The condition of your candle-making material can impact the quality of your end product. Proper storage can prevent damage to your materials and improve the appearance and scent of your candles. Here are some tips for storing wholesale candle supplies:
Choose the Right Storage Space
Keeping your candle-making supplies organized and in good condition contributes to the quality of your final product. Here are some elements to consider when choosing the right storage space for managing your wholesale candle supplies:
Temperature and Humidity
Temperature and humidity can impact the shelf-life of your wholesale candle supplies. High temperatures can cause your candles to sweat and reduce their quality and effectiveness. A cold environment can lead to them becoming brittle and changing their color. Store your candle supplies in an area with consistent temperatures and humidity levels. You can store them in a cool, dry basement or a climate-controlled room.
Shelving and Organization
Use wire or wooden shelves to store your candle wax, molds, wicks, and other candle-making supplies. Avoid using shelves made of materials susceptible to heat, as they can cause damage to your products. You can use plastic bins to organize and label your supplies appropriately. Avoid setting containers on the floor. Things like flooding can cause damage to boxes, and pests can more easily access your materials and infect your supply.
Accessibility
When finding a place to store your items, look for somewhere that is easy to access. This allows you to quickly find what you need, giving you more time to work on your candle-making. You can group items according to their purpose or frequency of use to make the most of your available space. Adding labels to the storage containers or shelving allows you to quickly find the materials you need.
Use Airtight Containers
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Categorize Your Supplies
Categorizing your candle supplies can help you keep track of your inventory, save time during production, and prevent materials from getting mixed up. You can categorize your supplies by type—waxes, wicks, fragrances, dyes, and containers—and clearly label each category. This keeps your workspace organized and ensures you use the correct materials for each candle.
Consider using a tracking system that logs when supplies are used or restocked. You can use a stock keeping unit number (SKU) to organize by type of material. Lengths of wicks, types of dyes, and types of waxes can all have different SKUs. SKUs provide the ability to more easily count your inventory. You can customize the SKUs to meet your specific needs.
Sorting by type of inventory is another way to easily categorize your supplies. Separate the raw materials from the projects in progress and the finished products. This reduces confusion between what materials are available for use and which are not.
Rotate Your Stock
Rotating your stock means first in, first out (FIFO). Your old stock should be used before breaking into your new supplies. This will prevent your materials from becoming stale or unusable. Periodically update your records and move older supplies to the front of the storage area, ready for use. Check your glassware, bottles, molds, and other supplies to make sure they have no cracks or tears that can affect your candle-making.
Secure Your Inventory
If you make your candles in a store, you’ll want to keep your candle supplies secure to avoid accidental damage or theft. You can use plastic containers or storage bins inside shelving units to keep them safe and also protect the quality of the supplies. For any fragile items, consider including a packing material in the storage containers to prevent shifting. It is also advisable to lock your storage area if you run a home business to protect your supplies from family members or pets. If you are storing your supplies in a self-storage unit, choose a company with climate-controlled rooms and indoor storage options.
Monitor Your Inventory
Regularly inspect the condition of your candle supplies to prevent unexpected issues when they’re needed. Maintain a clean and organized storage area, free from dust, moisture, and other potential hazards. Moisture can invite mold and mildew, which will ruin your supply. If you have any metal containers, check for rust as well. Make sure to check on your materials’ expiration dates and discard older supplies to avoid contaminating other items in the storage area.
Conduct Regular Audits
Regular audits can help you keep track of inventory levels, spot slow-moving items, and identify any purchasing trends that will help with future buying decisions. Scents, colors, and design trends can change each year, and while you want your candles to be unique, it also helps to know what your buyers will want.
Time Your Restocking
If business is booming, you may be going through your stock faster than expected. You should track how fast raw materials are being used for your products and how long it takes for the supplies to be replaced once you have sent an order to your supplier. One option to ensure you never run out of stock is to purchase buffer supplies. These act as emergency supplies if you receive an unexpected number of orders. Extra supplies can be especially helpful around holidays.
Find Wholesale Candle Supplies Today
There are many different ways of making sure your candle-making supplies stay safe and up to date. Check their expiration dates, and put the oldest supplies near the front to use them first. Store your items in cool, dry spaces to keep them from melting or getting damaged. When you need new supplies, find a bulk supplier that can help keep your storage stocked and ready to go.
