Bayard Candle Co. Opens in Williamston

Bayard Candle Co. has opened a downtown Williamston storefront, giving the family-run business a walk-in retail shop on Grand River Avenue. (lansingcitypulse.com) Owners Ken and Merri Bayard moved into the former Botany Boutique space at 142 W. Grand River Ave., according to City Pulse and listings for the previous tenant. Bayard Candle’s own site says the company is based in Williamston and sells natural soy candles, wax melts and body-care products. (lansingcitypulse.com) (findglocal.com) (bayardcandle.com) The company’s online shop lists candles, soaps, lip balm and candle-making classes, while Keller’s Plaza lists in-person hours from Wednesday through Sunday. An Etsy storefront for Bayard Candle Co. shows 852 sales and says the business has been on the platform for six years. (bayardcandle.com) (kellersplaza.com) (etsy.com) City Pulse reported that Bayard Candle got an online-sales boost in 2020, and the new shop marks a shift toward regular foot traffic instead of relying mainly on e-commerce and pop-up selling. The company has also sold locally through markets and pickup orders in Williamston. (lansingcitypulse.com) (facebook.com) (bayardcandle.com) The move adds another independent retailer to Williamston’s compact downtown business district, where the city’s Downtown Development Authority says it funds marketing and building improvements for shops along Grand River Avenue and nearby blocks. The city’s downtown business directory counted dozens of businesses there as of December 2025. (williamston-mi.us 1) (williamston-mi.us 2) Williamston is a city of about 3,800 people, according to recent census-based profiles, so a new storefront can matter more there than it would in a larger retail corridor. The downtown district centers on the Grand River Avenue and Putnam Street intersection and extends along the first blocks outward, according to the city’s draft master plan. (censusreporter.org) (storage.googleapis.com) For Bayard Candle, the storefront turns a home-fragrance brand that started as a family project into a fixed stop in downtown Williamston. For shoppers, it means the candles, soaps and lip balms are now on a shelf they can browse in person. (kellersplaza.com) (bayardcandle.com)