Meghan Markle has shared another behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life in California – as her lifestyle brand is accused of ‘ghosting’ customers after its launch.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared the sweet kitchen snapshot to her official As Ever Instagram page ahead of Memorial Day weekend in the United States.
In the photograph, Meghan wears a spotless apron as she appears to bake inside a lavish kitchen, her hair pulled back and a natural smile on her face.
Products from the As Ever line – the ‘raspberry spread’ – can be seen on the side.
The image is captioned: ‘Stir, sip, repeat — savouring moments slow and sweet this holiday weekend.’
But this look into Meghan’s life comes as the Duchess was criticised for a ‘lack of planning’ because her sold-out products still haven’t been restocked after months.
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 $28 (£21.60), and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60).
Meghan Markle has shared another behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life in California – as her lifestyle brand is accused of ‘ghosting’ customers after its launch
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 products within minutes – the range sold out in just half an hour.
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.
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
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)
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)
Hitting the market at the start of April, fans snapped up the products within minutes – the range sold out in just half an hour.
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.’
But Renae Smith, founder and director of The Atticism, has now criticised Meghan for ‘ghosting’ her fans with what she dubbed a ‘half-baked’ PR move.
She told the Express: ‘It’s not surprising people are mocking it. From a PR and brand-building perspective, the strategy feels a bit half-baked.
‘The initial drop clearly exceeded expectations; honey selling out in five minutes is impressive, but it also screams lack of planning. Honey is honey. It doesn’t take six months to source more.’
Ms Smith added that it looks like Meghan ‘launched, sold out, and then ghosted the audience’.
‘That doesn’t build anticipation, it creates the sense that the brand doesn’t know what it wants to be,’ she explained, adding that the 13-month tease period was ‘boring’.
Nearly two months after the Duchess of Sussex’s brand As Ever launched, its sold-out products still have not been restocked