
Yankee Candle is owned by Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL), a publicly traded American consumer goods company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Yankee Candle became part of Newell through its 2015 merger with Jarden Corporation. Newell Brands reported approximately .4 billion in net sales for fiscal year 2025. Yankee Candle is a leading home fragrance brand sold in over 50 countries.
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Candle | Newell Brands Inc. | Wholly owned |
Yankee Candle was founded in 1969 by Michael Kittredge, a teenager in South Hadley, Massachusetts, who began making scented candles from leftover wax. Kittredge made his first candle as a Christmas gift for his mother, and neighbors soon began asking to buy his creations. What started as a home-based business grew into a retail operation, with Kittredge opening his first shop in South Hadley.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Yankee Candle expanded its product line and retail presence. The brand became known for its distinctive jar candles with peel-off foil lids, which became an iconic packaging format in the candle industry. Yankee Candle developed an extensive fragrance library, offering seasonal scents alongside year-round favorites, and established a reputation for strong, long-lasting fragrances.
The company opened its flagship store in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, which became a tourist destination featuring a candle-making museum, a Bavarian Christmas village, and extensive retail space. This flagship store helped build brand awareness and created a destination experience that differentiated Yankee Candle from mass-market candle brands.
In 1998, Yankee Candle was acquired by Forstmann Little & Company, a private equity firm, for approximately million. The company went public in 1999, trading on the NYSE under the ticker YCC. The IPO valued the company at approximately million and provided capital for expansion.
In 2007, Yankee Candle was acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners, another private equity firm, for approximately .4 billion. Under private equity ownership, the brand continued to expand its retail store count and product offerings, though growth slowed during the 2008-2009 recession.
In 2013, Jarden Corporation acquired Yankee Candle for approximately .75 billion. Jarden was a consumer goods conglomerate with a portfolio of brands including Mr. Coffee, Sunbeam, and Marmot. Under Jarden, Yankee Candle was integrated into Jarden's Branded Consumables segment.
In 2015, Newell Rubbermaid acquired Jarden Corporation in a deal valued at approximately billion, creating Newell Brands. Yankee Candle became part of Newell's Home Solutions segment. The merger created one of the largest consumer goods companies in the United States, with over 30 brands across multiple categories.
Under Newell's ownership, Yankee Candle has continued to innovate with new fragrances, product formats, and home fragrance solutions. The brand has expanded its wax melts line, introduced essential oil-based fragrances, and developed its Oui by Yankee Candle premium line. The brand has also expanded its e-commerce operations and direct-to-consumer channels.
What does Newell Brands own?
Newell Brands owns more than 20 major consumer brands including Sharpie (permanent markers), Rubbermaid (storage and organization), Graco (baby products), Coleman (outdoor and camping), Yankee Candle (scented candles), Calphalon (cookware), Crock-Pot (slow cookers), Paper Mate (writing instruments), NUK (baby feeding), and Contigo (insulated drinkware). The company sells products in more than 100 countries across writing, home organization, appliances, baby products, outdoor recreation, and home fragrance categories.
Is Newell Brands publicly traded?
Yes, Newell Brands Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol NWL. The company has been publicly traded for decades. Shares are owned primarily by institutional investors including index fund managers. The company has no controlling shareholder.
Who founded Newell Brands?
Newell Brands traces its origins to Edgar Newell, who founded the Newell Manufacturing Company in Ogdensburg, New York in 1903. The modern Newell Brands was formed through the 2016 merger of Newell Rubbermaid and Jarden Corporation. Jarden was itself led by Martin Franklin prior to the merger. Christopher Peterson serves as President and CEO as of 2025.
Where is Newell Brands headquartered?
Newell Brands is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The company moved its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia after the 2016 Jarden merger. Manufacturing and distribution operations span the United States, Mexico, China, Germany, and Australia, among other locations.
How many brands does Newell Brands own?
Newell Brands owns more than 20 major consumer brands. The company previously owned over 50 brands following the 2016 Jarden merger but divested more than 35 brands and businesses between 2018 and 2021 as part of a portfolio rationalization program. Current core brands include Sharpie, Rubbermaid, Graco, Coleman, Yankee Candle, Calphalon, NUK, Contigo, and First Alert, among others.
