Raleigh County, WV (WOAY) – When Scentister store owner Devin Sawyers got a letter in the mail saying his shop was the best candle store in Beckley, he shrugged it off as a scam and threw it in the trash. When received another letter saying he was the best candle store in West Virginia, he took it a little more seriously.
“So I got a letter from BusinessRate, which I thought was just a scam, and I threw the letter away. But then I got one saying that we were actually the top candle store in all of West Virginia, which was a bigger deal because you’re up against 18 other businesses in the state,” Sawyer said. “It’s really cool because I’m actually number 75 in the nation as well as far as candle stores.”
Scentister got its start in Texas as a vending machine inside a car wash. Sawyers says he simply wanted a better air freshener, so he made it himself. Then he built a full product line around that idea. All of it designed by him in the back of the shop.
“I have candles, I have wax melts, I have room sprays, I have car diffusers, I have all natural deodorant, I have all natural body butter.” said Sawyers. “Mopman is my newest creation. It’s 100% plant based cleanser with surfactants in it, but it works extremely well cleaning. And I make my own fragrances here, so everything is actually a Scentister original.”
Sawyers says he hopes his shop and this recognition continues to draw customers to a part of the city he wants to see make a comeback.
“A lot of people don’t realize that downtown Beckley is actually a really, really nice area. Downtown Beckley is growing quite a bit and we have a nice little shops here and it’s just it’s nice to be a part of the revival,” Sawyers explained.
Sawyers says as Scentister continues to grow, he plans to grow with it and one day looks to move into a bigger space when the need arises. For now, they’re located at 303 Prince street in downtown Beckley.
To learn more about Scentister and see what the #1 candle store in the state of West Virginia has to offer, visit scentister.com.
