YCC Yankee Cdle

The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. ("Yankee" or the "Company") (NYSE:YCC), the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles, today announced that Craig W. Rydin, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, adopted a stock trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Plan"). The Plan is being adopted as part of the diversification of Mr. Rydin's personal portfolio and covers options to purchase 150,000 shares of the Company's common stock previously granted to Mr. Rydin, which amount constitutes approximately 23% of Mr. Rydin's total holdings of Company common stock (including options, shares and performance shares regardless of vesting schedules and excluding any future grants or awards to be made to Mr. Rydin). The Plan contemplates that these options will be exercised, and the resulting shares sold, over approximately a one year period, with up to 12,500 shares being sold on a monthly basis in one or more transactions. Under the terms of the Plan, Mr. Rydin shall have no discretion or control over the timing or effectuation of the sales. About Yankee Candle The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles in the giftware industry. Yankee has a 35 year history of offering distinctive products and marketing them as affordable luxuries and consumable gifts. The Company sells its products through a North American wholesale customer network of approximately 16,200 store locations, a growing base of Company owned and operated retail stores (359 located in 42 states as of July 2, 2005), direct mail catalogs, its Internet website (www.yankeecandle.com), international distributors and to a European wholesale customer network of approximately 2,200 store locations (through its distribution center located in Bristol, England).