Newell Brands will close 20 Yankee Candle stores across North America beginning in January as part of a plan to streamline the brand’s retail footprint. The closures, which account for roughly 1% of brand sales, are part of the company's broader optimization plan to align its footprint with "modern consumer shopping behaviors and supports its multi-channel growth strategy." Michael Kittredge started Yankee Candle in 1969 and opened its first official store four years later in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. ...