A Philadelphia entrepreneur whose day job is in marketing for Swedish furniture brand Ikea this month opened a studio for his growing candle company, a move that will help him expand his product line and retail presence.
Marques Davis founded Mount Airy Candle Co. in 2019 and entered the market early that year. A self-described “cologne head,” Davis – who worked in marketing for fast food chain McDonald’s prior to joining Ikea’s U.S. headquarters in Conshohocken – has long been drawn to unique scents and began toying around with candlemaking for the 2018 winter holidays.
“I've always had a very keen sense of smell,” he said.
On a whim, he decided to create his own gifts that winter and landed on candles for their broad appeal. More than making candles, Davis wanted to make “really good candles, candles you won’t necessarily be able to find [elsewhere].”
That required unique scents, a philosophy that would later form the crux of his approach at Mount Airy Candle Co.
In those early days, Davis was just exploring it as a hobby, but he began to consider it as a business after the holidays when friends and family asked if he had more scents.
“I was just proud that they had loved the love that I have put into creating these candles for them,” he said.
In addition to seeking out new candles, friends and family also began suggesting Davis sell them, which he initially balked at. But after hearing it enough times, he began to seriously consider it, especially given his extensive experience positioning other brands in the market. “If I can do this for other brands, I can create a little space for myself in this candle category,” he recalled thinking.
Mount Airy Candle Co. began with pop-ups and markets throughout the region and has since expanded to a slate of retail locations including Weavers Way Mercantile, Occasionette, the Pennsylvania General Store and Philadelphia Independents, all in Philadelphia. Davis's candles are also sold in suburban shops like Gallery on Park in Swarthmore and Joy Shop in Collingswood, New Jersey. In total, Mount Air Candle Co. is stocked in more than a dozen local shops.
Davis said retail is his biggest source of revenue, though he declined to disclose sales figures. The company also ships nationwide.
More than expanding his retail presence, Davis has also expanded the number of offerings to upwards of two dozen scents. They include Grapefruit & Vetiver and Sel de Mer. Candles come in 6-, 9.5- and 14-ounce options and range in price from about $14.50 to $32.50.
Davis spends considerable time developing each scent with the goal being to “evoke a vibe or a mood,” he said. If it doesn’t hit that mark for him, he won’t move forward with it.
“I do believe that scent has the power, and the magic even, to trigger [or] stir memories, to awaken desires,” he said. The Sea Air & Wildflowers candle, for instance, is meant to evoke a day at the beach.
For Davis, the Crème de Vanille candles “takes me back to my favorite hamburger [and] milkshake place growing up in Norristown. It triggers that scent memory for me.”
Davis aims to release new collections for the spring and summer seasons and again for the fall and winter. He will also release new scents in between, with no set schedule. When he does, he will sometimes bring back a previously popular scent, while others are pulled from the rotation. “Sometimes I'll pause a scent because I need other inspiration. For me, this is kind of like an art form, so to speak, so sometimes we'll pause a scent for a year to allow our clients to experience something else that's inspired us for a season,” he said.
Given his background in marketing, the packaging is an important element, too. “I’ve been very intentional about keeping it classic, simple, modern with elements of fun and whimsy along the way," Davis said. Keeping the packaging simple allows for the “scent to really speak volumes,” he added.
Davis does the scent blending and pouring of candles himself and up until this month was doing so at his Philadelphia home. Demand grew to a point where he felt the need to have a dedicated studio and opened one in commercial ground-floor space at the Rittenhouse Hill Apartments at 633 W. Rittenhouse St. near Germantown earlier this month.
The space spans nearly 1,600 square feet and will serve as production facility and retail space, though not in the traditional sense. Because he has a full-time job and Mount Airy Candle Co. is something of a passion project, the studio is currently only open by appointment. In time, Davis hopes to host events, pop-ups and candlemaking classes. He has created a retail lounge area out front where he hopes customers can eventually “come and stay awhile.”
He said his increased output necessitated the move, but declined to share how much business has grown. “We're making thousands of candles, especially as our retail partnership orders have grown in size and scale,” he said.
The new, larger space will allow Davis to also expand product offerings, something he’s hoping to begin later this year. Doing so will not only diversify his revenue stream, but meet demand from customers. Product additions Davis is exploring include home scent items like reed diffusers or room sprays, as well as personal fragrances.
“It's amazing what a little bit more space can allow you to do,” he said.
