Nearly two months after it first launched Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand is facing questions over why its sold-out products have still not been restocked.
The Duchess of Sussex released her ‘As Ever’ line, first teased more than a year ago under a different name, on April 2 with the limited pieces hitting her online site at eye-watering prices.
The eight products on sale included a wildflower honey with honeycomb, priced at an eye-watering $28 (£21.60), and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60).
Meanwhile, a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (£10.80), while the abundance of other goods on sale included shortbread and crepe mixes, both being sold for $14, alongside various herbal tea mixes for $12 (£9.30 each).
Fans snapped up the unique product range within minutes, with the range selling out within just half an hour of going live.
Reveling in the success, in a gushing post to her followers after the launch, Meghan wrote: ‘Our shelves may be empty, but my heart is full!
‘We sold out in less than one hour and I can’t thank you enough… for celebrating, purchasing, sharing, and believing. It’s just the start @aseverofficial. Here we go!’
Nearly two months after the Duchess of Sussex’s brand As Ever launched, its sold-out products still have not been restocked
Pictured: some of the sold-out products within the As Ever collection. Exclusive products on sale included a wildflower honey with honeycomb, priced at an eye-watering $28 (£21.60), and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60)
Hitting the market at the start of April, fans snapped up the unique product range within minutes, with the range selling out within just half an hour of going live
But now, nearly two months later, keen shoppers who had initially hoped to get their hands on the exclusive product range have been left bitterly disappointed.
All of the sold-out stock is still unavailable to purchase online.
At the time of the opening day, critics had begun to question the success of the 43-year-old’s latest business venture.
It was claimed the items had been made available in small quantities and then quickly marked as sold out in order to generate interest.
One industry insider told MailOnline: ‘Showing that there is a sell out is very common for new brands to fake demand. There is no warehouse full of jams.’
Now, Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading publicity gurus and crisis managers, has described Meghan’s management of the sold-out launch as ‘chaos’, questioning ‘what the true story is’ behind the long-standing unavailable products.
At the time of the sell-out opening day, some had began to cast an element of doubt on the success of the 43-year-old’s latest business venture. Richard Eden, the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor, described the launch as ‘one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book’ (Pictured: A Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea on sale as part of the launch)
Nearly two months later, keen shoppers who had initially hoped to get their hands on the exclusive product range have been left bitterly disappointed, with the sold-out stock still unavailable to purchase online
One industry insider told MailOnline today: ‘Showing that there is a sell out is very common for new brands to fake demand. There is no warehouse full of jams’
During the hit YouTube show, Richard Eden (pictured), the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor, was quick to brand the As Ever range as ‘pathetic’ due to the limited range of products available
Despite the ongoing stock issues, Mr Borkowski was quick to stress that Meghan’s public image of ‘create noise, create chaos’, has continued ‘business as normal’
Reflecting on how offering no explanation for the lack of stock could be harming her brand’s image, Mr Borkowski told Newsweek: ‘As soon as nothing’s happening, people ask questions but therefore her PR has always been chaos.
‘Maybe the fact it’s not restocking gives them the opportunity to refresh the story, but there’s just no logic and now of course questions are going to be asked. Do they have the answers?’
The expert even theorised that perhaps Meghan could be being ‘let down by the very people who were surprised by her success’.
Nevertheless, despite the ongoing stock issues, Mr Borkowski was quick to stress that Meghan’s public image of ‘create noise, create chaos’, has continued ‘business as normal’.
