Setbacks to Second Store Space: My Holiday Season Journey

This season has been a whirlwind, and I wanted to take a moment to share what’s been happening behind the scenes.

For many small candle makers, the months leading into Christmas are the busiest of the entire year, and this fall brought challenges I never expected.

In September, my markets were skyrocketing and at the same time, I ran into major supply issues when jars became nearly impossible to source. I’ve been slowly growing with better equipment and materials, so this was my first real test in scaling up.

Then in October, the wax manufacturer I’ve relied on since the beginning faced a tragic factory explosion in Kentucky. With supply suddenly cut off, I had no choice but to switch waxes just weeks before Christmas is something no maker ever plans for.

On top of that, I’ve been deep in a rebrand: new name, new jars, elevated labels, improved packaging, a 10L melter so I’m no longer double-boiling every batch, and work on standardizing soap sizes for next year. Those upgrades will fully roll out in 2026.

And in the middle of all of this, right when wholesale and holiday orders were going out, markets are every weekend, I got hit with a severe illness that knocked me flat for days.

Did I mention this business is my side job?

But there’s bright news, too: we’re expanding into a second retail space Local Craft Makers at Central City Mall in Surrey starting December 1st.

I’m still deciding what the long-term retail plan will look like, but I’m grateful for every step forward.

Thank you for your patience, support, and belief in handmade. It truly keeps this small business going.