identity, packaging, storytelling, and customer experience as inspiration and benchmarks.

How to Make Your Candle Line More Attractive to Retailers After Pricing Mistakes

If you’ve already priced yourself into a corner, you still have options.

Option 1: Create a Separate Wholesale or Private-Label Line

Develop a second candle line specifically for wholesale, white-label, or private-label customers. These candles can be smaller and made with more affordable ingredients, supplies, and packaging, while still being sturdy and good quality.

This approach allows you to lower production costs because of reduced size and simpler components, making your wholesale pricing align with retailer budgets.

Option 2: Rework Your Sourcing and Cost Structure

Look for new suppliers and manufacturers. Source quality ingredients at better price points or swap to more affordable options that produce similar results.

For example, you may be able to switch to a different wax base that costs less but performs the same. You can also look for more affordable shipping supplies and packaging.

Once your costs are reduced, rework your pricing using the new ingredient, supply, and packaging costs to create a wholesale-friendly price structure.

Option 3: Increase Your Purchasing Budget and Buy in Bulk

If you’re satisfied with your current suppliers, another option is to increase your purchasing volume.

Many suppliers and manufacturers offer significant discounts for bulk orders. The lower your cost per unit, the more margin you can build into your prices without raising retail or wholesale prices.

The cheaper it is to produce your product, the easier it becomes to price competitively while still protecting your profit.

Option 4: Combine Multiple Strategies

Your best solution may be a combination of the first three options.

Many new entrepreneurs believe the fastest way to increase revenue is to raise prices. In reality, that strategy eventually prices you out of the market.

Large corporations understand how to protect margins through sourcing, manufacturing efficiencies, and volume discounts. Some companies combine these strategies and raise prices, but that level of greed isn’t something I recommend.

Be fair to your customers. When customers feel the pricing is reasonable and your quality is consistent, they’ll continue shopping with your business.

Why Supplier and Manufacturer Research Is Critical

One of the most overlooked growth strategies is thorough research.

Do not rely on a single supplier or assume your current pricing is the best available. An in-depth internet search should always be part of your sourcing process. Compare multiple vendors, request quotes, review minimum order quantities, request samples, and calculate shipping.

It’s also important not to rely solely on ChatGPT or AI tools to do this research for you. While AI can be helpful, it often misses or overlooks obvious suppliers, niche vendors, or regional manufacturers that don’t rank well in search results.

Finally, talk to other business owners in your industry. Referrals are one of the best ways to find reliable suppliers and manufacturers. Other entrepreneurs can tell you who they trust, who to avoid, and where the best pricing and quality actually come from.

Bottom line:

If you want your candle business to scale, wholesale pricing and retailer relationships must be part of your long-term strategy.

That means:

• Pricing with wholesale in mind
• Sourcing ingredients and supplies strategically
• Understanding what true luxury branding looks like
• Researching suppliers thoroughly
• Building fair, sustainable pricing structures

When you get these pieces right, you open the door to consistent wholesale orders, stronger retail partnerships, and long-term growth.

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