CANTON — Fashion Kraze, in the University Plaza on East Main Street, is the only store in the North Country now selling items from the Kringle Candle Company, founded by the same people as the Yankee Candle Company.

Mike Kittredge and family began to sell Yankee Candle Company candles made in their own factory in 1969. The company reached $1 million in annual sales in the next decade. After selling the Yankee Candle Company and with the expiration of their agreement not to compete with their old company, the Kittredge family went back to work and Kringle Candle Company was born. The new home is less than twenty miles from Yankee Candle factory, on the very same state highway in Massachusetts.

The most costly component of any scented candle is the fragrance oil itself. This is the blend of naturally-derived substances which provides the finished product with its characteristic fragrance. The delicate art is to choose fragrance components that help deliver a faithful representation of the floral, fruit, herb, food (or combination of these things) that are represented by the candle’s name and label. The challenging science is to achieve a mix that is appealing to the nose both while the candle is cold and unlit, as well as when the candle is burning brightly.

With the introduction of Kringle candles and other items, Fashion Kraze says it is being is reinvented. They have changed to more higher-end goods and they are focusing on that, instead of the bargain, “no-name” clothing. The Fashion Kraze motto is “big city merchandise at small town prices.” The store carries LEE, Dockers, Levi’s, Liz Claiborne, Talbots, Point Zero, Jockey, Yankee Candle, shoes, Woodstock Chimes and many more brand names.

Fashion Kraze is open 10-6 Monday to Saturday.

The phone number is 386-5729.