On Page: Yankee Candle
January, 1970 by
Yankee Candle started out of desperation during the 1969 holiday season. Young Mike Kittredge did not have money to buy a present for his mother so he did the next best thing; he made one for her. From those humble but heart-warming beginnings a candle empire emerged. Currently, 6 million Yankee Candle catalogs are mailed out per year. There are nearly 500 Yankee Candle stores and the majority of the product lines are also carried in other retail stores as well.
Yankee Candle is a driving force behind a number of charities including the United Way, the American Cancer Society and charities involving the military and military families. Yankee Candles are also sold in fundraising events across the country with groups getting to keep up to 40% of the profits for their group.
In addition to the obvious candles, Yankee Candle sells wax melts and burners, car scents and candle accessories. Another recent addition are the flameless candles that look like the real deal but are much safer to deal with.