Allegations have surfaced that Netflix's Hollywood offices are overflowing with unsold products from Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand, As Ever, with employees reportedly helping themselves to free items. According to sources, the streaming giant's campus buildings contain storage rooms packed with inventory, including jars of jam, candles, wine, and flower sprinkles.
Storage Rooms Filled with As Ever Stock
Page Six initially reported that there are "two storage rooms' worth of stock" at Netflix's Icon tower and Epic building in Hollywood. A source stated, "Apparently, there are two storage rooms packed with As Ever product. They're literally just giving it away to employees - one staffer walked out with 10 products for free." A second source confirmed, "There's so much overstock," highlighting the apparent surplus.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Meghan's representatives for comment on these claims. In response, Page Six noted that any unsold As Ever inventory was moved from Netflix's Los Angeles office to another warehouse "long ago," with remaining stock being used for "gifting, sampling, and promotional use." Netflix's headquarters are known for various employee perks, which now allegedly include free jars of Meghan Markle's jam.
Background of the As Ever Collaboration
Meghan Markle, aged 44, launched As Ever in collaboration with Netflix, tied to her lifestyle show, With Love, which included two seasons and a holiday special. This partnership aimed to promote her brand of small-batch spreads, honeys, candles, teas, and wines. However, sources close to the Duchess of Sussex have denied that business has slowed down, despite claims of significant unsold inventory.
Website Glitch Reveals Stock Numbers
Last month, internet sleuths discovered a bug on the As Ever website that exposed precise stock numbers for her products. For example, a total of 137,465 units of her signature Fruit Spread Box were available at the time, which Reddit users interpreted as a sign of declining sales. The glitch was first found by Reddit user InfiniteSky55, who attempted to add 200,000 of each item to their shopping basket.
Other Redditors verified these numbers, with screenshots showing over 572,000 products in unsold stock, including spreads and tea items. A similar exploit for her wine venture revealed more than 70,000 bottles unsold, comprising nearly 7,000 Bruts, 46,000 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, and almost 24,000 bottles of Rose.
Response and Adjustments
Shortly after the post went viral, the As Ever website was updated to remove the exploit, with purchase limits implemented. Users can now only buy up to 50 spread gift boxes or 20 bottles of wine. As Ever has not commented on the bug, but sources later told The Sun that the stock numbers represented leftovers from an initial order of one million jars, with items "flying off the shelf."
A source remarked, "I think it’s fair to say business isn’t just successful, it’s flying off the shelf. Meghan inadvertently revealed that one million jars were ordered for that one product, and has only 130,000 left."
Meghan's Perspective on Inventory
In a conversation with Bloomberg's The Circuit, Meghan discussed increasing stock levels as she prepares to launch As Ever in other countries. She reflected on the brand's first sell-out run, saying, "It's an incredible thing for any small business and any start-up. We prepped for the second seasonal drop and ten-exed our inventory. We thought for sure it would at least last for a couple of weeks - that sold out in a couple of hours."
She added, "The conversation goes from at the start of this year talking about a few thousand jars and lids to, 'we need to do a purchase order of a million'." This statement underscores her confidence in the brand's growth and demand, despite the recent scrutiny over unsold products at Netflix offices.
