Redesigning A Fan Favorite: How Bath & Body Works Revamped Wallflower Packaging

• A cross-functional team analyzed opportunities for improvement in Wallflower bulb packaging
• The team optimized packaging and increased the number of bulbs shipped in the Wallflower single bulb cases to reduce the number of boxes needed to ship to stores
• The team replaced single-use plastic packaging components in Wallflower heaters with paperboard
• The team replaced the outer plastic carton and tray for two-pack Wallflower bulbs with paperboard that included 30% post-consumer recycled content

Our wallflower bulbs fill rooms with always-on fragrance. Consisting of a decorative plug-in and a refillable fragrance bulb, they are a customer favorite.

In 2024, realizing the product's packaging hadn't changed in several years, a cross functional team of Bath & Body Works engineers, distributors and packaging experts analyzed opportunities for improvement. Within the individual bulb packs, they identified unneeded space between the top of the bulb and the packaging. While this had been important in the initial design to protect the bulb, they felt there could be another option using new materials.

The analysis also triggered ideas to replace single-use plastic packaging. This set off an effort involving teams from across the company and our external partners to develop and test multiple options before settling on the final packaging.

“Working on a project like this feels like solving a complex puzzle where every piece fits perfectly,” said Justin Browne, senior packaging engineer.“The satisfaction comes from knowing that our resources are used more effectively.”

The Result

• Optimizing packaging: Once the team realized there was excess space in the Wallflower single bulb cases, they reconfigured the packaging to use less paperboard. This increased the number of bulbs that could be included in the boxes we ship to our stores from 24 to 36. This, in turn, reduced the total number of boxes we need to ship to stores.
• Replacing single-use plastic: When the project started, Wallflower heaters included a wrap label and a plug cover both made of virgin plastic and discarded after purchase. The team replaced these components with paperboard, combining the label wrap and plug cover. The team also replaced the outer plastic carton and tray used for two-pack Wallflower bulbs with paperboard containing 30% PCR. Not only did this eliminate plastic, it reduced the overall size of the packs, allowing more bulbs to be shipped per pallet.

Due to their success, the team is looking for more opportunities across the business to reduce packaging and shift from single-use.

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