Pitch Introduction
Big Ass Luxuries made waves on Shark Tank with their oversized luxury candles. The Dallas-based company, founded by husband-and-wife team Trent and Chloe Mervine along with Chloe’s twin sister Kelsey Saldivar Harris, presented their unique candle concept to the Sharks in episode 20 of season 16. Their memorable pitch emphasized both the literal and figurative size of their business opportunity.
Business Overview
Product/Service: Big Ass Luxuries specializes in handcrafted large-format natural candles that offer extended burn times and premium fragrances. Their product line includes two main sizes – the “baby big ass” candle at 150 oz (approximately 10 lbs) and the full “big ass” candle at 300 oz (20 lbs). Problem It Solves: The company addresses the market need for long-lasting, high-quality candles that provide exceptional value for luxury home fragrance enthusiasts. Many traditional candles burn out quickly, requiring frequent replacements. Big Ass Luxuries solves this by offering candles with burn times ranging from 300 to 1,000 hours. Target Market: The business targets luxury home fragrance consumers who value premium products, extended burn times, and unique gifting options. Their customers appreciate both quality and value in high-end home accessories. Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Big Ass Luxuries stands out through their combination of oversized format, premium quality, affordable luxury pricing, and memorable branding.
| Company Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Big Ass Luxuries |
| Founders | Chloe Mervine, Kelsey Saldivar Harris, Trent Mervine |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Industry | Lifestyle/Home |
| Product | Large Format Luxury Candles |
| Business Model | Direct-to-Consumer |
About Founder’s
Big Ass Luxuries was founded by a unique trio – husband-and-wife team Trent and Chloe Mervine, along with Chloe’s twin sister Kelsey Saldivar Harris. The founders brought together their complementary skills to create a successful business that has gained significant traction in the competitive candle market. Their family-based business model and shared passion for creating premium products became a key talking point during their Shark Tank pitch.
- Chloe Mervine brings entrepreneurial experience and business acumen
- Kelsey Saldivar Harris contributes her twin sister partnership and shared vision
- Trent Mervine handles manufacturing and operations with his wife Chloe
- The trio successfully built a multi-million dollar business from their Dallas base
- Their combined family dynamic creates strong business chemistry
Shark’s and Founder’s QnA
Howdy Sharks. I’m Trent. And I’m his wife Chloe. And I’m her twin sister Kelsey. We’re from Dallas, Texas. And Mark, you know, everything is bigger in Texas. But we’re not just talking about big hats, big hair, and big attitudes. We’re talking about candles. But not just any candles. Big ass candles. Introducing Big Ass Luxuries. We don’t need a big ass to have a big ass candle. We handcraft large format natural candles at an affordable luxury price. Our hero product is the baby big ass candle.
We’ve created 150 oz candles that are almost 10 lb and last from 300 to 500 hours. For those who want even more, we have our big ass candle at 300 oz, a whopping 20 lb that burns for 750 to 1,000 hours.
We’re on a mission to make the world burn a little bit brighter and a lot bigger. That’s why we’re seeking $500,000 for 5% of our business.
That represents a $10 million valuation for our company. We believe that’s justified by our strong sales performance and market position in the luxury candle segment.
So we first fourele business, we did $1.3 million. The next year we upped that to $2.1 million. And this year, what are you going to do?
Year to date, we are already past $2.4 million in sales and expecting to do over $4 million in sales for the year.
What do you think you’ll make on that?
Expecting about 20% margins like last year, so hopefully run 800K in profit.
There are a lot of big ass candles out there as you know. Many four-wick, some fivewick. Why is yours different?
Anybody can make a candle, but not anybody can sell it. As you all know, any successful brand is the brand is their moat. So that is the main thing. We are the big ass candle company. Our goal is to become that household name.
Where and how are you selling them?
We primarily sell online direct to consumer through our Shopify website. That’s about 95%. Five percent is coming from retail.
What do they cost? How do you deal with shipping?
Our hero product, we sell it for $179. That’s a small one. That cost us $50 landed. It costs on average about $15 to ship one of these. The big ass candle sells for $280 and costs about $90 to make.
What’s your customer acquisition cost per customer?
Our CAC right now is $50, but we are getting a 4 and a halfx return on ad spend.
Kevin O’Leary: You dam. Yeah, guys. I’m just not a home decor guy. I mean, my home decor is like a milk crate turned upside down. So, it’s just not a fit for me.
We understand completely, Kevin. Thank you for your feedback.
Lori Greiner: Well, I would be the perfect partner for you. I think you are the perfect partner. You know, all the room fragrances where you have the little bottles and you put a wick down in it and there’s a beautiful flower and it sucks up the fragrance. I was the first to bring that and do that in America. Well, I mean, I really know about fragrance and candles. My problem is the ask. It’s 500,000 for 5%. Why do you think you’re worth 10 million bucks?
