Baffled members of the public have raised questions over Meghan Markle‘s sold out jam after it was revealed her famous pals snapped up a lot of the stock.
Meghan posted a video to her Instagram bragging ‘we’re live!!!’ and giggled to celebrate the launch of As Ever – ‘a curated collection by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’.
But two hours later, she posted a beaming snap advising fans that her stock was so popular it had already sold out.
But the speed of which her stock was depleted raised some eyebrows, with the Duchess being accused of using a ‘common marketing ploy’.
The Telegraph quoted what they called a well-placed source as saying the items had been made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest.
And it seems that Meghan’s famous pals queued up to help boost her latest business venture.
Jennifer Walsh – who appeared in episode six of Meghan’s Netflix show – gushed on her Instagram story: ‘I’m in love with everything – especially the flower sprinkles that I don’t know how I ever lived without!’
Tracy Robbins, who was in episodes six and eight, posted a screenshot of her order, containing shortbread mix and raspberry spread.
And Meghan’s close friend Jamie Kern Lima cheerfully said ‘I barely got an order placed in time’ – while Kris Jenner seems to have been gifted a freebie.
Baffled members of the public have raised questions over Meghan Markle ‘s sold out jam after it was revealed her famous pals snapped up a lot of the stock
Jennifer Walsh – who appeared in episode six of Meghan’s Netflix show – gushed on her Instagram story: ‘I’m in love with everything – especially the flower sprinkles that I don’t know how I ever lived without!
Meghan’s close friend Jamie Kern Lima cheerfully said ‘I barely got an order placed in time’
Tracy Robbins, who was in episodes six and eight, posted a screenshot of her order, containing shortbread mix and raspberry spread
‘What began with a small pot of fresh fruit preserves, bubbling away in my home kitchen, has inspired this curated collection to bring surprise and delight to your every day,’ the website description reads.
The stock includes a wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at an eye-watering $28 (£21.60) and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60), while a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (£10.80).
Other goods in the Duchess’s lifestyle range included shortbread and crepe mixes – both being sold for $14 – and various herbal tea mixes for $12 (£9.30) each.
When the items went on sale in the US earlier, they were snapped up within minutes, selling out within half an hour of going live.
The Duchess then posted chirpily: ‘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!’
Her famous friends swiftly took to social media to share the news with their own followers.
Walsh wrote: ‘Obsessed with all the As Ever Official products which sold out in minutes!
‘So proud of you Meghan!
‘I’m in love with everything – especially the flower sprinkles that I don’t know how I ever lived without!’
The As Ever website informs customers that it is currently sold out
Kelly McKee Zajfen posted to tell Meghan that she is ‘magic’
Robbins also praised her friend, writing: ‘Congrats Meghan, it’s officially launch day for As Ever! Running over for some of your sold out honey please!’
Jamie Kern Lima did an upbeat Insta story, boasting: ‘YESSS Meghan you sold out of everything! I barely got an order placed in time.
‘Congratulations to my amazing friend it’s all sold out within minutes.
‘As Ever is officially in the world and the world just got more joy!’
Daniel Martin, who is Meghan’s long-time makeup artist, posted about it being sold out but noticeably didn’t display a screenshot of an order.
Similarly, the Duchess’s actress pal Abigail Spencer – who she appeared alongside in Suits – posted a celebratory story, but no order photo.
The same goes for her friends celebrity hairstylist Ben Skervin, Heather Dorak, and Kelly McKee Zajfen.
Mindy Kaling -who went viral for a clip in Meghan’s Netflix show in which Mindy was admonished for calling Meghan ‘Markle’ and not ‘Sussex’ – also failed to post.
Gwyneth Paltrow – who recently joined forces with the Duchess in an attempt to shut down rumours of a feud between them – also didn’t post about the 43-year-old’s Ever success.
Daniel Martin, who is Meghan’s long-time makeup artist, posted about it being sold out but noticeably didn’t display a screenshot of an order
The Duchess’s actress pal Abigail Spencer – who she appeared alongside in Suits – posted a celebratory story, but no order photo
However, the fact that a few of Meghan’s inner circle crowd managed to place an order before the stock sold out has led to some slamming the apparent popularity as ‘totally a farce’.
One person posted on X: ‘Is she scared there will be bad reviews?’
Another said: ‘I think there definitely were products available but the stock low to create the illusion that there was a serious demand for the products. It´s a marketing trick.
‘She probably only had 100 up for sale,’ a third said.
Launching the range, the former Suits actress told her followers in a newsletter that it’s a ‘love language’ rather than a brand.
In a gushing message to her followers, she wrote: ‘If you’ve been receiving these newsletters, you’ve been reading my musings about this brand and why it means so much to me – why it’s person, why it brings me joy, and how I hope that it becomes both personal and joyful for you too.
Meanwhile Kris Jenner posted a box of stock which appears to be a freebie
‘You’re now familiar with the line-up of products, and as of today you can order them for yourself to experience at home. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
‘Welcome to As Ever…this is just the beginning!’
