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Our story is your story, too!
Christmas 1969 Sixteen-year-old Mike Kittredge, too broke to buy his mother a present, melts some crayons to create a homemade candle. A neighbor takes an interest and wants one of her own. With that small stake, Mike buys enough wax to make two candles — one for his mom, and another to sell.
Christmas 1969 Sixteen-year-old Mike Kittredge, too broke to buy his mother a present, melts some crayons to create a homemade candle. A neighbor takes an interest and wants one of her own. With that small stake, Mike buys enough wax to make two candles — one for his mom, and another to sell.
Sixteen-year-old Mike Kittredge, too broke to buy his mother a present, melts some crayons to create a homemade candle. A neighbor takes an interest and wants one of her own. With that small stake, Mike buys enough wax to make two candles — one for his mom, and another to sell.
Original Logo
Mike begins to design and handcraft candles in his family's kitchen. With his father's help, he opens a small retail shop — which will eventually lead to hundreds of retail stores and over 35,000 authorized retailers worldwide.
First Mail Order Catalog
All 12 employees of the company, now known as Yankee Candle, move into an old paper mill in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Our first scented apothecary candle jars hit the market. Early favorite fragrances include Bayberry, Cinnamon, Cranberry, Pine, and French Vanilla.
Yankee Candle is the big story at the Boston Gift Show. Retailers nationwide take notice and place large orders for their stores. The original Apothecary Jar launches.
Original South Deerfield, MA Store
We send out our very first mail order catalog. Today, we send out over six million catalogs featuring true-to-life fragrance samples.
We move our store to South Deerfield, MA, the busy crossroads for most auto traffic between New York and Vermont. Company sales reach $1 million.
The Yankee Candle factory follows to South Deerfield, and the flagship store adds unique specialty shops and eateries. Honeydew Melon debuts.
Hand-colored Labels
We introduce full-color printing on our labels (previously, every illustration was filled in by hand with colored pencils). Our first retail store outside of our factory store opens in Sturbridge, MA.
Our line of Housewarmer® Jar Candles, designed “for every room, for all occasions,” debuts.
First Retail Store Sturbridge, MA
An annual tradition begins! Santa makes his first helicopter arrival at the flagship store in South Deerfield.
The Bavarian Christmas Village opens in our South Deerfield store, helping to make it one of New England's most popular attractions.
We turn 25! Our factory moves to a larger home in Whately, MA. Home Sweet Home® and MidSummer’s Night® debut.
Chandler’s Restaurant opens its doors at our South Deerfield Village.
First Housewarmer® Jar Candles
We launch YankeeCandle.com, welcoming a new generation of customers and giving long-time fans a new way to shop. Annual sales pass $100 million.
Macintosh debuts.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchase Yankee Candle. Across the ocean we go to Bristol, England, where Yankee Candle International now serves customers in 24 countries. Christmas Cookie™ debuts.
Bavarian Christmas Village
Sage & Citrus debuts.
With over 1,000 candlemakers, we create more than 80 million Yankee Candles.
Car Jar® Air Fresheners debut.
In the wake of September 11, we donate thousands of candles for memorial services across the country.
Chandler's Restaurant
Clean Cotton® and Lilac Blossoms debut.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of our South Deerfield Village store, we open Santa’s Enchanted Village inside the store.
We enter the Home Fragrance market with our first plug-in diffusers. Balsam & Cedar debuts.
Yankee Candle® Factory
We open our second Yankee Candle® Village flagship store in Williamsburg, Virginia. Each Village store features 400,000 candles in over 200 different famous Yankee Candle scents.
Yankee Candle® Factory
In November, working hard to meet holiday demand, our team set a record by creating 1,054,182 Jar Candles in seven days! Vanilla Cupcake and Lemon Lavender debut.
For the second year in a row, the Country Music Awards names Yankee Candle the official candle of Country Music’s biggest night. Sun & Sand®, Mango Peach Salsa, Red Apple Wreath and Sparkling Cinnamon debut.
For the second year in a row, the Country Music Awards named Yankee Candle the official candle of Country Music’s biggest night.
Car Jar® Air Fresheners
Our Williamsburg Village Store celebrates its first wedding, taking place under the indoor snow shower that falls year-round.
We kick off our 40th birthday year with a fresh start, introducing our Good Air™ candles.Pineapple Cilantro debuts.
We kicked off our 40th birthday year with a fresh start, introducing our Good Air™ candles.
Yankee Candle becomes the #1 premium scented candle in the United Kingdom. Yankee Candle® Fundraising helps generate over $15 million for more than 12,000 local and national groups.
Williamsburg Village
We open our first company-owned retail stores in Canada. Pink Sands™ and Bahama Breeze™ debut.
We open our first company-owned retail stores in Canada.
Yankee Candle joins Jarden Corporation’s portfolio of leading branded companies.
The Scenterpiece™ Easy Melt Cup system debuts.
Good Air™ Collection
The Yankee Candle Company hits $1 billion in sales for the year. We now produce over 200 million candles per year. Sales of Personalized Photo Candles reach $1 million in the first year they’re offered. Yankee Candle Home Inspiration and the Girl Scouts Cookies® candle collection dubets
Jarden (and Yankee Candle) is acquired by Newell Brands. We begin rolling out our new logo and an updated, removable label design. Our first national TV ad campaign airs. To keep up with the growing demand of fans across the globe, we open our first production plant overseas, in the Czech Republic. Charming Scents debuts.
Scenterpiece™ Easy Melt Cup System
Newell Brands acquires Smith Mountain Industries, makers of the WoodWick® brand of candles. Personalized Candles and Charming Scents debut.
The all-new Signature Collection launches.
Yankee Candle employs more than 6,000 skilled, dedicated workers around the world. Our candles and accessories can be found in a nationwide base of hundreds of company-owned retail stores and at Authorized Yankee Candle® Retailers throughout the United States.
