20 Yankee Candle stores to shutter in January

Yankee Candle will shutter 20 stores across the U.S. and Canada in January, its parent company, Newell Brands, announced on Monday.

The store closures are part of Newell Brands’ “global productivity plan designed to strengthen the company’s competitiveness, deliver greater value for consumers, and drive long-term value creation,” according to the announcement.

The closure of 20 stores, which represent approximately 1% of brand sales, is a “retail optimization” that aligns “with modern consumer shopping behaviors” and the Newell Brands’ overall growth strategy, the company said.

Although Newell Brands has not yet announced which stores will close, there are 36 Yankee Candle locations across New England — 15 in Massachusetts, 9 in New Hampshire, 7 in Connecticut, 3 in Rhode Island, an