We also think we’re worth a lot more. We do have some big ass sales.
Lori Greiner: Well, $500,000 is also called half a million dollar. A lot of money and it’s just too big an ask. And also that Lori’s not interest is concerning to me. I’m out.
We understand your concerns about the valuation.
Lori Greiner: No, I am interested. Wait, I’ll go back in. We can negotiate, too. I am interested. But for me, I’d like to give you an offer as half equity, half as a loan. $250,000. Give it to you as a loan, which whatever is the going rate. and $250,000 for equity, then I would take 15%.
Thank you so much for your offer, Lori. We’d like to counter and see if you’d be willing to come down to 10%.
Lori Greiner: But the way I structured it, same way you structured it. I’ll go to 14.
Would you go to 12?
Lori Greiner: I like to be a good partner. I want everybody to feel like give a little, get a little. I will go to 13.
Mr. Wonderful, would you come down to 10% for us?
Key Stats & Financials
Big Ass Luxuries demonstrated impressive financial performance during their Shark Tank pitch, showing consistent year-over-year growth and strong profitability. Their business model proved attractive to investors despite their initially high valuation request.
- Sales: Grew from $1.3 million in their first year to $2.1 million the next year, with $2.4 million already achieved year to date and projected $4 million for the year
- Margins: Maintaining consistent 20% profit margins, projecting $800K profit on $4 million revenue
- Valuation: Initially requested $10 million valuation for 5% equity
- Investment Request: Seeking $500,000 for 5% equity stake
- Use of Funds: Intended for scaling operations and potentially expanding into retail channels
| Financial Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Year 1 Revenue | $1.3 Million |
| Year 2 Revenue | $2.1 Million |
| Projected Year 3 Revenue | $4 Million |
| Requested Investment | $500,000 |
| Requested Equity | 5% |
| Requested Valuation | $10 Million |
Business Potential and TAM
Big Ass Luxuries operates in the growing luxury home fragrance market, which has shown consistent growth as consumers invest more in home improvement and ambiance. Their unique positioning as the “big ass candle company” gives them a distinct market niche with limited direct competition. The gifting market represents a particularly strong opportunity for their oversized luxury candles.
Big Ass Luxuries: Ideal Target Audience & Demographics
| Demographic | Details |
|---|---|
| Age | 25-55 years old |
| Income Level | $75,000+ annually |
| Lifestyle | Home-focused, quality-conscious consumers |
| Purchasing Behavior | Premium gift buyers, repeat customers |
| Geographic | Primarily US market, expanding internationally |
Marketing and Distribution Strategy
Big Ass Luxuries has built their business primarily through direct-to-consumer online sales, which account for 95% of their revenue. Their marketing strategy focuses on showcasing the unique value proposition of oversized luxury candles with extended burn times. Their distribution model is streamlined through their Shopify platform, eliminating retail markups while maintaining premium pricing.
Big Ass Luxuries Deal Outcome
Big Ass Luxuries successfully secured a deal with Lori Greiner after a negotiation process that resulted in a creative financing structure. The deal was finalized with a combination of investment and loan components, which provided the company with the capital they sought at a reasonable valuation.
| Deal Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Shark Involved | Lori Greiner |
| Total Investment | $250,000 |
| Loan Amount | $250,000 |
| Equity Stakes | 15% |
| Final Valuation | $1.67 Million |
Big Ass Luxuries Post-Show Update
Add information about the business after appearing on Shark Tank (if available or remove this section).
Business Analysis & Lessons
The Big Ass Luxuries pitch demonstrates several key business principles that contributed to their successful outcome. Their strong financial performance with consistent growth was fundamental to attracting investor interest. The founders’ memorable presentation style and family business dynamic created a compelling narrative. Their direct-to-consumer model with high margins provided attractive unit economics that justified investor confidence. The negotiation process showed their willingness to work with investors to reach mutually beneficial terms.
Their success also highlights the importance of strong branding and intellectual property protection in creating a defensible market position. The name “Big Ass Luxuries” itself serves as a powerful differentiator in a crowded market, demonstrating how branding can be a significant competitive advantage. Their focus on solving a real customer problem – candles that burn out too quickly – while offering premium value created a compelling business proposition.
Pitch Conclusion
Big Ass Luxuries demonstrated that a seemingly simple product can achieve remarkable success with the right combination of branding, business model, and execution. Their Shark Tank appearance resulted in a successful partnership with Lori Greiner, providing both capital and expertise to scale their business. Their journey shows that entrepreneurs with strong fundamentals and compelling narratives can attract top-tier investors even in competitive markets. Would you consider investing in oversized luxury candles for your home?