Scented Wax Melt Company Mistakes

Here is a list of mistakes that some wax companies (retail and vendor) make, and a "wish list" of things that wax companies should consider:

Non-standard clamshell shapes and sizes
The "standard" clamshell is the 2.2 to 2.5 oz rectangular hard plastic clamshell that measures around 4-1/8"H x 2-3/4"W, with 6 breakaway blocks. ScentSationals and Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart use the standard clamshell. These easily fit into the plastic trays that Walmart throws away at the end of the season to make room for new wax. However, the Walmart MainStays clamshells don't fit into these trays, since they're slightly wider. Other brands have their own sizes and shapes, like Village Candles with their new candle jar shaped clamshell, Colonial Candle with the oval clamshells, and Ashland Decor and Goose Creek Candles with the round clamshells. One standardized size and shape would make it much easier to store the wax, and then they could sell trays. Of course, this only applies to clamshells; there are many other types of wax packaging out there, such as round scent shots, bags, etc.

Holes in packaging
Some companies put holes in their scented wax packs so consumers can smell the scent without opening the package. But when scented wax is exposed to the air, the scent starts to dissipate within a few weeks or months.

 
Complicated packaging
Some brands use packaging that's difficult to open, or that doesn't close properly.

Smaller packages
A few months ago Mainstays (at Walmart) came out with a new 1.25 oz. clamshell, half the size of the normal sized clamshell, for half the price ($.99). This is brilliant, as it allows consumers to try scents at a very low price before deciding to buy more. And since the packages are smaller, there's less wax to store (some wax tends to lose its scent when stored for more than a few months). It's also a good marketing move, because you have to visit the store more often to get more wax. More companies should adopt the smaller size clamshell.

Storing or shipping loose wax in non-polypropylene bags
Any type of plastic bag other than polypropylene will suck the scent out of the wax. And any packaging that allows a lot of air to contact the wax (such as cloth or paper) is not much better than storing the wax without packaging at all; the scent will dissipate quickly.

Throw is just as important as scent
A good scent is useless if you can't smell it when it's melting. And if throw is fantastic, it's useless if the quality of the scent isn't good. More testing needs to be done in a variety of environments before the wax is sold to consumers, since there are many variables that can affect the throw (see Definitions page).

Get more adventurous with scents
Every wax company has its standard fruit, floral, and bakery scents. They all start to smell the same after awhile. More companies should experiment with scents and different combinations.

Not listing scent strength on their website
Some scents are stronger than others. Some people prefer weaker scents that don't take over their home, and some prefer "scent monsters". It would be good to know which scents are strong and which are weak, ideally on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the strongest.

Advertising and marketing
Scented wax companies need to get the word out about their products. When is the last time you saw an ad for scented wax? When I tell people about scented wax, they have no clue what I'm talking about.

More transparency about "exclusive" store brands
 I'd like to know what company manufactures brands that are exclusive to particular stores. I don't want to buy scents that I already have by the same company with just a different label, especially if that scent didn't have good throw.

Keep prices reasonable
 ScentSationals leads the way as far as value for your money. At $2 per clamshell at Walmart, it's the cheapest high quality retail wax out there. And 1oz. scent shots sold by vendors should remain around $1. A company that charges double for the same amount of wax cannot compete, especially if the wax is not as good.

---

If you'd like to view comments and participate in discussions about this review and others, please join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/scentedwaxretail.