Rigaud SAS

What Rigaud SAS does

Rigaud SAS is a privately held French luxury scented candle manufacturer founded in 1852 in Paris by Jean-Baptiste Rigaud and currently operating as a family-owned SAS registered at RCS PARIS B 552 150 625, with headquarters at 231 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris. The company is credited with creating the world's first commercially available scented candle in 1959, when Mario and Viviane Rigaud developed and patented an innovative soft wax formula that liquefies rapidly when lit for optimal fragrance diffusion and burns evenly without forming craters. All candles continue to be hand-poured, prepared, and packaged in France, with fragrances formulated in Grasse; the current portfolio spans nine signature scent collections (Bois Précieux, Cyprès, Gardénia, Jasmin de Printemps, La Vie en Rouge, Reine de la Nuit, Rose Couture, Tournesol, Vésuve) offered in three size tiers (Prestige 750g, Large 230g, Small 60g), complemented by a luxury wooden matches accessories line and electronic gift cards ranging from €50 to €1,000.

The business model is direct-to-consumer only, operating through a Shopify-hosted rigaud-paris.com storefront with French and English language support and zone-based international shipping (France, EU, Europe outside EU, Rest of World) with free-shipping thresholds calibrated per zone. Pricing runs from approximately €40 for entry-level candles up to €255 for premium SKUs (e.g., Vésuve), with a 2025 Rigaud x Picasso limited-edition collaboration of three 850g three-wick candles at €425 representing the ultra-premium tier. Payment options include credit card, PayPal, Shop Pay, and GPay. Marketing is brand-heritage-led, anchored on the e-commerce site, an email newsletter, and an organic Instagram presence; no paid acquisition, wholesale, retail, or B2B channels are evidenced.

Rigaud serves affluent individual consumers in two primary use cases — premium home fragrance for personal use and luxury gifting for occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and corporate gestures — with no named enterprise accounts, no disclosed headcount, no external funding, and no public revenue figures. Compliance posture includes GDPR and CCPA self-attestation. Ownership remains within the founding family lineage (Jean-Baptiste → Henri → Mario & Viviane), and the current post-third-generation ownership structure is not publicly documented in the available sources.

Name

Rigaud SAS

Legal name

Rigaud SAS

Website

https://rigaud-paris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rigaud SAS is a privately held, family-owned French luxury scented candle maker, founded in Paris in 1852 and credited with creating the world's first commercial scented candle (1959). It sells hand-poured candles, luxury matches, and gift cards direct-to-consumer worldwide via rigaud-paris.com to affluent home fragrance and luxury gift buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Scented Candles

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Scented Candles & Wax Melts (Home Fragrance) (CRAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE), Candles, Home Fragrance & Diffusers Retail (CRAIACAC), Niche & Artisan Fragrance (CRABADAH)

Keywords

• Luxury scented candles
• Artisanal candle manufacturing
• French perfumery products
• Premium home fragrance
• Handcrafted candles

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time purchase model for scented candles, luxury matches, and accessories. Products are sold at fixed retail prices with tiered sizes (Prestige, Large, Small). Gift cards sold in denominations from €50 to €1,000 provide an additional revenue stream for gifting occasions.
2. Art Collaboration Products: Premium collaboration products with Picasso estate featuring artwork on candle containers (Femme Assise, Femme aux Cheveux Jaunes, Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe). These limited edition candles priced at €425 carry higher perceived value due to artistic heritage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rigaud SAS manufactures and sells handcrafted luxury scented candles made in France using a proprietary soft wax formula patented in 1959, with fragrances formulated in Grasse. The company offers nine signature fragrances in multiple sizes (Prestige, Large, Small), alongside luxury wooden matches, electronic gift cards, and a 2025 Rigaud x Picasso limited-edition collaboration. All products are sold exclusively direct-to-consumer via the rigaud-paris.com e-commerce platform with international shipping.

