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Candle Day 2025 Highlights Enduring Pull of Strong Brands & Good Deals

Bath & Body Works' Candle Day’s performance in 2025 highlights how value-driven promotions and strong brand loyalty can sustain discretionary spending even in a cautious consumer climate.

By 
Shira Petrack
December 15, 2025
Candle Day 2025 Highlights Enduring Pull of Strong Brands & Good Deals
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Key Takeaways
  • Bath & Body Works' annual Candle Day Sale drove a larger surge in 2025 than it did in 2023 and 2024.  
  • The strong traffic trends during the event suggest that consumers are still willing to spend on discretionary items when strong brand identity and clear value align.

Strong In-Store Traffic on Candle Day Sale

This year’s Candle Day once again drew eager shoppers to Bath & Body Works in search of deeply discounted candles. The in-store portion of the annual sale ran from December 5th through December 7th, 2025, during which traffic increased 266.8% compared to the chain's January to November daily average – a larger boost than that generated by the sale in both 2023 and 2024. This impressive visit surge suggests that shoppers are still willing to invest in affordable, emotionally resonant, or tradition-linked discretionary goods, provided the perceived value is high. 

Candle Day Sparks Early-Morning Rush 

The sale also drove a noticeable spike in morning traffic, with roughly one-fifth of visits occurring before noon during Candle Day – up from the typical 17.1%.

Seasonal Rituals and Brand Power Sustain Consumer Demand

Candle Day's strong showing highlights how brand appeal and strong value can still generate strong consumer interest – even as household budgets remain under pressure. 

By pairing compelling pricing with strong brand identity and holiday timing, Bath & Body Works has succeeded in turning a discretionary product into a seasonal ritual that reliably drives engagement. Much like Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte phenomenon – where limited availability and emotional resonance generate recurring traffic spikes – Candle Day leverages anticipation, tradition, and value to prompt purchases that might otherwise be deprioritized. 

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Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.  

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Candle Day, Bath & Body Works
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