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Meghan will PAUSE As Ever jam & tea restock over fears she’s ‘annoying’ customers – as she opens up to Beyonce’s mum
Meghan also expressed her dream of launching a future business with Princess Lilibet
MEGHAN Markle has decided to "just pause" restocking her As Ever brand after previously selling out in under an hour.
The Duchess of Sussex said she wants to wait until it is "completely stable and we have everything we need" as to not annoy customers.
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Meghan told of the difficulties of building her firm and "how many tears" she has shed behind the scenes.
She chatted about As Ever on a bonus episode of her podcast featuring Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles.
The Duchess has suffered a myriad of problems with the business, from branding rows to claims she is "out of touch" with reality with her pricey jams.
The 43-year-old has previously admitted As Ever "overwhelms" her and she stays up stressing about it until 3am.
On the podcast, she also expressed her dream of launching a future business with daughter Princess Lilibet, after talking to Tina about the Cecred haircare line she started with Beyoncé.
"I wonder if one day I'll be in business with Lily and we'll be building something," the Duchess said, with Tina adding: "That's the best."
Meghan spoke about the April launch of her As Ever products including jam and herbal tea.
She said that the "scarcity mentality at the beginning might be a hook for people", comparing it to "a sneaker drop".
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But she feared it might be "annoying" for customers, adding: "I don't want you to eat that jam once every six months. I want that to be on your shelf all the time."
Meghan said: "So for me at the moment, with As Ever, it was great. We planned for a year we get and then everything sells out in 45 minutes.
"Yes, amazing, great news. Then what do you do? And then you say 'Ok, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer?
"I'm looking at it saying 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need'."
She added how people "see all the flashy stuff and they see the product. But that end game... those behind the scenes moments, how many tears I've shed".
But experts claimed she used a sneaky "ploy" to make sure her pricey food brand sold out in minutes.
When Meghan, 43, finally launched her highly anticipated As Ever items, from £11 jars of jam to £22 limited edition honey, it was swiftly out of stock.
But a source said: "This is simply a marketing ploy.
"You make a relatively small amount available so it all gets bought and then you can say it's so popular it sold out."
The Duchess of Sussex spoke with Tina, 71 - who is a fashion designer - for her podcast on May 5, the day before Archie's birthday.
The 43-year-old gushed that she is "so happy to be sitting down" with Tina and she is "so glad" she reached out.
The pair spoke about Tina's first Headliners hair salon in Texas in 1990.
The Duchess said: "I remember me with all my hair growing up, oh my gosh.
"My mum would have to drop me off at the hair salon and I would sit there for three to four hours for them to press and curl my hair, and that was at the age of 13."
Meghan also spoke about her A-list pal Tyler Perry, who offered the Sussexes a private refuge during their move to the US.
The Don't Look Up actor first came into contact with Meghan when he reached out to her in regards to her much-talked-about estrangement from her father Thomas Markle.
Then in March 2020, Tyler offered the couple sanctuary at his Beverly Hills estate while they faced controversy for their choice to walk away from their positions as the Royal Family's senior members.
Shortly after Harry and Meghan welcomed their second child and first daughter Lilibet on June 4, 2021, they asked Tyler to become the princess' godfather.
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Speaking on the podcast, Tina said: "And Tyler talks about you all… he loves you, Tyler Perry, he's a really good friend of mine."
Meghan replied: "Yes, well, he's a good friend to have. He's the most extraordinary soundboard.
"It's interesting for us to be sitting down talking about business, because he is that person that when I have questions about business or just when you feel like you're off your path, I need to check in with Tyler."
The podcast firm Lemonada revealed on May 29 that a bonus episode would be released.
A social media post announced: "We had just wrapped Confessions of a Female Founder and packed up the mics - until a call came in that we couldn't ignore.
"On the line was one of the most influential and inspiring matriarchs in culture today. Naturally, we hit record."
Meghan said at the time: "Next week, we've got one more very special interview for you. A bonus episode. Because when a matriarch calls, and when this matriarch calls, oh, you answer. This one is so special, y'all."
It comes after Meghan was spotted with Prince Harry at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour at SoFi Stadium on May 9.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen dancing in a luxury suite worth thousands of dollars at the singer's Cowboy Carter tour in LA.
Harry, 40, was standing and bopping his head awkwardly while the Duchess repeatedly threw her hands in the air as Beyoncé belted out Texas Hold'Em.
He wore a khaki hat, jacket and black T-shirt for the cowboy-themed show while Meghan, 43, wore a royal blue dress.
A separate official photo posted on Beyoncé's official tour website showed the couple smiling with their arms around each other.
The Duchess of Sussex also went to the singer's Renaissance tour in California in 2023 along with Harry, her mother Doria Ragland and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer.
While Meghan and Doria could be seen beaming and raising their arms during the concert, an unsmiling Prince Harry had his arms stuffed in his pockets.
Meghan first publicly met Beyoncé and Jay-Z in London in 2019.
They met at the premiere of Disney's remake of The Lion King, in which the pop star was the voice of Nala.
Meghan and Harry have crossed paths a number of times with Beyoncé .
In 2019, the singer received a Brit Award standing in front of a regal portrait of the wearing a crown and jewels.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z explained the decision, saying: “In honour of Black History Month, we bow down to one of our Melanated Monas. Congrats on your pregnancy! We wish you so much joy.”
Meghan’s makeup artist Daniel Martin revealed how she responded to the news, when he appeared on CBS News.
He recalled: “I sent her a pic. I think it was a screen grab of the two of them in front of the portrait.
“I think all I wrote was, ‘Girl.’ She wrote me back like the big eye emoji.”
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Meanwhile, Beyoncé previously praised Meghan after her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Beyoncé wrote on her website: “Thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you.”
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