Meghan Markle’s lifestyle company, As Ever, was forced to apologize for being unable to fulfill customers’ orders after its limited-edition honey sold out.
After the Duchess of Sussex released her highly anticipated line of products — which also included jam, teas, crepe mix, flower sprinkles and more — last Wednesday, all the items sold out in less than an hour.
Some unlucky shoppers purchased the wildflower honey with honeycomb ($28) when it was already out of stock and were advised they would receive a refund.
“The excitement created a volume of traffic on the site that even we couldn’t have anticipated (with everything selling out in an hour),” read an email from the company.
“The orders were happening so quickly that the backend of the site didn’t have a chance to keep up. The Limited-Edition Honey that you purchased was, unfortunately, already sold out.
“We are working on replenishing inventory and will gladly send you an item of your choosing to thank you for your understanding,” the message added.
The email also included a personal message from Markle herself.
“Dear friend, My goodness, what a whirlwind this week has been! Thank you so much for the support. It really means so much to me,” she wrote, according to screenshots shared online by unlucky consumers.
“I was so sorry to hear about what happened with your order, and that due to overselling we are not able to get you the Limited-Edition Honey. Please know the team worked very hard in every department, and felt just as sad when we learned what had happened,” the “Suits” alum, 43, added.
Markle then told the shoppers they would receive her next limited-edition item in the mail “as a gift from me.”
She concluded her message by teasing what is next to come from the brand.
“So much more goodness is coming soon,” she wrote before signing her first name in cursive.
The former actress has hit several snags with her company since announcing the launch of As Ever in February after facing several trademark issues with its former name, American Riviera Orchard.
That month, the owner of a family-run New York City clothing brand named As Ever spoke out, saying that he was “exploring all possibilities” about the name snafu. (The owner also admitted to not owning the trademark to As Ever.)
Additionally, Xisca Mora, a politician in Spain, reportedly said she was considering suing Markle for plagiarizing one of the country’s coats of arms for As Ever’s logo.
And in April, fans noticed a small typo in a newsletter that shared what items would be available on the duchess’s site.
Read the full article here