What originally started as a jewelry company in 1869, soon transformed into a beekeeping business after A.I. Root became fascinated with a swarm of bees that landed on the window of his Medina, Ohio, jewelry store. This moment led to the creation of Root Candles, a company synonymous with beekeeping, honey, pure beeswax, and high-quality candles. When the company decided to improve its sales strategy and tap into new markets, they turned to RangeMe, which ultimately opened the door to a deal with Albertsons.
The buzz about Roots Candles
Shortly after A.I. Root started his beekeeping business he began making candles. In 1928, Root Candles became one of the first candle makers in the country to manufacture candles for churches. When the 1960s and early 70s rolled around Root Candles shifted some of their focus from churches to creating decorative and fragrant candles. Today, the company makes candles for churches and homes across the United States that are filled with an all-natural blend of beeswax and essential oils for clean, long-lasting aromas available in a variety of decorative colors. Their most popular candle collections include Fair Trade, Dinner Candles, and Seeking Balance.
De-lighted with RangeMe
“Before RangeMe, we were working the phones trying to get to the right person, leaving numerous messages knowing only 10 percent of the time you might get a call back,” says James Turski, sales manager for Root Candles. “Now with RangeMe, it’s getting all the potential out there, starting with Submissions.”
With RangeMe, Turski has increased his ability to connect with retail buyers or category managers on and off the platform. “I always check Profile Insights and see who’s been checking out our products. If they don’t have a Submission open, I can easily go to their website or LinkedIn and try to make a connection there since I know Root Candles will be on their mind,” Turski explains.
A match made in (retail) heaven
After less than a year of using RangeMe, Turski received a message from an Albertsons category manager requesting more information from Root Candles. Turski decided to send samples in addition to the information and before he knew it, he was part of a category review in Boise, Idaho for Albertsons’ Candle Category Review. In Idaho, Turski was able to meet with the buyers and present their entire line of products, which resulted in landing in a total of 70 Albertsons stores including their banner stores Vons and Jewel Osco.
In addition to using RangeMe daily, Root Candles joined an essential oil category review held by ECRM for a national retail chain. From the program, Root Candles sparked the interest of buyers and Turski is looking forward to doing business with the connections he made at the event.
Guiding light advice
“My biggest piece of advice to other suppliers on RangeMe is to utilize all of RangeMe’s resources. Check your Profile and Industry Insights daily and take advantage of Submissions. Make sure you review open submissions and see where you think your brand might be successful. After you research more about the company and decide its a good retail fit, submit!” shares Turski.
Turski also suggests looping in your social media team when it comes to managing the images on your profile. “Our social media teammate does a fantastic job of making updates to our RangeMe profile. She makes sure all our images are cohesive across all digital platforms,” he says.
The future is bright
Root Candles may have been in business for 150 years but this fifth-generation family-owned business’s candles continue to burn strong. Turski shared that Root Candles has more opportunity to expand within the Albertsons umbrella and has some exciting deals coming up in the pipeline with new retailers from the help of RangeMe.
Want to apply what you learned from Root Candles? Explore open Submissions and your Profile Insights today.
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