Questions, including the ones we can't answer yet.
Some of the answers below are "not yet". That's the honest state of a shop that hasn't opened, and we'd rather write it down than fill the gap with something that sounds better.
The shop
Why is there nothing for sale?
Because we can't post you a candle yet. We're opening wholesale accounts with New Zealand makers, and no candle is listed until an account is signed, the stock is in hand, the maker has confirmed in writing that it was poured here and we have a photo we're allowed to publish.
When will the shop open?
We won't guess a date. Join the waitlist on the shop page and you'll get one email when it does — not a newsletter, one email.
Are all your candles made in New Zealand?
That's the only rule that matters here. The Commerce Commission requires a "Made in New Zealand" claim to be accurate and able to be substantiated, so we take written confirmation from each maker before listing, not after. If a maker won't put it in writing, we don't stock them.
Do you sell reed diffusers or room sprays?
No, and not at launch. They're hazardous substances with their own labelling rules, and Consumer NZ found half of ten diffusers it tested carried no safety message. They wait for a separate compliance check.
Where can I buy an NZ-made candle right now?
From the makers themselves. Our makers page lists eight real New Zealand candle makers from their own public pages, with what each says about wax and origin and the date we checked. Those links are plain links and we earn nothing from them.
Delivery and returns
How much is delivery?
Not set yet, because we don't have a courier account yet. It'll be published on delivery and returns before anyone can place an order, along with the free-delivery threshold and the rural surcharge.
Do you deliver rural?
Yes, with a surcharge you select yourself at checkout. Stripe can't detect a rural address, so the option is labelled "Rural delivery (RD) address".
What if it arrives broken?
Email a photo within 7 days and we'll replace it or refund it. You won't be asked to post broken glass back.
Can I return a candle?
Unused and unopened, within 14 days, with return postage on you. A burned candle can only come back if it's faulty — and if it is, your Consumer Guarantees Act rights apply regardless.
Gifts
Can I send it straight to the person?
Yes — enter their address at checkout, and the receipt goes to you only.
Will they see the price?
No. "Leave prices out of the box" is on by default, and we don't put an invoice in the parcel.
Can I write a message?
Up to 200 characters, printed on a card. Emoji won't print, so write it in words.
Can I guarantee it arrives by a certain day?
No, and we won't pretend otherwise. You can tell us your deadline and we'll dispatch with it in mind, but the courier's timing isn't ours to promise.
The candle club
What arrives?
One candle a month from a different New Zealand maker, chosen against the scent families you pick and anything you've told us never to send. Delivery is included in the price.
How do I cancel?
From the portal link in every email we send. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the month you've already paid for, and a box already dispatched isn't refunded.
Can I skip a month?
Reply to any club email and we'll pause the next cycle. It's an email rather than a button at first, and we'd rather say that than describe a feature we haven't built.
What does it cost?
No price is set. It gets calculated from real wholesale costs, packaging and delivery. The club page shows what other New Zealand clubs charge in the meantime.
Us
Do you have reviews?
No. We have no customers yet, so any review on this site would be fake. When there are real ones in a real review system, they'll appear here and not before.
Are you a marketplace?
No. We buy stock and pack every order ourselves, so anything that goes wrong with your order is ours to fix rather than something to forward to a seller.
Do you get paid for the links to other makers?
No. We looked for an affiliate programme from an NZ-made candle maker and found none, so every outbound link here is plain. If that ever changes, the link is marked sponsored and the page says so.
I make candles. Can I sell through you?
Please get in touch — here's what we'd need in writing, and what we'd never do with your brand.
Not here? Ask us, and we'll answer you and add it to this page.
The shop isn't open yet. Want to know when it is?
One email when the first New Zealand makers are on the shelf, and nothing else. In the meantime, the makers' own shops are open today.