Yankee Candle To Close 20 Stores, Parent Company To Lay Off 900 Workers: What It Means For New Hampshire

NEW HAMPSHIRE — The parent company of Rubbermaid, Sharpie, and Yankee Candle announced that it will lay off 900 people from its international workforce in a news release on Monday.

The company has about 240 stores globally, with most located in the United States and Canada. There are nine Yankee Candle locations in New Hampshire, including locations in Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, and Salem, as well as Keene, North Conway, Seabrook, Tilton, and West Lebanon, that could be affected.

Newell Brands said the cuts will affect approximately 10 percent of its professional and clerical employees and will have a limited impact on manufacturing or supply chain operations. Layoffs in the U.S. are set for this month, with international cuts continuing through 2026.

The company also said it will close about 20 Yankee Candle stores in the U.S. and Canada in January. It did not say which Yankee Candle stores would shutter.

The closing Yankee Candle stores account for roughly 1 percent of the brand's sales, according to Newell Brands.

Newell Brands said this restructuring will ultimately generate pre-tax cost savings of approximately $110 million to $130 million.