Product overview

Rigaud SAS is a French luxury scented candle manufacturer founded in 1852 by Jean-Baptiste Rigaud in Paris, credited with creating the world's first commercial scented candle in the late 1950s by Mario and Viviane Rigaud. The company's product portfolio centers on handcrafted scented candles in nine signature fragrances (Bois Précieux, Cyprès, Gardénia, Jasmin de Printemps, La Vie en Rouge, Reine de la Nuit, Rose Couture, Tournesol, and Vésuve), complemented by luxury wooden matchboxes in matching fragrances and electronic gift cards. A notable recent development is the 2025 Rigaud x Picasso limited-edition collaboration featuring three art-adorned 850g candles (Femme Assise—Cyprès, Femme aux Cheveux Jaunes—Gardénia, and Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe—Reine de la Nuit). All products are handmade in France using a proprietary soft-wax formula and fragrances from Grasse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bois Précieux Scented Candle Hand-poured scented candle featuring an exotic woody harmony of patchouli and teak, evoking memories of Asia with warm spice notes. Available in Prestige (750g), Large (230g), and Small (60g) sizes starting from €40.
• Cyprès Scented Candle Signature candle of the House of Rigaud, inspired by Mediterranean forests with lavender, pine needles, and cedar wood notes. Available in Prestige, Large, and Small sizes starting from €40.
• Gardénia Scented Candle Voluptuous blend of tropical white flower scents with green fresh notes of a Provençale rose, bringing a fresh and clean floral note. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• Jasmin de Printemps Scented Candle Spring-inspired fragrance with transparent and luminous notes of jasmine petals complemented by spicy bergamot and Ylang-Ylang, offset by warm orange blossom. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• La Vie en Rouge Scented Candle Delightful red berries and geranium top notes offset by fine woody fragrances. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• Reine de la Nuit Scented Candle Sensual and mysterious scent evoking the tropics at dusk, described as the color of the night sky. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• Rose Couture Scented Candle High-fashion inspired candle with a luxurious heart of classic rose essence, complemented by subtle leather and amber notes. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• Tournesol Scented Candle Features gorgeous mango and passion fruit scents sweetening summer air, inspired by Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Available in multiple sizes starting from €40.
• Vésuve Scented Candle Filled with rare essences of amber and incense, with cedar and vetiver notes mingled with warm spicy cinnamon and cumin. Available in Prestige (750g, 150h, €255), Large (230g, 90h), and Small (60g, 28h) sizes.
• Allumettes Rigaud (Luxury Matches) Handcrafted luxury wooden matchboxes offered in nine fragrance themes (Bois Précieux, Cyprès, Gardénia, Jasmin de Printemps, La Vie en Rouge, Reine de la Nuit, Rose Couture, Tournesol, Vésuve) designed to complement the scented candle collection. Priced at €16 each.
• Rigaud Paris Carte Cadeau Électronique (Electronic Gift Card) Digital gift card offering the refined elegance of Rigaud, available in denominations of €50, €100, €150, €200, €250, €350, €500, and €1,000.
• Femme Assise, Seated Woman — Cyprès (Rigaud x Picasso) 850g exceptional candle with three wicks presented in mouth-blown glass adorned with Picasso's Femme Assise artwork, delicately scented with the signature Cyprès fragrance. Priced at €425, accompanied by a gift box.
• Femme aux Cheveux Jaunes, Woman with Yellow Hair — Gardénia (Rigaud x Picasso) 850g exceptional candle with three wicks in mouth-blown glass decorated with Picasso's Femme aux Cheveux Jaunes, delicately scented with Gardénia fragrance. Available from December 2025.
• Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe — Reine de la Nuit (Rigaud x Picasso) 850g exceptional candle with three wicks in mouth-blown glass adorned with Picasso's Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe, delicately scented with Reine de la Nuit for an extraordinary olfactory experience. Accompanied by a gift box.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Picasso Estate (Succession Picasso)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive collaboration celebrating art and elegance. The Rigaud x Picasso collection transforms Picasso masterpieces into multi-sensory experiences through scented candles. Products include Femme Assise — Cyprès (€425, 850g), Femme aux Cheveux Jaunes — Gardénia, and Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe — Reine de la Nuit. Each candle is presented in mouth-blown glass decorated with Picasso artwork, featuring three wicks and accompanied by a gift box. The collection ranges from luminous florals to deep, evocative woods.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Diptyque Paris: Diptyque Paris is the closest direct peer — a French-founded luxury scented candle and home fragrance house with comparable handmade positioning, premium pricing, and iconic status in the luxury candle category. Both brands sell primarily DTC with selective retail, target affluent gifting and self-purchase consumers, and emphasize artisanal French craftsmanship.
• Le Labo: Le Labo (Estée Lauder) is a direct peer in the niche luxury fragrance and candle category, with comparable artisanal positioning and a strong DTC and selective retail footprint. Both brands target fragrance-literate luxury consumers seeking distinctive, perfumer-crafted home and personal scent experiences.
• Cire Trudon: Cire Trudon is a direct heritage peer — the historic French candle maker (founded 1643) with comparable old-world French provenance, premium pricing, and luxury positioning. Both brands anchor their identity on centuries of French candle-making heritage and sell high-priced candles to luxury gift and home décor consumers.
• Byredo: Byredo is a direct peer in luxury niche fragrance with a significant candle line, targeting the same affluent self-purchase and gifting consumer. Both operate premium DTC channels globally, use high fragrance concentrations, and compete for share of wallet in the high-end home fragrance basket.

Emerging players

• D.S. & Durga: D.S. & Durga is an emerging niche fragrance and candle brand based in Brooklyn, partial overlap with Rigaud on the perfumer-led luxury candle segment. Smaller and more limited in distribution, but competes for the same fragrance-savvy luxury consumer seeking distinctive, high-concentration home scents.

Regional players

• Durance en Provence: Durance en Provence is a regional French player in natural home fragrance (candles, diffusers, room sprays) with comparable Provençal/French sourcing narrative and handmade positioning. Sits in a more accessible price tier and broader distribution than Rigaud, but overlaps on French heritage and home fragrance consumers.
• Esteban Paris: Esteban Paris is a regional French home fragrance brand (candles, diffusers, room sprays) with a long-standing French heritage. It overlaps with Rigaud on product category and French origin but operates in a more accessible price band and broader retail/wholesale distribution primarily within France.

Broad incumbents

• Maison Margiela Replica: Maison Margiela's Replica candle line (under Estée Lauder's licensing) competes with Rigaud in luxury scented candles, particularly for fragrance-led lifestyle gifting. While broader in portfolio (fashion and full fragrance), the Replica candle range overlaps directly on product, price band, and target consumer.
• Jo Malone London: Jo Malone London (Estée Lauder) is a broad incumbent in luxury fragrance with an extensive candle and home fragrance line. It serves the same affluent gifting customer as Rigaud but operates at significantly greater scale, with global retail, large marketing budgets, and a much broader product portfolio beyond candles.
• Penhaligon's: Penhaligon's is a broad incumbent British heritage fragrance house with a candle and home fragrance range, comparable in heritage storytelling and luxury gifting positioning. Both brands leverage multi-generational perfumery heritage to justify premium pricing and target similar affluent consumers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rigaud-sas

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rigaud SAS