Meghan suggested consumers would still want to purchase “items that can bring them joy” amid the threat of a global recession.
As stock markets around the world continued their sell-offs, the Duchess said on Wednesday (local time) the products she is selling domestically are protected because they are made in the US.
They include US$28 (NZ$49.65) wildflower honey with honeycomb and a US$14 (NZ$24.83) jar of raspberry jam from her brand, As Ever.
The Duchess of Sussex says the products she is selling domestically are protected because they are made in the US. Photo / Getty Images
“At the moment, all of our products are currently made in the US, so we don’t anticipate tariffs affecting us directly,” she told the business magazine Fortune.
The Duchess added that she was “very grateful” her brand was created to be “accessible and affordable”, suggesting that people would still seek to buy from the company in a recession.
Meghan explained: “As we look at the larger context of how this is going to affect the consumer day-to-day, I’m very grateful that in part of the conception of this brand, I wanted to create products that look more prestige, but are more accessible and affordable.
“I think during any time of recession, people still want to find creature comforts, items that can bring them joy.”
She added that her nine-product range, which sold out in less than an hour after the collection’s launch last week, should still feel affordable to her customers.
She said: “You’ll see the bulk of our SKUs [stock keeping units] are under $20. From our standpoint, certainly for me, even in the expansion of the brand, things should still feel accessible.”
The goods included decorative flower sprinkles for US$15 (NZ$26.60), shortbread and crepe mixes, both costing US$14 (NZ$24.83), and various herbal tea mixes for US$12 (NZ$21.28) each.
A source told The Telegraph that the items, estimated to number in the tens of thousands, would be made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest – a common marketing ploy.
Netlix partnership ‘right move for global expansion’
The Duchess’ first launch, in partnership with Netflix, is described as “a glimpse” into her approach to “elevated, everyday living and is inspired by her long-lasting love of cooking, entertaining and hostessing with ease”.
Meghan also revealed to Fortune how Netflix had developed the products with her.
She said the process for the streaming giant to sign on as a key investor last year was “really organic” as she had been sending Bela Bajaria, the chief content officer, and Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive, homemade jams as part of her holiday gift-giving for years.
Meghan said Bajaria told her that she needed “to teach people how to do this”, and from then on, was very excited about the possibility of a show”.
The Duchess added that “because of how savvy my partners are, and certainly business-minded strategically”, Bajaria also suggested she talk to Netflix’s consumer products division about a partnership.
She described the subsequent partnership, made with Josh Simon, Netflix’s vice-president of consumer products, as the “right move for the global expansion we want”.
“We are very, very much in harmony on how we see the growth of this, and the trajectory over the next five to seven years,” the Duchess added.
The product launch came on the heels of the release of her recent Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which was widely panned by critics.
Variety, the Hollywood trade magazine, said the eight-part lifestyle series existed “as a sort of celebration of all things Duchess of Sussex”, adding that, as with her previous media offerings, “no amount of praise seems enough”.
Elsewhere, Time magazine, which four years ago named the Sussexes among its 100 most influential people of 2021, suggested that the Duchess came across as bland.
Following the release of the series, for which a second season is already confirmed, she is not thought to have been shown any negative reviews and is understood not to look them up herself.
Speaking to Fortune about the recent launch of Confessions of a Female Founder, her new podcast, which debuted its first episode on Tuesday, Meghan said, “women need to see that they can build”.
The Duchess of Sussex added: “Women don’t need to be afraid to talk about finance, and I think the more financial literacy we have, the stronger we’re going to be.”
