Lilly Thomas
If you thought a candle was just a candle, think again. In this era of fast-moving social media outrage, a $7 scented candle from Kmart became anything but harmless. What started as an isolated complaint turned into a full-blown scandal that kept reigniting across Australia.
A Flicker That Became a Firestorm
It all began in 2016 when a Gold Coast man, Chris Page, ended up in hospital with second-degree burns after a Kmart Vanilla and Fig candle exploded in his home. The glass container shattered, hot wax flew across the room and part of his carpet caught fire. His wife Cindy shared the incident on Facebook, and her post was shared more than 13,000 times in a matter of days, creating a wave of viral outrage across Australia.
Not long after, more customers came forward. Canberra mum Mel Gordon, who was heavily pregnant at the time, reported that a Kmart candle detonated after just an hour of burning, spraying wax across the room and damaging her $350 bassinet. In Nowra, NSW, Crystal Howell woke to what she described as a “deafening bang” and discovered her candle shattered beside her sleeping four-year-old, with shards of glass scattered across the room and the flame still burning.
By this point, more than a dozen similar stories had emerged, but Kmart stood firm on its position, citing safety warnings printed on the packaging. The company reminded customers not to burn candles past one centimetre of wax and to avoid touching them while lit. While technically correct, this stance did little to soothe frustrated shoppers or repair the growing distrust.
The Digital Amplifier
This wasn’t just a product problem; it was a marketing lesson in real time. Social media amplified every story, turning a handful of localised incidents into a national conversation about product safety. Every Facebook post, online news story and customer complaint poured fuel on the fire, creating an ongoing narrative where Kmart found itself at the centre of unwanted attention.
Fast Forward to 2024: History Repeats
Just when the scandal seemed to have burned out, it flared up again. In November 2024, Sydney shopper Lola shared that her Kmart Crème Brûlée candle exploded after only 40 minutes, scattering shards of glass across her entryway table and briefly setting a small blaze in her living room. Lola insisted she’d followed safety guidelines, keeping the candle in view and away from hazards, but admitted she didn’t strictly follow the one-centimetre wax rule.
What made the story resonate even more was her admission that this was the second time it had happened to her. Lola summed up the frustration felt by many when she said, “They shouldn’t explode if there is a small amount of wax left. Other candles don’t do that.” Her post reignited hundreds of comments from customers with similar experiences, proving that the issue had never really gone away.
Marketing Lessons That Brands Can’t Ignore
- Cheap doesn’t always mean safePositioning a product as ultra-affordable sets a basic expectation of reliability. A $7 candle that explodes undermines not just safety but trust.
- Warnings aren’t shieldsFine-print instructions are rarely read, and when something goes wrong, customers hold the brand accountable. A legal disclaimer won’t save your reputation.
- Scandals don’t stay in the pastThe original 2016 incidents didn’t fade away. Each new complaint acted like kindling, reigniting public attention and keeping Kmart under scrutiny.
- Social media magnifies everythingIn today’s environment, brands can’t afford slow or dismissive responses. When customers go public with serious safety concerns, denial only accelerates the backlash.
- Trust is hard to rebuildShoppers like Lola admitted they still buy candles, but from other brands. Regaining that lost confidence requires more than safety labels; it takes transparency and active damage control.
Kmart’s $7 candle was meant to be an affordable indulgence, but it became a cautionary tale about product safety, brand trust and social media backlash. For marketers, the key takeaway is simple: in 2025, cheap mistakes become expensive reputational problems.
When customers start trending for the wrong reasons, the only way forward is clear communication, faster responses and a willingness to put safety above savings. Because once a scandal like this catches fire, no amount of spin can put it out.
