Target Recalls Nearly 5 Million Candles After Reports of Burns and Lacerations

Shoping carts are wheeled outside a Target Store during Black Friday sales in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 26, 2021. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Target is recalling nearly 5 million candles following reports of dozens of the products cracking while burning, injuring at least six people.

One lot of Threshold glass candles was sold at Target locations and Target.com between August 2019 and March 2023, costing between $3 and $20, according to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a notice. Target also confirmed the recall on its website.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled candles. Consumers should return the candles to any Target store for a refund or contact Target ... to receive a prepaid return label,” said Target in a bulletin.

The CPSC said that the recalled candles “can crack,” which poses “laceration and burn hazards.” The products were made in Vietnam, it said.

“Target received 137 reports of the candle jar breaking or cracking during use. Six injuries were reported, including lacerations and severe burns,” it also said.

According to the federal agency, the recall involves a number of Threshold glass jar candles in multiple scents, including 5.5-ounce one-wick candles, 14-ounce three-wick candles, and 20-ounce three-wick candles. Both Target and the CPSC included lot numbers, which can be located at the bottom of the candle jar, on their respective websites.

Consumers can call Target at 800-440-0680 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT daily regarding the recall and refund.

The recall comes as Target this week a gloomy second-quarter forecast as consumers pull back from non-essential purchases such as electronics and home goods, due to inflation. However, the retailer maintained its full-year profit expectations as total sales rose 0.5 percent, in its May 17 quarterly earnings report.

The company’s poor forecast follows poor numbers from Home Depot, which is predicting a worse-than-expected drop in annual profit.

“American consumers continue to face difficult trade-off decisions as they juggle the wants and needs of their families … The fear of a looming recession weighs heavily on many American families,” Christina Hennington, a senior Target executive, told investors on the post-earnings call.

Target CEO Brian Cornell, meanwhile, called the threat of shoplifting and organized crime “increasingly urgent” and warned that it could reduce this year’s profitability by $500 million more than the previous year when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. Total losses could top $1.2 billion this year and the retailer said it has seen an increasing number of violent incidents as well, but is trying to avoid closing stores and is expanding security, while locking up vulnerable items.

Bryan Jung contributed to this report.