Yankee Candle to Close 20 Stores Across North America, with 900 Jobs on the Line
Yankee Candle, the long-standing Massachusetts-based candle maker known for shipping its scented products from its Western Massachusetts roots for more than five decades, will shutter 20 stores across the United States and Canada. The parent company, Newell Brands, headquartered in Atlanta, announced the closures alongside a broader workforce reduction.
In addition to the store closures, Newell Brands disclosed plans to lay off about 900 employees across all its brands, accounting for roughly 10 percent of its professional and clerical staff. The move marks another setback for Yankee Candle, which has faced months of weaker sales that leadership has partly attributed to tariff pressures.
US-based layoffs are expected to occur by year’s end, according to the company.
Historically rooted in Massachusetts since its 1969 founding in South Hadley and later move to Deerfield in 1983, Yankee Candle remains a recognizable brand with 15 retail locations in Massachusetts, including the flagship Yankee Candle Village in Deerfield, as well as its production and distribution facilities. The brand also operates nine stores in New Hampshire and three in Rhode Island, though the company did not specify which locations will close.
The retailer is especially renowned for its seasonal scents, with popular holiday offerings such as Mistletoe and Red Apple Wreath.
Newell did not provide a list of the specific stores affected by the closures. A spokesperson declined to share store-level details on Tuesday.
A Newell representative framed the move as a strategic adjustment: “This change represents roughly one percent of the brand’s sales and reflects our ongoing effort to align with how consumers shop today.”
Financially, the company expects the cuts to deliver annual savings in the range of $110 million to $130 million once fully implemented. Severance and other restructuring costs are projected to total between $75 million and $90 million.
Newell CEO Chris Peterson framed the plan as a disciplined step to boost efficiency, sharpen strategic focus, and drive more consistent performance, with the ultimate aim of delivering greater value for consumers and sustained long‑term value for shareholders.
The store closures follow a pattern of contractions for Newell and Yankee Candle, including a 2024 decision to reduce 100 jobs at its Deerfield distribution facility as part of adapting to a hybrid work environment, with some employees relocated to other local corporate offices.
Yankee Candle stores constitute a substantial portion of Newell’s global footprint, accounting for about 90 percent of its property portfolio, according to the company’s latest annual report.
Newell reported a 7.2 percent drop in sales in the third quarter of 2025, with the home fragrance segment alone down 17 percent year over year (from $165 million to $136 million).
During an October earnings call, Peterson cited weakening international sales as a headwind. He noted that tariffs were expected to reduce fiscal 2025 revenue by about $180 million and acknowledged that trade disruptions have influenced short-term consumer and retailer behavior.
International performance had previously shown six straight quarters of positive growth before a downturn in September, according to Peterson.
Most Yankee Candle products are manufactured in the United States, at the company’s Whately facility. Yet the CFO highlighted tariff pressures affecting the broader cash flow, particularly from the company’s kitchen portfolio—which includes brands such as Crock-Pot and Mr. Coffee—relying on imports from China and Southeast Asia.
Peterson also pointed to challenges in key markets like Brazil, where sales fell sharply after a 50 percent tariff was imposed in relation to broader trade tensions.
Amid these pressures, the leadership remains cautiously optimistic about a fourth-quarter rebound, pointing to a recent rebrand that incorporated generative AI as part of a broader design refresh.
Peterson reiterated that the company’s underlying structural economics are stronger today than before the transformation began.
Newell Brands acquired Yankee Candle in 2015 for roughly $13.2 billion and currently owns a portfolio of well-known brands, including Sharpie, Rubbermaid, and Coleman.
For further details, contact Camilo Fonseca at camilo.fonseca@globe.com or follow on X @fonsecaesq or Instagram @camilofonseca.reports.