Who owns Newell Brands?
Newell Brands is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The largest shareholders are institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Global Advisors, which hold shares primarily through passive index funds. Individual shareholders and smaller institutional investors hold the remainder. Newell Brands has no parent company and is not owned by a private equity firm.
What is Newell Brands' revenue?
Net sales for FY2024 were approximately $7.7 billion, down from approximately $8.4 billion in FY2023. Revenue has declined from a peak of approximately $9.4 billion in FY2018, the year following the Jarden merger, as the company divested non-core brands and faced headwinds in several categories. The company's Ovation restructuring plan, launched in 2024, is intended to stabilize margins and return the business to organic growth.
Has Newell Brands faced any major controversies?
Newell Brands faced significant activist investor pressure in 2018 from Carl Icahn and Starboard Value, who criticized post-merger integration management and board governance. The company also disclosed material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting related to income tax accounting in 2022, which were subsequently remediated. No single product recall or regulatory action has been identified as material to the company's overall operations in recent annual filings.
Yankee Candle has implemented sustainability initiatives under Newell Brands' corporate framework, though the brand has not achieved independent certifications for most of its environmental claims. The brand's sustainability efforts focus on responsible ingredient sourcing, packaging innovation, and manufacturing efficiency.
Yankee Candle prioritizes sustainable wax sourcing, including increasing use of plant-based waxes such as soy and coconut wax blends alongside traditional paraffin wax. The company works with suppliers who follow sustainable agricultural practices. However, the brand has not publicly disclosed specific targets for renewable wax material percentages, and the majority of its standard candle line continues to use paraffin-based wax.
Yankee Candle has implemented packaging sustainability initiatives, including increasing recycled content in glass jars and paper packaging. The company's glass jars contain up to 35% recycled glass, and paper packaging is made from certified sustainable forest sources. Packaging is designed to be recyclable where possible.
Yankee Candle adheres to International Fragrance Association (IFRA) guidelines for fragrance safety. The company conducts testing to ensure fragrance safety and allergen compliance. However, the brand is not certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny or PETA, and has not publicly disclosed its animal testing policies in detail.
Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the environmental impact of paraffin wax candles, which are derived from petroleum. Paraffin candles produce soot and volatile organic compounds when burned. Yankee Candle has responded by increasing its use of sustainable wax alternatives and developing cleaner-burning formulations, though the transition away from paraffin has been gradual.
Yankee Candle has received recognition from home goods and fragrance industry organizations for innovation in scent development, product design, and consumer satisfaction. The brand's seasonal collections and limited edition fragrances frequently receive industry recognition.
Yankee Candle has been recognized by major retail partners including Target and Walmart for product excellence, supply chain reliability, and marketing innovation. These retail partner awards reflect the brand's strong retail relationships and market performance.
The brand has received multiple consumer choice awards and best of recognitions from lifestyle publications and consumer testing organizations for fragrance quality, burn performance, and overall product satisfaction. Yankee Candle's jar candle format has become an industry standard that competitors frequently emulate.
Yankee Candle has maintained a relatively clean safety record compared to many consumer product brands. The brand has not faced major product safety recalls, though it has faced some concerns and competitive challenges.
Like all candle manufacturers, Yankee Candle has occasionally faced concerns about fire safety and proper usage. The company has responded by improving warning labels, usage guidelines, and safety education materials. The National Candle Association, of which Yankee Candle is a member, maintains safety standards for the candle industry.
A small number of consumers have reported allergic reactions to certain Yankee Candle fragrances. The company maintains fragrance safety standards and provides ingredient information to help consumers with sensitivities make informed purchasing decisions.
There have been isolated incidents of glass jars cracking or breaking during use, typically related to improper burning practices or temperature extremes. Yankee Candle has improved glass quality standards and usage instructions to minimize such incidents.
Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the environmental impact of paraffin wax candles and the overall sustainability of the home fragrance industry. Yankee Candle has responded by increasing its use of sustainable wax alternatives, though the majority of its standard line still uses paraffin-based wax. The brand has not faced regulatory action or formal greenwashing determinations related to these concerns.
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newell Brands | USA | 1888 | Premium | Global | All Genders |
Market Positioning: Yankee Candle competes with 1 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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