Article: On the bright side: candles are a gift industry staple, and there's still plenty of room for sales growth. (Candles).

Candle sales are up. Over the past few years, that statement could have been taken for granted as the explosion of the popularity of candles turned them from a trend to a gift industry staple. But at a time when few segments of the industry can boast more than flat growth, it is great news for retailers.

According to Unity Marketing of Stevens, Pennsylvania, retail sales of candles for 2001 are projected to grow 8 percent to reach $2.5 billion. Much of this growth occurred in the wake of the events of last fall. In fact, the National Candle Association says that some of its members reported an increase in sales of as much as 20 percent during that period. While some of ...

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