The business venture comes just weeks after Meghan unveiled her new TV show, With Love, Meghan.
Netflix, the maker of her series, is her business partner and will begin selling her lifestyle range inside two of America’s mega-malls later this year.
However, behind the scenes, sources have suggested the launch of Meghan’s company has been anything but smooth sailing – with Netflix staff claiming they were already ‘over it’.
Speaking to MailOnline, an insider claimed the Montecito start-up has proved to be a ‘logistical nightmare’ after the 11th hour name change from American Riviera Orchard.
People working on the retail project are said to be tired of the ‘drama’ surrounding the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, who has now been engulfed by scandal surrounding his Sentebale charity.
They have even been asked to sign NDAs to keep secret where the products, including her ‘fruit spread’, are being made, MailOnline’s source said.
Meghan is also selling peppermint tea, ready made crepe mix and shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles
Meghan Markle’s As Ever range includes her limited edition Wildflower Honey which retails at approximately £21
‘There is so much drama surrounding them once again that internally the team are over it before it’s even launched’, the source has claimed. ‘It’s been a logistical nightmare and the buying team are having an issue as they can’t work out what the demand will be, if any’.
MailOnline’s insider said that away from the social media buzz, there are still fears internally about whether Meghan’s new brand will fly.
Team Sussex is believed to have lined up famous faces and influencers to help boost sales on Wednesday. ‘People will be posting their jars of jam – they’ve seeded it to lots of influencers to get it out there and to plaster social media with ‘good vibes’ on launch’, they said.
The Duchess had unveiled her lifestyle brand as American Riviera Orchard last year, sending out 50 jars of jam to her friends as a soft launch.
The ‘American Riviera’ is a nickname for Santa Barbara, where Meghan lives with husband Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
But Meghan was forced to do an embarrassing U-turn after US officials told her geographical locations could not be patented and she therefore could not trademark the brand – prompting the switch to ‘As Ever’.
Meghan confirmed the change of name in a video posted to her Instagram on February 18, shared with her 2.2million followers on the social media platform.
However, this too proved to be a shambles after it was revealed the name was already being used by a long-established independent clothing brand in New York.
Among the items in the collection are a herbal lemon ginger tea for approximately £9
The Duchess of Sussex’s jam jars are retail for between $12 and $15 – including her emblematic raspberry spread
The Duchess’s flower sprinkles, which have sold out, cost £11.59 – and are also featured on Meghan’s cookie mix
And in another blow, the Duchess found herself embroiled in a plagiarism row over the logo for As Ever with a small town in Majorca.
The mayor of Porreres, a town on the Spanish island, accused Meghan’s company of copying their historic coat of arms in its logo, which features a palm tree and two birds.
The Duchess sought to defend the controversy surrounding the As Ever lifestyle firm amid the launch of its products.
In an interview with Inc., Meghan compared the name change fiasco to that of Bumble, the social media dating app, which changed its name from ‘Merci’ early on.
Meghan, who is pals with the dating app’s tech guru founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, claimed that even though she was ‘close friends’ with her, she had ‘no idea’ about Bumble’s original name.
‘These things that can feel very big as an entrepreneur when you’re building your own thing are completely normal,’ she added.
When Meghan unveiled her brand’s new name in February, Mark Kolski, founder of the New York City-based clothing brand As Ever, wrote on his brand’s website: ‘We are aware. We are not affiliated.’
The duchess insisted she was cheering on the other As Ever brand and hoped that as more people used the phrase, the family-owned clothing brand would get a boost too. ‘There’s room for everybody,’ she says.
Meghan Markle is facing accusations that a ‘common marketing ploy’ was used to help her As Ever range sell out in a matter of minutes. The duchess is pictured marking the launch
The Duchess of Sussex admits the launch of her lifestyle brand is a ‘pivotal moment’ but hopes it will inspire others
Ahead of her lifestyle brand launch, the Duchess of Sussex told potential buyers she hopes the items can ‘mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home’.
She has suggested her crepe mix will transform breakfasts into a ‘chance to reminisce’ because they remind her of ‘backpacking through France as a student’.
Her raspberry jam – which is made in a factory – will be ‘presented in keepsake packaging,’ and she advised fans to ‘repurpose’ the jars ‘to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me’, adding: ‘Think of it as our time capsule’.
Meghan, 43, continued: ‘And by the way, once you’ve enjoyed every spoonful of this fruit spread, you may want to do what I do: rinse the jar and use it as a small bud vase for flowers on your nightstand, or to hold your pens on your desk.’
The advice came in the newsletter which excitedly announced the roll out of her collection, with other products including a lemon ginger tea blend.
At the bottom of the email, Meghan provided links for fans so they could ‘follow the As Ever story’. But fans noticed that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error – reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial.
When the link was clicked, it still took fans to the correct page – as did the accompanying link to the Duchess’s Instagram account, @meghan, but fans were surprised by the lack of attention to detail.
