Air fresheners gain popularity

That includes candles, which account for roughly $2 billion of the total market, as well as air fresheners, diffusers, aromatherapy products and scented rocks, considered the next generation of potpourri. That’s not to mention ScentPods, stick scents, flameless candles and “scent stories.” Sniff again: That’s the match lit under the home-fragrance market. The industry owes its transformation in the past 15 years in large part to Harry Slatkin, New York City-based home-design president of Limited Brands Ltd. and founder of Slatkin and Co. Slatkin’s name is linked to new scents for candles, higher-end oils and room sprays with the cachet of the Hollywood celebrity, socialite and even British royalty. He’s managed to enhance his products’ aura of luxury, style and links with charitable giving, while still maintaining relatively affordable prices: A high-end line starts around $28 at Nieman-Marcus, with other candles and $10 “scent ports” at Bath & Body Works. Smell that? There’s something expensive in the air. The humble air freshener has been outclassed by a new breed of designer- and celebrity-inspired scented candles, scent sticks and diffusers. And they don’t come cheap. Juicy Couture is offering a scented candle in a goblet for $350. Jo Malone’s “living cologne” spray costs $95. Bond No. 9 has a “Wall Street” candle for $78. With so much scent wafting about, American consumers are putting their money where their nose is. They are sniffing out chic combinations such as bergamot tea, jasmine, amber and musk – and spending an estimated $9 billion in the home-fragrance market. “Male, female, doesn’t matter the age. … Everyone uses home fragrance now,” Slatkin said in a phone interview from Paris. “It’s to create pleasure for yourself. It doesn’t matter what your home looks like or whether you did the dishes, but when you light a candle, it instantly turns on a different ambience, and it changes your mood.” When it comes to candles, buyers are led by the nose. About 80 percent of all candles sold in the United States are cented. Nearly half of all American women say they use candles to decorate and refresh their homes. These days, they’ve got a dizzying array of choices. There’s a growing market for “premium” candles, and the airwaves are also flooded with ads for home fresheners with mass market appeal, including Glade and Febreze products. But the biggest innovations have been in electronic and eco-friendly categories. Flameless candles run on batteries,. Sleek “scent ports” plug in to electrical outlets. Soy and beeswax candles from renewable resources are gaining popularity, as are nonburning scent diffusers, which use sticks to disperse the scent. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! read more